Shaun Wane breaks silence on Jake Connor’s Ashes chances as reserve ‘watchlist’ revealed

Shaun Wane insists the England door is not shut on Man of Steel leader Jake Connor, but has told the Leeds Rhinos playmaker he must be more consistent if he is to be considered for this year’s Ashes Test series.

Wane and his coaching staff welcomed a 32-man performance squad for a team bonding session in Manchester on Tuesday, a squad meeting that the head coach says will take place at least once a month until the end of the season.

Fascinatingly, Wane revealed that several of his initial squad were set to be told they would be cut from the squad, and has kept the door very much open to bring in the form players in Super League.

Top of that list would appear to be Leeds Rhinos half-back Connor, but despite leading the points table in voting for Man of Steel, it appears the former Huddersfield man still has plenty to do to convince Wane he is good enough to play against Australia.

“Jake Connor is a good player,” Wane told Love Rugby League.

“I don’t know who picks Man of Steel and the points or how they judge it. I do know he is a really good player.

“He played well last week when there were 78 points scored, but the week before when I really wanted him to play well (in defeat at St Helens) he wasn’t on. I have to pick players who will play well for three games, every week.”

Wane has revealed he has a ‘watchlist’ of players like Connor who did not quite make the cut, which also includes veteran Saints prop Alex Walmsley.

“I have spoken to Alex and he is on a watchlist and so is Jake. Dean Hadley at Hull KR is a good player and I like him. I am just looking at us playing Australia at Wembley and seeing him in there – he could probably hack it but he might not hack it and that is just my personal choice.

“Alex is keen as hell to play, and Kallum Watkins is playing really well and I have picked him before.”

Wane has confirmed that his final squad will be a 24-man party named the week after the Super League Grand Final, and insists that talk of players that are not in – rather than those who are – does not bother him.

“I have been around a long time and the things that I have been called over the years have been shocking so it doesn’t bother me.

“We have that many coaches in this country – a lot better than me – who have an opinion on who I should pick and I can’t satisfy everyone.

“I don’t try to, in my heart this is the squad but it is nowhere near a fixed squad that the 24 is going to come out of. And they know that. The RFL wanted me to name a squad and I have named it but it is very, very fluid and I need everybody to know that.

“There will be players leaving this squad in the next few weeks. The chat is going to be simple and straight-forward for some players – you will not stay in this squad.

“I sense what we need to do to get those wins and have to be really honest and brutal in the chats. I just don’t want it to be a surprise when I ring them to say if they are in or not in September.

“This is not the squad I am picking my 24-man squad from. If Alex Walmsley kills it for the rest of the year, if any player kills it and I can see them playing at Wembley and winning that Test match against Australia then they are in.”

WEDNESDAY’S READS ON LRL

👉🏻 The clubs set for major jumps in IMG performance score including Championship big hitter

👉🏻 Castleford make Liam Horne appeal call as Danny McGuire attacks ‘bewildering’ ban

👉🏻 Why Liam Horne was banned but Rhyse Martin wasn’t as tribunal minutes revealed

👉🏻 Wakefield dealt fresh Jake Trueman blow but key trio could return for Catalans clash