England head coach Brian McDermott leaves Mikey Lewis out of the squad selection for the Rugby League World Cup opening match against Tonga. Multiple outlets report that Harry Smith is named in the half-back roles for the game, alongside captain George Williams.
Other selection details are limited but Sky Sports and another sports report state that Jack Welsby is included only on the bench for the match. Yahoo Sports and the BBC likewise focus on the half-back pairing, highlighting that Lewis is the player omitted from that starting arrangement while Smith and Williams are preferred. The sources agree on the main theme: Lewis does not start and is not featured in the opening match lineup for England, with Smith taking his place and Welsby not starting but available as a substitute.
