England names Rugby League World Cup squad

Burges brothers named  for England Squad. Photo BBC/Getty

Steve McNamara has brought together the best available English talent in Super League and Australia's NRL in a 24-man squad he insists can win the World Cup.

The head coach told me at the start of the summer that the key to gauging the strength of his squad would be the number of top players he leaves out.

And having disappointed an array of in-form Super League talent with the announcement of his squad on Tuesday, McNamara will be confident he has got the balance right. So has he?In terms of those players who have made it, the headlines focus on three of the four Burgess brothers - Sam, George and Tom. In the words of captain Kevin Sinfield, they have been "tearing up trees" for South Sydney.

The question was always how many of the four Australia-based brothers from Dewsbury would be named, and - with George and Tom poised for debuts - whose places they would take in the squad.

Sam and George were certainties. Sam has become one of the hottest forwards in the NRL and George's stunning debut season has seen him named rookie of the year.

England squad: Carl Ablett (Leeds), Tom Briscoe (Hull), George Burgess, Sam Burgess, Tom Burgess (all South Sydney), Rob Burrow (Leeds), Josh Charnley (Wigan), Rangi Chase (Castleford), Leroy Cudjoe (Huddersfield), Liam Farrell (Wigan), James Graham (Canterbury Bulldogs), Ryan Hall (Leeds), Zak Hardaker (Leeds), Chris Hill (Warrington), Gareth Hock (Widnes), Michael McIlorum (Wigan), Lee Mossop (Wigan), Sean O'Loughlin (Wigan), James Roby (St Helens), Kevin Sinfield (Leeds, capt), Sam Tomkins (Wigan), Kallum Watkins (Leeds), Ben Westwood (Warrington), Gareth Widdop (Melbourne).

BBC