The England Community Lions Under 23's will play three international fixtures at the end of the season. Wales will send a team to England on 14th October before hosting two weeks later on the 28th October, and a trip to Ireland is sandwiched between those fixtures on the 21st October.
Taking the coaching reigns once more is Paul Couch who also has the expanded brief of being Open Age Men's Head Coach of the Lions Programme.
Looking at the twenty-player squad that has been named, Couch said, "I know quite a few of them have been involved around an under-16s or an under-19s level. Some actually played for me last year in the under-23s, but it's a good opportunity to look at them all again in a different environment."
"It shows the programme works. It shows what we have in place now, whether they're playing for Tom (Wood) in the under-16s or they're playing for Gary (Hewer) in the under-17s-18s that they're getting the same kind of coaching and the same kind of system that's being run as well and then if they are ready to step up to the Under 23's or open age, then they are ready to do it."
The announced squad sees Owen Hoyles selected who has enjoyed a superb season with Division Three promotion hopefuls Ellenborough Rangers and Brodie-Lee Butler who has impressed playing rugby league in the armed forces for the Royal Navy over a number of years, while also handing opportunities to free scoring Hunslet ARLFC winger Tyler Dargan and North West Mens' League player Joseph Heaton from Hindley.
"I've kept a little bit of eye on Owen because he was with us in the 23's last year and then his points scoring is pretty good in Division Three. He trialled really well when we were up at Cumbria - he looked pretty sharp and he looked switched on." Couch said.
"There's been a couple of Armed Forces players that have trialled and really stood out and Brodie was one of them. We spotted him pretty early and I've been to watch quite a few of the Armed Forces games where they've been playing the students and the teachers.
"You also had Joseph Heaton, another one that stood out in the trials and that's all we asked for the players when the trialling, that they made themselves noticeable. You haven't got long to prove yourself and this young lad took his opportunity.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing Dargan play in the 23s. He's scoring a lot of points in a very good team at the minute that are playing very well. There's quite a number of people that I'm looking forward to watching and hopefully they can move on and get the opportunity to play open age at some point." Couch enthused.
In total ten players are in the squad from Cumbrian teams including Under-19 European Champions Jack Newbegin and Rio McQuistan from Millom. A further four are in from outstanding Hunslet ARLFC with just four players from Lancashire clubs including Leigh East prop Connor Grainey.
The squad in full is as follows:
- Jack Newbegin Millom
- Morgan McCourt Wath Brow Hornets ARLFC
- Sam Appleby Egremont Rangers
- Jake Pearce Wath Brow Hornets ARLFC
- Ellison Holgate Wath Brow Hornets ARLFC
- Noel Branthwaite Hensingham ARLFC
- Jack Kellett Hensingham ARLFC
- Aaron Turnbull Egremont Rangers
- Rio McQuistan Millom
- Owen Hoyles Ellenborough Rangers ARLFC
- Joshua Parker York Acorn
- Kallem Rodgers Ince Rose Bridge
- Brodie-Lee Butler Ince Rose Bridge
- Joseph Heaton Hindley
- Connor Grainey Leigh East
- Jack Briggs Hunslet ARLFC
- Harry Dodd Hunslet ARLFC
- Harvey Stevens Oulton Raiders
- Tyler Dargan Hunslet ARLFC
- Moris Kamano Hunslet ARLFC
