The highly anticipated England v Samoa Test series begins at the end of this month, and here is a look at how some of the England players performed in the Betfred Super League Semi-Finals.
Once again, Mikey Lewis played a huge role for Hull KR as they booked their place in the Grand Final this Saturday (12 October). This will be the Robins' maiden Old Trafford appearance.
It was a gritty affair against Warrington Wolves, but Lewis stepped up for his side and guided his team around the pitch to secure a memorable 10-8 victory in front of a sold-out Sewell Group Craven Park.
Lewis went head-to-head with his opposite halfback and England captain George Williams, which was an exciting watch for England fans as the international Test series fast approaches.
In defeat, Wolves winger Matty Ashton continued his incredible scoring spree with two quickfire tries to bring the visitors back into the game. He also made 12 tackle busts, as his side pushed the Robins all the way in a ferocious contest.
In what was a game of remarkable defence, Ben Currie made a monstrous 55 tackles and was once again the top tackler of the night for a second week running. John Bateman, Danny Walker and James Harrison also followed suit with 41, 36 and 20 tackles each.
With impressive defensive displays like these, we can expect two brutal battles against Samoa this autumn!
Wigan Warriors then produced a dominant 38-0 victory in their semi-final encounter with Leigh Leopards, and Super League’s top try scorer Liam Marshall further added to his tally – with two terrific tries in the first half.
Rising star and September’s Player of the Month Junior Nsemba produced another sensational performance. Nsemba ran for 125 metres in just 15 carries, with nine tackle busts and 29 tackles made.
Will we see Marshall and Nsemba make their England debuts this month?
There were five other England squad members on the team sheet in Semi-Final 2 – Tyler Dupree, Ethan Havard, Harry Smith, Luke Thompson and Jake Wardle all played a significant part in what was an excellent team performance.
Can they help the Warriors retain their Champions title at the Grand Final this weekend? Or will Lewis, Jez Litten and Elliot Minchella create history at Hull KR?
There's just one more week of Super League action to go, before the attention fully turns to the international fixtures...
Tickets for the Betfred Super League Grand Final are on sale now! Will you be joining us on Saturday 12 October to see some of the England stars in action?
Tickets for the England v Samoa two-game Test series are available to buy now at rugby-league.com/tickets with prices starting per test match from £25 Adults and £12.50 Under 16s.
The new England RL shirt can also be purchased now from Oxen’s Elite Pro Sports online store.
