Brian McDermott has consistently talked about England having a "point of difference" in the Rugby League World Cup but eyebrows were raised when the head coach opted to leave Jake Connor out of the squad again. Connor was controversially left out of England's 3-0 Ashes drubbing last autumn by then head coach Shaun Wane and has once again had a strong season for Leeds Rhinos that led to his Dream Team inclusion. However, McDermott has opted for George Williams, Harry Smith, and Mikey Lewis as his half-back options, with Sydney Roosters centre Hugo Savala also a capable half-back.
For McDermott, the players in that heavy Ashes defeat series were not the issue, but the game plan enforced that has been tried and failed many times before. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player "It is not a case of changing players as such, although through the tournament we will pick the team that we think can best get the job done each week, but I believe last year that they didn't play with the points of difference," McDermott said. "They just tried the usual things - they tried to put the ball on a certain pat of grass and then tried to shift the ball to beat Australia on the outside.
"I don't suggest that's what England's done all the time but you have got to play with the point of difference and the reason not many people will do it is because sometimes it doesn't come off and there's a risk element to that. "You have got to have some courage. There is a way of playing which asks more questions of team's defence when you have got the ball rather than just loading up for one shape per set." While McDermott believes Lewis fits the "game model" more than Connor, he understands that, on form, Connor has had a strong season.
However, alongside form, having led a team in a big game also came into his thinking, which he noted Lewis did in the Challenge Cup and World Club Challenge. "I believe Jake's had a really good year. He had an outstanding year last year, got a Man of Steel and again has played with a leading team this year," he added.
"What I have got is a squad full of players who I believe will best play to the game style, the attack plan or the game model that we identified many weeks ago that I think we need to do to be able to compete with the leading nations. "We can't do the usual things and I've made this a point from the day that I took the job, we've got to play with the point of difference. "So I've got a squad of players here that I believe are best suited to the attack plan and the game model that I think England need to play.
"I think form, current form has a bearing, of course it does. I think there's another principle of how we've picked a team as well which is can you play under pressure. "The World Cup and internationally you don't get any second chances, you have to deliver there and then, you cannot go back and review the game and have another go the following week.
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