No place in GB Lions squad for Leeds Rhinos' Ash Handley - after 10,000-mile trek
Handley, Rhinos’ player of the year and joint-second top try scorer in Betfred Super League during 2019, flew out to join the Lions’ camp last Friday, following a series of injuries in the backs.
He arrived in Brisbane at the weekend and travelled to Papua New Guinea with the squad yesterday, but Bennett has opted to stick with stand-off Blake Austin on the left-wing and Jack Hughes - a second-row - at centre for the final game of the Lions’ four-match tour, in Port Moresby.
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Hide AdCastleford Tigers’ half-back Jake Trueman, having sat out the first three tour games, has been drafted into the initial 21 to join last week’s unused reserves Joe Philbin and George Williams.
Zak Hardaker, who missed the loss to New Zealand due to a shoulder injury, is back in contention.
The first 17 names on the squad list for Saturday are the side on duty in Christchurch.
The squad will be trimmed to 19 following Friday’s captain’s run.
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Hide AdPapua New Guinea’s squad includes Rhinos prop Wellington Albert and second-row Rhyse Martin.
GB squad: 1 Jonny Lomax, 2 Jermaine McGillvary, 3 Jack Hughes, 4 Jake Connor, 5 Blake Austin, 6 Gareth Widdop, 7 Jackson Hastings, 8 Chris Hill, 9 Josh Hodgson, 10 Tom Burgess, 11 John Bateman, 12 Elliott Whitehead, 13 James Graham, 14 Josh Jones, 15 Luke Thompson, 16 Daryl Clark, 17 Alex Walmsley, 18 Joe Philbin, 19 George Williams, 20 Jake Trueman, 21 Zak Hardaker.