Rugby league: Matty Lees named in latest England Knights training squad

Former Mayfield player Matty Lees (right) with a fellow former Mayfield player, Jack Ashworth (centre)

Former Rochdale Mayfield man Matty Lees has earned a call-up to Shaun Wane’s latest England Knights training squad.

The Rugby League prop, who was a junior at Mayfield before signing for St Helens, will feature in the first training squad of 2022, set to meet at Headingley on 15 March.

Lees features alongside 29 others in the best that the Betfred Super League has to offer, as they prepare for the Combined Nations All Star tournament in June, before the rearranged World Cup in Autumn.

England Head Coach Shaun Wane said: “It’s a massive year for us, a great opportunity that we must be well prepared for.

“We’ve looked at a number of things in putting this training squad together – form last year, performances in the All Stars and France games, pre-season training and discussions around up and coming young players.”

Lees has featured twice for England Knights before in his career after receiving his first call-up in 2018, while he was also named Super League’s Young Player of the Year in 2019.

If he can continue his form with St Helen’s again this season, as they target a fourth-consecutive Grand Final win, he may feature in Wane’s World Cup squad later this year.