It’s been ten years between drinks, but Hull KR captain Elliot Minchella is going to make the most of his England shot. The uncapped loose forward is one of six potential debutants in Shaun Wane’s squad for Saturday’s Test against France in Toulouse.
Now aged 28, his chance of international acclaim could easily have passed him by. But Minchella, who has matured into one of Super League’s top forwards since joining KR from hometown Bradford in 2020, has certainly earned his chance.
He was made captain of the Robins this term and has seen his game get even better. Minchella said: “I played England Under 16s and England Under 18s – so it’s taken me ten years to get back!
“Shaun rang to tell me and I was shocked. I had to double-check it was definitely him. I was a bit speechless. Before that phone call, I’d not heard anything, so as far as I was concerned, I didn’t have a clue on how close or far away I was from being in these conversations.
“I’m confident in my own ability, but at the same time, I really didn’t have a clue. So I am very grateful. I’m just excited as well and looking forward to it.”
With England’s NRL contingent not considered for the Toulouse clash, it means Wane’s main No 13 pick – Sydney Roosters’ Victor Radley – is out of the mix.
Minchella, who might start alongside club teammates Mikey Lewis and Jez Litten, has the chance to show off his skills before the main event of a two-Test series against World Cup finalists Samoa this autumn because St Helens’ Morgan Knowles is also injured.
“I’ll try to take it with both hands if given the chance, but there is a lot of competition,” he stated. All I want is to gain the respect of Shaun, the coaching staff, and my teammates.“I want to just appreciate it for what it is, because these kinds of experiences don’t happen very often. But I’ll also make an effort to communicate. I refuse to let my feelings get the better of me.”
Last year, Minchella assisted KR in getting to Wembley, and they are simply
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