Why Jake Connor's England v Australia Ashes snub could be good news for Leeds Rhinos

Despite being the most outstanding player in Betfred Super League this year, Connor was left out of national coach Shaun Wane’s 24-man squad for the Ashes Test series which begins at Wembley on Saturday, October 25. Instead, George Williams will skipper England from stand-off with Grand Finalists Mikey Lewis and Harry Smith competing for the scrum-half role.

Having not been selected for the home-based training squad, announced in June, Connor’s omission wasn’t a surprise. Clearly, Wane isn’t a fan and - barring an injury among the preferred pivots - Connor, who turns 31 on Saturday, was never likely to get an opportunity.

As an individual, Connor has had a better year than all three of the players chosen ahead of him and if the squad was picked solely on form, rather than reputation, he had to be included. But all coaches have players they know and trust and Connor obviously doesn’t fit the style of play Wane intends to utilise against Australia.

That’s a pity, because he - particularly in tandem with fellow maverick Lewis - would have thrown something different at the Kangaroos, who will know what to expect from Williams and Smith. Wane’s comment “it’s more about his form than anything else” is puzzling given the former Hull FC and Huddersfield Giants man has been bang in form since joining Leeds a year ago and saying Man of Steel “doesn’t mean anything to me.” was hardly a ringing endorsement of the sport’s most coveted individual prize.

Had Connor been selected, it would have sent the positive message players can force their way into the coach’s plans by knuckling down and performing well. He certainly deserves credit for how he has grasped what was being described by many pundits as his last big chance. Signed as a utility-player and 18th man in the squad, he played in all but two of Rhinos’ 30 competitive matches, was consistently good across the campaign and hasn’t caused Leeds any bother. Certainly nobody at the club has had a bad word to say about him.

England’s loss, though, is Rhinos’ gain. The Test series doesn’t end until November 8, which is around the time pre-season gets underway. With the new campaign set to start as early as January, England trio Harry Newman, Mikolaj Oledzki and Kallum Watkins will miss a sizable portion of Rhinos’ preparations.

Connor, however, will be fresh and if all Rhinos’ pivots get a full pre-season together, that can only be a good thing for the club’s Super League prospects in 2026. The England situation may also give him added motivation to prove Wane wrong next year.

Like any coach, Wane will stand or fall by his selections and if Williams is raising the Ashes trophy at AMT Headingley on November 8, nobody will be saying he got it wrong. Though the second and third games are sold out, there have been suggestions on social media some fans won’t attend Wembley because of Wane’s squad selection, but that’s nonsense.

This is England versus Australia, a series the good guys haven’t won since 1970 and the opener is a high-profile opportunity for rugby league to shine on a global stage. Whoever’s picked, England needs all supporters to get behind them and make sure the national stadium is packed out. The recriminations can wait - if they are needed at all.