Kallum Watkins, 35, gets late England World Cup call-up

Kallum Watkins is heading to a fourth Rugby League World Cup after England called the 35-year-old into their squad as a late replacement for Morgan Smithies.

Smithies withdrew after sustaining an injury in training. The news was reported by BBC Sport on 14 October, with England head coach Brian McDermott turning to a player he knows well.

Smithies, a lock and second-row forward for Canberra Raiders in Australia's NRL, had been expected to add energy through the middle and on the edge of the pack. He is set to join Perth Bears for the 2027 NRL season. His withdrawal leaves England without a forward used to the week-to-week intensity of Australian club rugby league.

Watkins, who plays second-row for Leeds Rhinos, brings 32 England caps. Second-rowers are the tall, hard-running forwards stationed either side of the middle, asked to carry strongly, tackle relentlessly and support line breaks. Watkins understands the job from both sides of the line. He started his career as a centre, the wide attacking role outside the halves, before moving into the pack where the collisions come thicker and faster.

He knows tournament rugby. Watkins played at the World Cups in 2013, 2017 and 2022. That history helps in a short, sharp competition where combinations must click quickly and there is little time to waste.

McDermott previously coached Watkins at Leeds, so there is no bedding-in period on personalities or standards. In league, teams get six tackles to advance the ball before handing over possession, so field position and completing sets cleanly decide matches. A player who already knows the coach's language can slot in faster.

Watkins will not play in England's World Cup opener against Tonga. He will be available for the group matches against France and Papua New Guinea. England face Tonga first, then France and Papua New Guinea in the group stage.

Watkins had been part of England's wider 38-man performance programme earlier this year, alongside Smithies, as McDermott weighed his options for the tournament, according to Sky Sports.

What makes this stand out is timing and temperament. At 35, Watkins is unlikely to be asked to play huge minutes every week. For fans, this means a steadying presence: strong edge defence, smart carries and a calm voice for younger forwards around him.