EIGHT Warrington Wolves players have been picked to join the England train-on squad, while an international return looks to be on the cards for Lee Briers.

Ryan Atkins, Garreth Carvell, Ben Harrison, Mickey Higham, Adrian Morley, Richie Myler, Chris Riley and Ben Westwood have all been added to the fall-out squad from the play-offs by England coach Steve McNamara to prepare for the Four Nations and the Garry Purdham Memorial Game against Cumbria in Whitehaven on Sunday, October 3 Wolves boss and former England coach Tony Smith iss delighted to have such a large number but knows it could have been more had Chris Bridge not ruled himself out for selection due to the imminent birth of his first child.

Smith said: “I think it is terrific for those who have been selected and I wish those guys the best of luck.”

Paul Wood and Jon Clarke, both with England experience, may feel disappointed to have missed out, having performed well for Warrington this season but Smith believes that those players have played a part in their teammates’ selections.

“A few of our other boys have been in good form too but I’m sure every coach could make a case for one or two of their players that weren’t selected,” he said.

“But I like to focus on the positive. It is great recognition for what they have done as individuals but those players don’t get in without their teammates playing well around them.

“There are not many individuals who get in totally off their own back and certainly not that many from the same squad without the team having done well.”

Ben Harrison is expected to be fit to play in Cumbria next week, with Smith hoping the loose forward will have recovered from the hamstring tear suffered in the warm-up to Wolves’ vital play-off match against Huddersfield.

McNamara will announce his final 24-man squad for the Four Nations on October 4, the day after the England v Cumbria clash.