MORGAN GRINDER

Smithies has grafted to earn his England recall

- BY JOSH MCALLISTER

MORGAN SMITHIES is raring to go after earning a recall for England's must-win Ashes Test today.

The Yorkshireman, 24, was part of England's squads for the Tonga and Samoa series but he did not feature under head coach Shaun Wane.

Now, after a standout season in the NRL, Smithies is set for his first international appearance since April 2023 (inset) and he is determined to make up for lost time.

"Not playing last year, it probably motivated me to have a big preseason at Canberra Raiders and have a good year with them and hopefully get an England call-up at the end of the year," said Smithies, who helped the Raiders secure the 2025 NRL minor premiership.

"Now I've got that, it's up to me to take it.