Great Britain reward Thorman for Origin exploits

Three uncapped members of the Yorkshire side that thrashed Lancashire in midweek have played their way into the Great Britain squad to prepare to face Australia this autumn.

Chris Thorman, the London Broncos' half-back who won the Roy Powell medal as man of the match, has forced his way into David Waite's 28-man party named yesterday, as have the Yorkshire captain, Ryan Hudson of Castleford, and Leeds' young prop Ryan Bailey.

But there are no places for two other Leeds players who figured prominently on Wednesday night, Rob Burrow and Mark Calderwood, nor for the Bradford utility player Karl Pratt, who was in the squad against New Zealand last year and has been a particular favourite of the Great Britain coach.

The place that might have been Calderwood's has gone instead to Wigan's Irish-born winger Brian Carney, who played for Lancashire at Odsal until injuring a hamstring.

Thorman, who is back on club duty with the Broncos against Hull today, admits his progress this season has been overshadowed by the startling recent form of Dennis Moran. Last season's leading try scorer in Super League has run in 13 in five games since being switched to full-back, thus stealing everyone's thunder.

"I'm just glad Dennis isn't from Yorkshire, because he would have probably popped up with another hat-trick," joked Thorman this week.

With Jim Dymock, Mat Toshack and Paul Sykes still injured, the London coach, Tony Rea, is likely to stick with the side that continued the Broncos' remarkable away run by winning at Halifax last week.

They have not won at Griffin Park since beating Hull last September, but they will face a depleted side. Shaun McRae has an unwanted legacy from the Origin Game, with his in-form full-back, Steve Prescott, likely to be out for two months with a dislocated knee cap, but he has Shayne McMenemy, signed from Halifax, available for the first time.

In tomorrow's Super League programme, Leeds' Origin players have to back up against Warrington, who have injury doubts about Darren Burns and Mark Gleeson, but could have Ben Westwood back for the first time since April.

Wigan had no fewer than 10 players on duty at Odsal, which could make them a little more vulnerable at Huddersfield, and the same could apply to Bradford, with their six county players, at Wakefield.

Hudson, plus Andy Lynch, who must be disappointed not to have made the training squad, will be in Castleford's side against the bottom club, Halifax.

The two clubs who will be vying to replace Halifax in Super League next year, Salford and Leigh, meet today in the Arriva Trains Cup final at Rochdale. Leigh's hopes against the favourites could rest on the ability of the England hooker, Paul Rowley, to play after sustaining a broken hand.