Dave Craven: Hat-trick hero Hodgson deserves chance with McNamara

Steve McNamara probably already has the players in mind whom he will pick for his first game in charge of England with Australia-based duo Gareth Ellis and Sam Burgess the first to be confirmed in his 19-man squad.

But, ahead of the June 12 game against France, I will try and help him fill in the blanks.

On the right wing, Hull KR's Peter Fox has been steady rather than spectacular as has Leeds' Lee Smith following his return from rugby union. So maybe McNamara should go for the form wideman – David Hodgson.

The Huddersfield player is the leading scorer with 16 tries, including four hat-tricks and his finishing skills are second to none. Not the quickest, he has enjoyed sporadic international experience but, at 28, has matured into an excellent operator, who warrants another chance ahead of Warrington's wispy Chris Riley.

Ryan Atkins, the former Wakefield centre now settled at Warrington, missed out on last year's Four Nations due to injury. Wolves team-mate Chris Bridge was the surprise pick when England were struggling for a centre but the robust Atkins is the long-term solution.

Wigan's Sam Tomkins should be a certainty at stand-off but Kevin Brown has developed into an outstanding No 6 with Huddersfield and it would be fascinating to see him parade his repertoire on the international stage. It would mean leaving out Tomkins but he is a certainty for the 2010 trip in any case. So, with so few opportunities to test his players in the interim, McNamara might well assess other candidates in this crucial position before heading Down Under.

McNamara is almost certain to be without captain Jamie Peacock but that could work in both their favours. After a second injury of the year, the veteran will be refreshed for the autumn and it allows the coach to look at other front-row candidates.

His club captain at Odsal – Andy Lynch – was regularly over-looked by predecessor Tony Smith because he failed to offer the thunderous impact of Eorl Crabtree, Burgess or James Graham.

It was a fair point but as a starting prop, and with Peacock and Adrian Morley nearing the end of their international careers, there are few better.

Lynch will be 31 come the Four Nations but is in devilish form and it would be a travesty if his career ended without playing on the biggest stage.

One of the blossoming stars of Super League XV has been Joel Tomkins. He has made great advances under Michael Maguire, proving the Warriors were right not to go into the transfer market to replace drug-shamed England second-row Gareth Hock.

At 23, the elder Tomkins is commanding almost as much attention as his sibling with a series of powerful displays which have not only portrayed his rugged style but unearthed plenty of footballing talent.

Burgess started at loose-forward in the Four Nations final but Sean O'Loughlin was unavailable for that tournament due to injury.

The Wigan captain has returned as relentless as ever, leading his side to the top of Super League. Finding room for both him and Kevin Sinfield, so similar in styles, may be a luxury McNamara cannot afford but they must be given the chance to combine.

Under-rated Leeds Rhinos second-row Carl Ablett would be worth a look, having shown real line-breaking ability in recent weeks and his versatility would be useful. Warrington's bullish young prop Ben Harrison should also be considered.

Craven's England:

Briscoe (Hull KR); Hodgson (Huddersfield), Shenton (Castleford), Atkins (Warrington), Hall (Leeds); Brown (Huddersfield), Eastmond (St Helens); Morley (Warrington), Sinfield (Leeds), Lynch (Bradford), J Tomkins (Wigan), Ellis (Wests), O'Loughlin (Wigan). Substitutes: Roby (St Helens), Burgess (Souths), Graham (St Helens), Ablett (Leeds). Stand-by: S Tomkins (Wigan), Ben Harrison (Warrington).