Leeds Rhinos' star player Jake Connor has been surprisingly excluded from England's 23-player squad for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup. The tournament, set to take place across Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea this October and November, will proceed without the last year’s Man of Steel, despite his impressive record of leading the Super League with 43 assists.

This decision comes after Connor faced a similar fate last year, when he was omitted from Shaun Wane's squad for the home Ashes series against Australia, which ended in a disappointing 3-0 loss for England. Following Wane's resignation earlier this year, Brian McDermott, former head coach of Leeds, has taken over the national team, bringing new dynamics to the selection process.

McDermott had previously defended Connor, stating in April that the criticism surrounding him was "tremendously unfair." He acknowledged the polarizing opinions about Connor but emphasized his talent as a "game-breaker."

The full squad announcement is anticipated on Monday, with Hull KR fullback Mikey Lewis likely to secure a spot ahead of Connor.

England will kick off their World Cup campaign on October 17 against Tonga in Perth, followed by matches against France and Papua New Guinea. Historically, England has reached the finals in 1975, 1995, and 2017, and they were semi-finalists in 2021, losing to Samoa.