'He's shouting pick me' - has Lewis played way into England's Ashes team?

Mikey Lewis rugby action

Could Mikey Lewis become England's key player against Australia following his 2023 debut?

If there was any lingering doubt Mikey Lewis would be in contention to start for England in the first Test of the Ashes series against Australia in two weeks' time then his performance for Hull KR on Saturday surely put paid to that.

The influential 24-year-old playmaker opened the scoring for the Robins during their historic Super League Grand Final victory against Wigan Warriors.

His brilliant dummy-set try initiated Hull KR's path to an extraordinary domestic triple crown, establishing them historically among the elite five Grand Final winners over the past thirty years.

England Boss Faces Tough Choices

He may not have been named this season's Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel, narrowly missing out on the honour he won in 2024 to Leeds' Jake Connor, but he won the Rob Burrow Award for man of the match in the Grand Final.

It leaves England boss Shaun Wane - who is set to name his squad on Monday - with a selection headache for his first starting line-up to face Australia when they meet at Wembley in 14 days' time.

England captain George Williams from Warrington remains a certainty, while Harry Smith's scoring performance during Wigan's comeback attempt places him alongside Lewis in the selection conversation.

Meanwhile, Connor will feel as if he has earned the right for a call-up himself off the back of a mature and impressive season in which he helped the Rhinos to their first top-four finish since 2017.

Expert Opinions on Lewis' Selection Claims

Mikey Lewis in action

Having appeared five times for England and crossed twice, Lewis possesses international pedigree

With the historic Ashes revival after twenty years approaching, Hull KR's Willie Peters (set to assist the Kangaroos) considers Lewis' championship performance a transformative career milestone.

“When I declared Mikey Lewis has arrived, I referred to that significant moment,” Peters explained.

“It doesn't get bigger than a Grand Final and he owned that first half.

“He cops a lot but it just shows the type of player we've got, who he is and what he's about.

Salford Red Devils manager Paul Rowley believes Lewis has emphatically stated his selection argument amid intense competition.

“Mikey Lewis is shouting from the rooftops 'pick me', or 'don't pick me if you dare',” Rowley commented.

“He's saying he can do it, he's a big player and he's doing it on the big stage.

“Mikey Lewis has got to be in there somewhere, but it's hard to squeeze all these good players in - there are only a few positions for quite a few players.”

Mikey Lewis with awards

Hull KR playmaker Mikey Lewis left Old Trafford after winning both the Super League Grand Final and the Rob Burrow Award for man of the match

Tracey Franklin
Tracey Franklin

A software engineer with a passion for AI and open-source projects, sharing practical tips and industry insights.