'He's shouting pick me' - has Lewis played way into England's Ashes team?
Mikey Lewis made his England debut in 2023 but could he be at the core of his national side against Australia?
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
While Leeds' Jake Connor claimed the Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel honor this season, Lewis earned the prestigious Rob Burrow Award for his outstanding Grand Final performance.
National team coach Shaun Wane encounters difficult decisions for his starting formation against Australia at Wembley, with squad selection imminent this coming Monday.
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
Having appeared five times for England and crossed twice, Lewis possesses international pedigree
A first Ashes series for almost 20 years is a big occasion and Hull KR head coach Willie Peters - who will be part of the Kangaroos' backroom team for the series - believes Lewis' performance on the Grand Final stage was a pivotal moment in his career.
“My comment about Mikey Lewis arriving specifically addressed that pivotal occasion,” Peters clarified.
“Grand Finals represent the ultimate stage and he completely dominated the opening period.
“He cops a lot but it just shows the type of player we've got, who he is and what he's about.
According to Salford Red Devils' Paul Rowley, Lewis has powerfully presented his credentials despite numerous contenders.
“Lewis is virtually proclaiming 'select me' while daring anyone to exclude him,” Rowley noted.
“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.”
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
