Four NRL players-Max King, Jayden Brailey, Billy Smith, and Ben Talty-commit to England under coach Brian McDermott.
Four NRL players have put their hands up for England, and new coach Brian McDermott has taken them at their word.
Canterbury Bulldogs prop Max King, Canberra Raiders hooker Jayden Brailey, Sydney Roosters centre Billy Smith and Brisbane Broncos prop Ben Talty have all confirmed their allegiance through the heritage rule, becoming the headline act inside a sprawling 38-man performance program pool that McDermott has assembled ahead of this year's World Cup.
"From the NRL, there's further players who I have seen first-hand who are performing well and who have expressed a desire to represent England via the heritage rule: Max King, Jayden Brailey, Billy Smith and Ben Talty," McDermott said, confirming the quartet's commitment.
Max King was actually born in Huddersfield, giving his England ties a literal as well as a heritage dimension.
Brailey, Smith and Talty arrive via family lineage rather than birthplace, but McDermott has watched all four closely enough in the NRL to back their credentials without hesitation.
It's McDermott's first major announcement since being appointed England head coach back in April, and the scale of the pool underlines how wide he's cast the net.