Ruthless England coach Tony Smith has ripped through his squad for the inaugural Four Nations, axing more than half the players who went to last year’s World Cup.

The 24-man squad includes only 11 survivors from a campaign which ended with a semi-final defeat by New Zealand.

St Helens trio Leon Pryce, Ade Gardner and Paul Wellens all miss out despite having been part of the Saints’ push to Super League Grand Final.

Rob Burrow, Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Keith Senior, who were all key members of the Leeds squad which beat Saints for a third straight year in Saturday’s final, are also out.

Smith has included two 20-year-old’s - St Helens’ utility back Kyle Eastmond and Wigan’s impressive Sam Tomkins.

Smith defended his cut-throat cull, insisting: “I think it’s time to put some fresh faces in. We’ve got some young people coming through and they deserve a chance. There is only one way to gain experience and that’s by picking them. They have had tremendous years and deserve to be there.

“This series is about now but it’s also about the future and we want to build for the future. We feel that they’re ready now.”

England take on France in the Four Nations opener on October 23, a tournament that also includes Australia and world champions New Zealand.

AUSTRALIA’S Four Nations hopes have been boosted by the news that star duo Brett White and Kurt Gidley  will be fit for the tournament.
New South Wales skipper Gidley  had been struggling with a calf injury, while White has postponed his wedding and recovered from a shoulder injury.