BREAKING: Morgan Knowles has been ruled out of England’s Rugby League World Cup opener against Tonga.

Knowles, who was set to be one of eight NRL players involved in the England line-up, is out of a that would have seen him come up against both teammate Isaiya Katoa and head coach Kristian Woolf.

The reason for his absence is currently unknown, but the former St Helens forward has been removed from the official England teamsheet less than 24 hours before he was set to take to the field.

Having initially been named to line up at prop alongside Max King, the mobile pack man is now out of the reckoning altogether. Luke Thompson has moved to the starting role, with Warrington’s Ben Currie joining the interchange bench.

The initial team was released on Tuesday, but with the Rugby League World Cup adopting NRL rules, it means that squads have up until one hour before kick-off to make any adjustments.

England have already been dealt a blow with Morgan Smithies leaving camp due to an injury in training, and Brian McDermott could be set to lose another key man depending on the injury severity.

As it stands, Tonga’s line-up remains unchanged, with their only player with Super League ties being Tui Lolohea, who is among the six-man bench.

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