SAINTS have two players in the England Knights squad who will head for Papua New Guinea via Brisbane later this month to play two international fixtures against the Kumuls.

Dream Team scrum half Danny Richardson and on-song prop Matty Lees will make the trip.

The Knights were revived earlier this year by the Rugby Football League, at the instigation of Kevin Sinfield MBE in his role as rugby director, as a key part of England’s preparations for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup – and will be coached by Paul Anderson, the former England and Great Britain prop, assisted by his former St Helens and international team-mate Paul Sculthorpe MBE.

Sculthorpe was a member of the last Great Britain team to play in Papua New Guinea, in 1996, making his international debut as a 19-year-old in the 32-30 victory over the Kumuls in Lae – the venue for the first international of this tour.

The Knights leave on October 18 for a week’s preparation at the state-of-the-art Brisbane Broncos training base.

They then fly to Lae for the first match against the Kumuls on Saturday October 27, before moving to the capital Port Moresby where the teams meet again at the 15,000-capacity Oil Search National Football Stadium on November 3.

England Knights Squad: Oliver Holmes (Castleford), Greg Minikin (Castleford), Kruise Leeming (Huddersfield), Chris Atkin (Hull KR), Robbie Mulhern (Hull KR), Jamie Shaul (Hull FC)

Dean Hadley (Hull FC), Brad Fash (Hull FC), Mikolaj Oledzki (Leeds Rhinos), Liam Sutcliffe (Leeds Rhinos), Jack Walker (Leeds Rhinos)

Ash Handley (Leeds), Danny Richardson (St Helens), Matt Lees (St Helens), James Batchelor (Wakefield Trinity), Sam Powell (Wigan ), Oliver Gildart (Wigan), Tom Davies (Wigan Warriors), Harvey Livett (Warrington Wolves), Jack Hughes(Warrington), Joe Philbin (Warrington), Toby King (Warrington), Matt Whitley (Widnes ), Danny Walker (Widnes).