Six appeal - Leeds Rhinos star Harry Newman and five team-mates eye England Knights selection

The teenage centre sat out Leeds Rhinos’ final game of the season, at home to Warrington Wolves last Friday, owing to injury, but hopes to be selected for the one-off international on Sunday, October 20.

“I was gutted to miss [Friday’s game] with a hamstring injury, but we didn’t want to risk it,” Newman confirmed.

“We decided, as a group, it wasn’t worth risking for just one game and with England Knights coming up I didn’t want to tear it, but I wish I had been out there.”

Newman played for England academy in last year’s two-nil Test series whitewash of Austrlaian Schoolboys and has been named in the second-string Knights performance squad for the first time.

He is also on the shortlist for the Super League young player of the year award and won the Yorkshire Evening Post Shooting Star honour this season.

“Playing for the Knights is a goal I set at the beginning of the year,” he said.

“I have made the first step, being selected in the performance squad, and, hopefully, I have impressed the coaching staff enough to get in the team to play against Jamaica at Headingley.

“I will have a week off and then I’ll be back into training, preparing for that game.”

Rhinos’ Ash Handley, Mikolaj Oledzki, Cameron Smith, Liam Sutcliffe and Jack Walker are also in Knights contention and club-mate Ashton Golding is likely to play for Jamaica.

“It should be a good occasion and, hopefully, we get a good crowd at Headingley,” Newman said.

“It is going to be a historic fixture, the first time ever and I am really excited.