Canberra Raiders hooker Jayden Brailey could be set for a World Cup showdown with brother Blayke after an RLWC2026.com poll voted for him as the England No.9.

Brailey, who has pledged his allegiance to England, received 52% of votes to be one of 13 NRL players chosen by fans in Brian McDermott's squad for the World Cup.

Brother Blayke, who plays for the Sharks, is vying to be Harry Grant's deputy in the Kangaroos squad with Roosters rake Reece Robson after the pair shared the NSW hooking duties in this year's State of Origin series win.

While Blayke wants to play for Australia, the brothers qualify for England through their Liverpool-born mother Carla and Wests Tigers-bound Jayden has put his hand up to represent his heritage.

He was one of three Raiders players chosen in the England squad by fans, along with forwards Morgan Smithies and Matty Nicholson.

Other NRL players voted into the England team are Titans utility AJ Brimson, Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth and forward Morgan Knowles, Wests Tigers secondrower Kai Pearce-Paul, Roosters pair Billy Smith and Victor Radley, Bulldogs prop Max King, Knights winger Dom Young, Broncos prop Ben Talty and Cowboys backrower John Bateman.

Brimson was preferred as fullback ahead of St Helens Jack Welsby and Farnworth, who polled 80% of votes in his more accustomed centre position.

Smith claimed the other centre spot, while Knights winger Dom Young received 71% of votes.

Former Roosters and Rabbitohs winger Joe Burgess, who plays for Hull KR, is the other winger, while NRL-bound playmaker George Williams is the No.1 choice playmaker.

Williams - the England captain, who previously played for the Raiders - outpolled Wigan's Harry Smith, Hull KR's Mikey Lewis and Leeds' Jake Connor, the 2025 Man of Steel.

With Rugby League World Cup 2026 to be played under NRL and NRLW rules, England coach Brian McDermott has been sending footage of six-again calls in NRL matches to his large contingent of Super League players

England face Tonga in their opening World Cup match on October 17 at HBF Park and a loss will leave them needing to win their remaining pool games against France, also in Perth, on October 24 and Papua New Guinea at WIN Stadium on October 30.

McDermott named a 38-man performance squad in June and the Gold Coast Titans assistant coach – now in his fifth season in Australia - is well aware of the challenges facing Super League players as they adapt to greater fatigue levels.

“It's not about fitness levels, it's not about toughness or anything like that, it's just that there's a different way of playing the game over here, not dramatically but the differences are significant,” McDermott said.

“My task is to pick a group of players from the UK, and from the NRL as well, who I think will be best suited to a tournament which is refereed very much in an NRL style.

“We're going to have NRL rules and NRL interpretations, so you would imagine then that the speed of the game, with six-agains will be the exactly same.

“I reckon every player in Super League would be able to handle the NRL, it just might take some players longer to get used to it so my challenge for selection is to work out who those players are.”

There are 11 NRL-based players in the performance squad, led by Dolphins stars Herbie Farnworth and Morgan Knowles, Knights winger Dom Young, Wests Tigers secondrower Kai Pearce-Paul, Raiders forward Morgan Smithies and Titans utility back AJ Brimson, who played in last year’s Ashes series against the Kangaroos.

Photo: Herbie Farnworth is set to be one of the stars of the World Cup. @SWPix

Roosters pair Victor Radley and Billy Smith, Bulldogs prop Max King, Raiders hooker Jayden Brailey and Broncos forward Ben Talty are the others – although McDermott warns that all of the NRL stars are unlikely to all make the squad.

Williams (Dolphins), secondrower Owen Trout (Sharks) and Perth Bears recruits Mikolaj Oledzki, Harry Newman and James McDonnell are set to join them in the NRL next season.

After missing the Ashes series, the likes of Jake Connor, the Leeds playmaker and Man of Steel, and Wigan secondrower Junior Nsemba – another NRL target – are likely to be in McDermott’s World Cup squad if they meet targets set for each Super League player.

“That first game against Tonga is a really important game for us,” he said. “I don't think we can take a couple of games to find our feet, so as much as we can, we're coaching through Teams and on Zooms like we are back in COVID again.

“Our preparation's got to be pretty good if we're having any hope of going deep into the tournament.

“I'm making references to the NRL all the time, and I'm showing them footage, and I'm showing them vision of NRL, in particular six-agains.

“We got some criteria that I've set all positions. I've sent them some tasks and criteria, I want them to meet to put themselves in the best position possible to be selected.

“And I'm trying to make my players aware that the levels of fatigue within that game are going to be far exceeding what they experience in Super League, so we've got to prepare for that.”

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