Chris Robshaw has been named England skipper for the Six Nations as Stuart Lancaster keeps his faith in the flanker

Posted on January 21, 2013 by adminsports

Robshaw named England skipper for Six Nations as Lancaster keeps faith in flanker

By
Duncan Bech, Press Association

PUBLISHED:

19:53 GMT, 21 January 2013

UPDATED:

20:03 GMT, 21 January 2013

England have confirmed Chris Robshaw as their captain for the forthcoming RBS Six Nations in an appointment that will have caused no surprises.

Robshaw has been retained after leading England to a record 38-21 victory over New Zealand at Twickenham on December 1 and will fill the post for a second successive championship.

Northampton forwards Dylan Hartley and Tom Wood are viewed as potential captains, but coach Stuart Lancaster views 26-year-old Harlequins openside Robshaw as the outstanding candidate.

Chris Robshaw will lead England into the Six Nations as one of the favourites

Responsibility: Chris Robshaw will lead England into the Six Nations as one of the favourites

Lancaster, who announced Robshaw's reappointment at tonight's squad meeting, believes the Lions captaincy candidate has developed into superb leader.

'Chris stepped into the role 12 months ago when we were building a new team and he has grown as a captain on and off the field,' Lancaster said.

'He showed those leadership qualities during the QBE Internationals and especially against the All Blacks when the whole squad got behind him.

'We have a number of leaders and I know they will all take this team forwards with Chris as we look to kick on from that result.'

Robshaw will be hoping to continue the success which led to victory over New Zealand

Ice Cold: Robshaw will be hoping to continue the success which led to victory over New Zealand

Robshaw made his Test debut against
Argentina in 2009 and despite his lack of experience, was installed as
skipper upon his next cap against Scotland at the start of last year's
Six Nations.

He has continued in the post since,
missing only the final Test against South Africa last June due to
injury, and has been a key part of Lancaster's rebuilding program
following the disastrous 2011 World Cup.

'Stuart told me this afternoon and I am really pleased to be asked again,' Robshaw said.

'There are other leaders in the squad that Stuart could have turned to so I am really honoured.

'The lads have been great over the
last year and now we our focus is on building on the New Zealand
performance and getting a result against Scotland.'

Gloucester fly-half Freddie Burns will
undergo a scan over the coming days to assess the extent of the damage
of the knee injury he sustained during Saturday's 36-16 victory over
Mont de Marsan.

Robshaw celebrates with Ben Youngs and James Haskell

Good times: Robshaw celebrates with Ben Youngs and James Haskell

Robshaw and Stuart Lancaster have formed a formidable partnership leading England

Together: Robshaw and Stuart Lancaster have formed a formidable partnership leading England

Former Ballon d"Or winner Luis Figo backs Christiano Ronaldo to beat Lionel Messi to this year"s award

Posted on December 27, 2012 by adminsports

Former winner Luis Figo backs Ronaldo to beat Messi to this year's Ballon d'Or

UPDATED:

18:15 GMT, 27 December 2012

Luis Figo has said there’s nothing to stop Cristiano Ronaldo from achieving Ballon d’Or glory this year.

The former Portuguese midfielder says Ronaldo is more than deserving of the honour, highlighting his excellent performances for both Real Madrid and their shared nation.

‘There’s nothing to stop [Ronaldo] from winning it,’ the former Barcelona and Sporting Lisbon hero.

Legend: Figo won the Ballon d'Or in 2000 in his first season for Real Madrid

Legend: Figo won the Ballon d'Or in 2000 during his first season for Real Madrid

‘He is one of the favourites to win all the individual trophies there are, even more so this year, because I think he had a good season in the league and did well at the Euros.’

Quoted in Mundo Deportivo, the 2000 Ballon d’Or recipient added: ‘There are a lot of people involved in the choice, so it is always difficult to know who will win.’

When he scores, he can really go for it. Ronaldo has netted seven league hat-tricks in each of the last two seasons.

Goal machines: Both Messi and Ronaldo have been in magnificent goalscoring form over the past few seasons

Figo is of course referring to the seemingly unstoppable Lionel Messi as Ronaldo’s competition, but even suggests it’s easier to win the honour now, than it was in his day.

‘It was one of the most special moments in my career on the individual side of things, because there are few players who have the opportunity to win this trophy.

‘At the time, there were lots of players who were in with a shout, whilst now there are four or five big candidates.

Ronaldo was unable to lead Portugal to glory in Euro 2012 after they were knocked out by Spain in the semi-final

Messi's incredible hat-trick against Brazil silenced those who criticised him for his under-par performances for Argentina

Wayne Rooney is the only English player on the shortlist for the award

‘It was a privilege and a proud moment for me.’

Barcelona ace Messi has a truly mind-blowing ability for finding the back of the net and whether or not he’s a safe bet for the Ballon d’Or, he’s already had plenty of reason to celebrate.

He’s Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer, something he achieved aged just 24, and earlier this matched Gerd Muller’s record for the most goals scored in a calendar year. If he is triumphant, it will be his fourth successive Ballon d’Or.

The initial 23-man shortlist, dominated by Real Madrid and Barcelona players and featuring Wayne Rooney as the lone Brit, was whittled down to just three, with Andreas Iniesta completing the trio.

National coaches, captains and selected journalists will vote for the winner of the FIFA crown and the winner will be presented at the Zurich Kongresshaus on January 7, 2013.

They’re arguably the world’s greatest footballers, so what finer way to split them apart than by checking out their stats:

BATTLE FOR THE BALLON D'OR: RONALDO VS MESSI

RONALDO
MESSI

LA LIGA

Appearances:

Goals:

Assists:

ALL COMPETITIONS

Appearances:

Goals:

Assists:

Fernando Llorente admits Premier League attraction as Manchester City and Tottenham wait

Posted on December 12, 2012 by adminsports

Llorente gives hope to Man City and Spurs as Spain striker admits Premier League appeals

UPDATED:

10:16 GMT, 12 December 2012

Fernando Llorente has opened up on his future and admitted a move to Tottenham or Manchester City could be on his radar.

Juventus remain strong favourites to win the battle for the Athletic Bilbao frontrunner, but he was adamant he has yet to make a decision on his next club.

Out of contract at the end of the season, Llorente confirmed he was aware of interest from at least two of the Barclays Premier League's leading clubs and insisted playing in England was a prospect he was ready to consider.

On alert: Manchester City and Spurs want Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente

'I am approaching the date when I can think about signing for another club,' he told Sky Sports.

'I am happy to let my brother and representatives deal with that, so I can concentrate on playing for Athletic.

'But I really like the Premier League in England, and I have already mentioned more than once that it is a league that appeals to me.

'You never know. It could be a good option for me, but we will have to wait and see what happens.'

Italian job Serie A giants Juventus remain favourites to sign Llorente

Despite what sounds like an encouraging message for Tottenham and City, who are both keen to sign him for a cut-price fee in next month's transfer window, Juventus remain confident they will add him to their ranks for nothing at the end of the season.

Much of the groundwork has already been done, after Llorente fell out with Athletic's coaching staff and made it clear he would not be signing another contract, and Juve's hierarchy believe an agreement is in place to take him to Turin in the summer.

Rugby World Cup 2015: Dan Carter assesses the teams

Posted on December 3, 2012 by adminsports

Now that England have beaten us, they must use home advantage in 2015

UPDATED:

22:30 GMT, 2 December 2012

One thing is certain when the draw for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, to be held in England, is made on Monday— defending champions New Zealand are already the favourites.

Here the All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter gives his assessment of the teams most likely to challenge his country.

AUSTRALIA

They are always a dangerous side. Australia do not have the depth of some of the other top teams, but they always produce their share of very talented players.

Given they do not have quite that depth, it is going to be important they do not get too many injuries. At the moment they have a young side who are only going to get better.

Flying high: Australia will be contenders at the next World Cup

Australia are going to learn a lot from the Lions series next year and I am sure that when the World Cup comes around they are going to be a genuine threat. Their back line are especially talented, and can break open any team in the world.

SOUTH AFRICA

I have watched them a lot lately. It has been a long season for South Africa and they are in something of a transition.

They have a new coach and lost some key players after the last World Cup and are looking towards the future as well, but you can already see some younger guys coming through. They will have learned a lot this year.

Traditionally South Africa are a very strong side physically, with immense power, and you always know that it is going to be a huge battle with them. There are very big men up front who can really take it to the opposition, and they service their backs very well.

FRANCE

The French have really impressed me. We all know what happened at the last World Cup and once they got to the knockout stages they played fantastically well. We saw in this autumn series, with that big win over Australia, what they are capable of and that will have been great for French confidence.

In with a shout: France can blow hot and cold at major tournaments

Of course there is always this thing about them that you are never quite sure what you are going to get, but they are able to beat any side on their day and are another nation who always produce their share of very talented players.

When everything comes together France are very strong.

ARGENTINA

They are genuine outside contenders and have always shown what they can do at World Cups. They have had a history of catching teams by surprise, maybe because people have seen them less than other sides.

Now that they are playing Australia, New Zealand and South Africa on a regular basis they might lose some surprise, but that will be outweighed by the experience it gives them. Argentina beat Wales convincingly the other week and by the time the competition comes round you would fully expect them to be better. I’m impressed by their loose forwards, workaholics who love the rough stuff.

They scrummage well and the backs are skilful.

ENGLAND

When you are hosting the World Cup it is important to see it as wholly a positive thing and not a burden. Some people can feel the pressure because of the expectation — we know about that in New Zealand. But as an individual player you have to think that it does not get any better than this, playing at home in familiar surroundings, and that you are going to use it to your advantage and embrace the challenge.

On form: England impressed in beating New Zealand on Saturday

If England do that then they are going to be very difficult to beat. They are still experimenting a little bit at the moment and developing a lot of players. The World Cup is three years away so they have plenty of time. I am sure they will develop more consistency in the next couple of years.

WALES

I know they have had some disappointing results, but I would not worry too much. The form they showed at the last World Cup suggested they can be real contenders. I would say the last month has been more of a hiccup that they will have learned from. You always feel this sense of pride they have when you play Wales.

Some of the younger guys like Sam Warburton have put their hands up and it is important that those guys who have already shown they can do it at the highest level now push on in their careers so others can follow. It looks to me like they have quite a few good young players who will emerge.

SCOTLAND

They have had their struggles in the last few years, but they love their rugby and are a very proud nation. I am sure they will be working hard to turn things around. The new coach will have quite a bit to work with, although they are never going to have quite the depth of England, which makes it even more important that they properly develop their best players.

IRELAND

A quality side with world-class players. I always find it a tough match playing against Ireland. They have a strong mental edge and are the kind of team who, if they get on a roll with some confidence, are a hard team to play against.

Tough: Ireland are hard to beat when they're on top form

You have to start well against them and they are a try-scoring team, so you have to stop them getting that momentum. At the moment Ireland have got some fantastic players with a lot of experience and I guess there is going to be a job over the next few years blending the experience with younger players who are going to come through. I really enjoyed watching their recent game with Argentina.

An outsider to watch out for

If you look at the Pacific Island nations there are some great individuals now playing all around the world. These are tough teams to play against, as Samoa and Tonga have shown recently. They seem to love playing against the bigger nations and never hold back. They love the physical side of the game, so if any bigger team has a bad day against them they are likely to be in trouble.

Interview: Mike Dickson

England v Fiji: Show no mercy, says Andy Farrell

Posted on November 10, 2012 by adminsports

Farrell demands England show 'no mercy' to Fiji as autumn internationals get underway

UPDATED:

22:59 GMT, 9 November 2012

England will adopt a ‘no mercy’ mantra at Twickenham as they try to clinically dispatch Fiji and lay the foundations for a triumphant autumn series.

Stuart Lancaster’s men go into the first of four QBE Internationals as firm favourites to see off the under-cooked, weakened Pacific Island visitors, despite a lack of experience in the home ranks.

The game, in front of a capacity 82,000 crowd, will test the national team’s ability to deal with expectation and show they can take the step from being competitive to being utterly dominant at home.

Put through their paces: England were at Twickenham on Friday to prepare for their clash against Fiji

England know they must set the tone and win the match with room to spare. ‘We have to be ruthless and show no mercy,’ said coach Andy Farrell. ‘We’re after a performance.We’ve had two brilliant weeks of training. The boys are itching to get out there.

‘You will always look for that perfect performance but we haven’t played for five months so there will be a lot of learning to come out of this game for us. We can kick on for the rest of the autumn.

‘The boys are led well and they know exactly what they’re doing. They have brought fight and desire and intensity to their performances this year, but they understand that they have to improve now.

‘The intensity and passion have to be an absolute given, but to be the best, there is an extra 15 to 20 per cent there. The proof of our progress will be how we perform.’

No mercy: Stuart Lancaster, Andy Farrell and Mike Catt are demanding the best from their team

Leading example: Chris Robshaw

Chris Robshaw, the England captain, agreed it was vital for him and his team-mates to be ruthless.

‘We have to take every opportunity we can,’ he said. ‘We can’t take 10 or 15 minutes to get into a game like we did in South Africa. We must make sure we deliver from minute one.

‘It is a different type of pressure. It is easy to go into a game when you are underdogs and have nothing to lose and you can throw the ball about. It is when people are expecting something that you have to perform.

‘That’s what we want to do as players. We need to stay positive throughout the game.’

England’s players were last night given their Test jerseys by former captain Will Carling. Among them was New Zealand-born No 8 Thomas Waldrom, who has marked his first Test start at Twickenham by flying his parents to London from Christchurch.

‘I don’t think it’s sunk in yet that I’m playing for England at Twickenham,’ he said. ‘It’s a very special occasion. I was only told on Tuesday, so it’s been a rush.’

The 29-year-old, who played for New Zealand age-group teams, qualifies through an English-born grandmother.

NFL want to beat West Ham to Olympic Stadium

Posted on October 31, 2012 by adminsports

West Ham could be pipped to the Olympic Stadium… by the NFL

UPDATED:

11:47 GMT, 31 October 2012

NFL franchises have entered the running to become the anchor tenant of the Olympic Stadium after talks with London Mayor Boris Johnson were revealed.

West Ham's bid to take on the tenancy has hit a stumbling block and Johnson – the chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation who operate the stadium – opened talks last weekend when four NFL teams were in London playing regular-season games at Wembley.

A spokesman for the Mayor told the Daily Telegraph: 'Given the ever-growing popularity of gridiron this side of the Atlantic the mayor and his team have held a number of meetings with senior executives in the last few days to explore further opportunities for NFL in London.

Up in the air: The future of the Olympic Stadium remains unclear

'The talks were exploratory and we are at an early stage but the signs are encouraging.'

West Ham are also looking to take over the anchor tenancy but the Treasury’s refusal to hand over the 337 million Olympic-contingency underspend to help install retractable seating is hampering their bid.

The retractable seating is expected to cost in the region of 200 million and the Mayor will be expecting any anchor tenant to make a significant contribution.

Despite remaining favourites to take
over the tenancy of the stadium, West Ham are thought to be unwilling to
cough up funds to help convert it into a football-friendly environment,
believing that it should be the responsibility of the landlords and not
the tenants.

Touchdown: The NFL arrived in London last weekend

West Ham also believe that as several other events will be taking place at the Olympic Stadium throughout the next few years – such as the 2015 Rugby World Cup and the 2017 World Athletics Championships – they should not be the sole party asked to foot the bill.

A decision on the future of the stadium was expected to be announced by the end of October but negotiations are ongoing. Other contenders for the stadium tenancy are Leyton Orient, a football business college and a group wanting to host a Formula One race at the Olympic Park.

The NFL proposition is an attractive one as the stadium would only be required up to 10 times per year – compared to up to 25 times a year for football. This would free up time for other events such.

In talks: The Mayor's office are keen to keep bringing the sport back to the capital

Bringing in other sports such as gridiron to the capital on a more regular basis is something that the Mayor's office are keen on exploring.

'Sunday’s game at Wembley, in front of more than 80,000 fans, further cements London’s reputation as the natural home of American football outside of the US,' the Mayor’s spokesman added.

'Only last week the mayor, in conjunction with the NFL, announced an expansion from one to two regular-season matches in London from 2013. That means in total an additional 44 million in revenue for the capital from next year.'

Alan Curbishley declares interest in Ipswich Town job

Posted on October 26, 2012 by adminsports

Curbishley ready to rival Shearer for Ipswich job after declaring interest

UPDATED:

10:25 GMT, 26 October 2012

Interested: Curbishley

Alan Curbishley has declared himself available for talks should Ipswich Town want him to take over their vacant managerial post.

The former Charlton boss – who has been out of work since leaving West Ham in 2008 – is among the favourites to succeed Paul Jewell, who departed Portman Road earlier this week.

The 54-year-old told Sky Sports that he is surprised to be among the favourites for the job, but welcomed the news.

'I am amazed when you look at the betting and I am up there with the frontrunners,' Curbishley said.

'Ipswich have been inundated with people who would like that job and I think they have a very important decision to make.

'The last two or three years have been tough as they have been in decline a little bit.

'They have to take their time, sift through the people that are available and come up with the right answer.

'I am available, obviously, and if they want to talk to me, I would talk to them.'

Struggling: Jewell (below) departed after Ipswich's disastrous start to the season

Giovanni Trapattoni insists Republic of Ireland can still qualify for World Cup 2014

Posted on October 13, 2012 by adminsports

Long way to Tipperary! Trap sure Ireland can qualify despite shipping six

UPDATED:

23:13 GMT, 12 October 2012

Giovanni Trapattoni insisted he will not be fighting to save his job in the Faroe Islands on Tuesday night after seeing the Republic Ireland mauled by Germany.

The 73-year-old could only look on as the side ranked second in the world by FIFA trounced his makeshift team 6-1 at the Aviva Stadium and condemned them to their heaviest defeat on home soil.

However, asked if Tuesday's World Cup qualifying Group C encounter in Torshavn could be vital to his continued presence at the helm, he replied: 'No.

'It's a long way to Tipperary. Germany have gone, but we are in there fighting with Austria and Sweden for qualification. Why not

Hit for six: Trapattoni (left)'s side had no answer to Germany

'The players have to answer us and I am sure they can. We need to see their commitment in a very important situation here.

'I am proud of those players because their commitment is full, 100 per cent. I don't accept players without this commitment.'

Trapattoni was defiant too when, after a week during which his future has been a topic of speculation, he was asked why he wanted to remain as Ireland manager.

He said: 'Because I am proud of this team and the results it has achieved.

'It's not about money – it's about pride and being professional in my job. I was in four countries and I won in every country.'

A defeat by Group C favourites Germany was perhaps not unexpected, but the manner of it cruelly exposed the deficiencies within a squad torn apart by retirements and injuries.

Rout: Ozil (left) is congratulated after scoring

The Republic held out for 32 minutes, but then capitulated horribly as they fell apart in the face of a determined assault.

Marco Reus started the ball rolling when, two minutes after being booked for diving, he fired home the opener off the underside of the crossbar after seeing Bastian Schweinsteiger and Marcel Schmelzer carved open the Ireland defence.

The Borussia Dortmund midfielder doubled his tally five minutes before the break when Jerome Boateng's crossfield pass once again found the Irish wanting and he drilled a shot across keeper Keiren Westwood and into the bottom corner.

Shell-shocked Ireland rallied all too briefly after the break, but fell further behind within 10 minutes of the restart when, after Darren O'Dea had felled Miroslav Klose inside the box, Mesut Ozil converted the resulting penalty.

Klose helped himself to a fourth within three minutes after rounding Westwood from Schweinsteiger's pass and there was more than enough time for substitute Toni Kroos to help himself to a double as time ran down with fellow replacement Andy Keogh's stoppage-time header counting for little.

On the ropes: Ireland face an uphill battle to qualify

Trapattoni said: 'It's difficult to explain. This evening, we were inferior against a strong team physically and technically, and we have no excuses.'

Opposite number Joachim Low was understandably delighted by a victory which extended his side's 100 per cent start to the qualifying campaign.

He said: 'We have seen a very concentrated performance by our team. Right from the word “go”, it was palpable that there was a German presence on that pitch.

'We had good organisation. We had been preparing ourselves for the long ball game that Ireland were going to be playing and we found the right balance between tempo on the one hand and regaining possession, and we were very comfortable on the ball.

'The result is okay, even if 6-1 sounds a bit high. We created many goalscoring opportunities and we converted the chances that we had.

'We are very glad. Germany hadn't won away in Ireland for a long time.'

Alan Pardew has a plan for Manchester United

Posted on October 7, 2012 by adminsports

Pardew has a plan to counter United's dream strike force… score more than them!

UPDATED:

21:30 GMT, 6 October 2012

Alan Pardew has a plan for Sunday's visit of Manchester United that has nothing to do with any special attempt to curb the menace of the opposition's dream striking duo.

Sir Alex Ferguson is poised to start with Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney for the first time in a Premier League match, with the Newcastle manager confessing his unequivocal admiration for England star Rooney.

'He's a fantastic player, one of my favourites,' he said. 'I love him in terms that he is passionate about the game and the way he plays it with a toughness.

What about us Demba Ba (right) and Papiss Cisse (left) will be hoping to outscore Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie on Sunday

'He's England's best player and I think he changes the game for Manchester United. He changes them from a top four team, to a top two team. That is how powerful he is.'

Rooney returns to Tyneside with an impressive record of 10 goals and five assists in 18 games against Newcastle. 'It doesn't surprise me and he's probably got that record against most teams!' added Pardew.

'We don't have any particular plans to stop him because I don't think you can do that against Manchester United. If you have a plan for Rooney, then what are you going to do about Van Persie You need a plan for the whole team.

'He could play Rooney in behind the front two, or in his normal role behind Van Persie. Alex has lovely options in that area.

'We have been unlucky in terms that this will be the first time they have started together in the Premier League but that's Manchester United for you. They have world class players.

'We think we know what they are going to do and hopefully we can cope with it.

'We want to win this game, as do they, because of what happened against Tottenham.

'What you do need against United is a positive attitude and you need audacity to take the game to them. If you sit back then they will find a way. They have been doing that for 20 years, finding a way through defences.

'So to beat them you need a game plan to score goals.'

Welcome to Tynside: Rooney (right) and Van Persie (left) are likely to start the game

Man with a plan: Alan Pardew is thinking positivel ahead of Sunday's match

Newcastle will be looking for their second league success over United in nine months, having trounced them 3-0 in the corresponding fixture last January.

And they could hardly be approaching the game in better shape after their 3-0 Europa League win over Bordeaux on Thursday night. Pardew believes his opposite number will be anxious about the trip to the north-east.

'I don't think he (Ferguson) is relishing coming to our place,' he said. 'We are going to make it as difficult as possible for them.'

'Our three subs are going to have to make a massive impact. We are definitely in a great position because my bench is very confident at the moment, no matter who is there.

'All my flair players are in good form. Hatem Ben Arfa is playing better than last season. We have massive assets in terms of scoring goals and I don't think we've shown that yet in the Premier League.'

Looking forward to it Pardew believes Sir Alex Ferguson (right) won't be relishing the trip further north

Adrian Morley looking to win the double for Warrington

Posted on October 5, 2012 by adminsports

Double vision: Morley eyes a unique feat for Warrington just months after fearing his career was over

UPDATED:

14:20 GMT, 5 October 2012

Warrington captain Adrian Morley feared his career was over earlier this year but is now hoping to end the season on a personal high by leading his side to the elusive double.

The Wolves will go to Old Trafford on Saturday as firm favourites to repeat their Wembley win over Leeds and become only the third club in the Super League era to win the Grand Final trophy and the Challenge Cup in the same season.

The 35-year-old former Sydney Rooster, who is already the only British player to have won Grand Finals on both sides of the world, will make more history by taking over from Paul Anderson as the oldest man to play in a Super League Grand Final.

Grandest finale: Morley (left) and Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield pose with the Super League trophy at Old Trafford

Yet running out at Old Trafford was the last thought on Morley's mind back in the summer when he seriously contemplated hanging up his boots after specialists were unable to get to the bottom of an eye injury.

'I went to two or three specialists and they couldn't diagnose what it was,' he said.

'They said don't play with double vision but there was double vision all the time virtually.

'It got to the point when I sat down with (coach) Tony Smith and said this could potentially be career-ending. It was a very sobering thought.

'It was disappointing just to have the conversation but I got my head around it and thought 'if that's it, then so be it'.

Comeback kid: Morley, 35, believed his career was over when doctors were unable to fully diagnose an eye injury earlier this year

'I was 34 at the time and the more I thought about it I realised I had had a good career, so I couldn't really complain.

'I had a couple of weeks thinking 'this could be it' but, luckily, another specialist had a look at it and said 'I think I can help you'.

'I had the operation and, although it wasn't 100%, it was miles better than it was and then I had a little top-up operation this year and it's fine now.'

Morley subsequently signed a new contract with his club for 2013 and the good news continued this week when he was named in England coach Steve McNamara's 24-man squad for a training camp in South Africa and the autumn internationals.

He became the most capped British player in rugby league history last November when he made his 50th international appearance in England's Four Nations final defeat by Australia but his Test career looked to be over when he was ignored for the mid-season matches against the Exiles.

We've made it: Morley after Warrington beat St Helens to reach the Grand Final

'That was disappointing,' Morley said. 'I had a bad neck as well as the eye problem so it was frustrating because they determined my performances.

'It's not been a vintage year from me by any means and it wasn't a total surprise when I didn't make the squad for the Exiles games but it knocked my confidence.

'Without wanting to sound big-headed, I'd been in virtually every international squad for the last decade or so.

'But I made it a goal to try and get my performances back to the level where I am picked on form.

'You don't want to be picked on reputation or anything like that so to have made the squad I'm delighted.

'I've been speaking to Steve quite a bit and I'd love to represent England again. It's a really big honour for me.'

Before packing his bags for South Africa, however, Morley is aiming to help deliver Warrington their first championship for 57 years after reaching their maiden Grand Final.

At the Double: Warrington are favourites to beat Leeds again and add the Super League to their Challenge Cup win in August

'For a club as big as Warrington, it's too long really,' he said. 'The purists would say finishing top of the pile, which we did last year, defines the champions but that's not how it is any more.

'You have to win the Grand Final for the right to be called champions. It has been a long time but we've a great chance, we're 80 minutes away.'

Morley appeared in the very first Grand Final for Leeds back in 1998, when they lost to Wigan, and, although he won with Bradford in 2005, it was only as part of a brief loan spell with the Bulls from the Roosters.

'It was still a great experience but I just didn't feel part of it because I hadn't played with those boys all year,' he said.

'But this year I obviously have and, to be part of a Warrington side that goes there and does the job would be pretty special.'

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Chris Robshaw has been named England skipper for the Six Nations as Stuart Lancaster keeps his faith in the flanker

Former Ballon d"Or winner Luis Figo backs Christiano Ronaldo to beat Lionel Messi to this year"s award

Fernando Llorente admits Premier League attraction as Manchester City and Tottenham wait

Rugby World Cup 2015: Dan Carter assesses the teams

England v Fiji: Show no mercy, says Andy Farrell

NFL want to beat West Ham to Olympic Stadium

Alan Curbishley declares interest in Ipswich Town job

Giovanni Trapattoni insists Republic of Ireland can still qualify for World Cup 2014

Alan Pardew has a plan for Manchester United

Adrian Morley looking to win the double for Warrington