England coach Steve McNamara is refusing to call time on Adrian Morley's international career, despite omitting him from the squad he named on Thursday morning.
The 35-year-old 50-cap veteran was overlooked for the clash with the Exiles on June 16, with his absence one of the main talking points to come out of the announcement of the 21-man party.
The Warrington forward has been one of the first names on any coach's team-sheet throughout his long career, but will not be given an immediate chance to win another cap.
Unlike front-row team-mate Jamie Peacock, who captains the side again, Morley has yet to commit to playing into 2013 which is a World Cup year, and has only played two games since returning from a neck injury.
But rather than cite those as reasons, McNamara says Morley has missed out simply because other forwards are in better form.
"Adrian has been injured but he's played in the last two games, he's fit enough to play and I just believe there are a few people ahead of him at the moment," he told Press Association Sport.
"But I have the utmost respect for Adrian as a player and a person and I know he will be banging the door down to be involved for game two. I would not close the door on any player, let alone Adrian Morley."
Other notable selections include the returns of Gareth Hock after his drugs ban and Warrington's Ryan Atkins.
The Wolves centre has been in excellent form for his club for the last 18 months but has not played for England since 2010, much to the surprise of many onlookers.
But while McNamara would not go into detail, he did suggest that Atkins has had to work on things other than his game.
"It's not just his form, it's a few other things as well," he said.
"His form is, and continues to need to be, good. I've spoken to Ryan and he understands what is needed to be an international player and I am happy that he is back in the fold."
The squad named by McNamara also sports a shock call-up for Hull's goal-kicking second-row Danny Tickle and contains four uncapped players in the form of Carl Ablett (Leeds), Danny Brough (Huddersfield), Josh Charnley and Lee Mossop (both Wigan).
For Brough, selection would mean the end of a long road to England honours for the former plumber, who has captained Scotland but threw his lot in with England a year ago, only to get injured on the eve of the inaugural clash with the Exiles.
As well as naming a squad to face the Exiles, McNamara also oversaw the unveiling of a Knights squad to face Ireland at St Helens next Saturday.
Having such depth available to him has been one of McNamara's key aims to achieve since he took office two years ago, and he believes his work is starting to reap rewards.
"I'm really proud of what we have done with the England programme over the last 18 months," he said.
"With our training camps, training out of Loughborough, the Elite Training Squad and the Knights, I am really proud, and in the middle of it all is the international calendar and these two important fixtures against the Exiles."
England squad to face the Exiles: Ablett (Leeds), Atkins (Warrington), Briscoe (Hull), Brough (Huddersfield), Burrow (Leeds), Carvell (Warrington), Charnley (Wigan), Chase (Castleford), Crabtree (Huddersfield), Cudjoe (Huddersfield), Hall (Leeds), Hock (Wigan), Jones-Buchanan (Leeds), Mossop (Wigan), O'Loughlin (Wigan), Peacock, captain (Leeds), Roby (St Helens), Sinfield (Leeds), Tickle (Hull), Tomkins (Wigan), Wilkin (St Helens).
England Knights squad to face Ireland: Broughton (Salford), Clarkson (Leeds), Clough (St Helens), Cooper (Warrington), Evans (Warrington), Farrell (Wigan), Ferguson (Huddersfield), Flanagan (St Helens), Gaskell (St Helens), Hardaker (Leeds), Josh Hodgson (Hull KR), Houghton (Hull), Jones-Bishop (Leeds), Lomax (St Helens), Lunt (Leeds), McGillvary (Huddersfield), Patrick (Huddersfield), Ratchford (Warrington), Riley (Warrington), Smith (Salford), Taylor (Hull KR), Watts (Hull KR), Wheeler (St Helens).
