Alex Walmsley and Mike McMeeken get England call-ups

England coach Wayne Bennett is due to announce a squad of 19 to 20 players for the game in Sydney on May 6 on Monday lunchtime and Press Association Sport understands it will include St Helens prop Walmsley and Castleford second rower McMeeken.

Bennett is expected to select around a dozen from his 30-strong elite training squad of Super League based players, with the rest coming from the NRL-based contingent.

Former Batley player Walmsley has been on the fringes of the national team since bursting onto the Super League scene with Saints three years ago but missed out on selection for the 2016 Four Nations Series through injury, while Basingstoke-born McMeeken has been playing the best rugby of his career since moving from London Broncos.

McMeeken is likely to be joined in the travelling party by his Castleford team-mate Zak Hardaker, who is set for a recall after an 18-month absence from the national team.

The 2015 Man of Steel, who is on a season-long loan with the Tigers from Leeds, was England's full-back for the Test series win over New Zealand in 2015 but was dropped for the Four Nations Series after losing both form and his place in the Rhinos team.

With Wigan number one Sam Tomkins sidelined through injury, St Helens full-back Jonny Lomax took Hardaker's place, making his debut in the one-off Test against France and playing in all three Four Nations games - but he is currently out of action due to injury.

Hardaker spent the last three months of the 2016 season on loan to NRL club Penrith Panthers but cited a bid to win back his England place as a reason for his return to Super League and he has been in impressive form so far for the league leaders.

England could be without South Sydney forward George Burgess after he was charged with an illegal tackle during his side's defeat by Bennett's Brisbane Broncos team at the weekend.

The bulk of the England-based players will fly out to Sydney on Saturday, with those involved in the Super League game between Castleford and Wigan that evening, catching a flight 24 hours later.

The match against Samoa will be played at suburban Sydney's Campbelltown Sports Stadium as part of a triple header. Papua New Guinea will take on the Cook Islands before Fiji meet Tonga.