Barrovian Morgan Knowles has been named in the 29-man Great Britain Elite Performance squad by coach Wayne Bennett.

Knowles, who has been capped four times by Wales, has helped St Helens win the League Leaders’ Shield in the Super League this season and was described by former GB international Paul Sculthorpe as ‘the best loose forward in the UK at the moment’ earlier in the year.

The 22-year-old has been called up alongside Scotland international, and Saints teammate Lachlan Coote and Ireland’s Joe Philbin in a squad made up of home nations-qualified from the 12 Super League clubs.

The squad will then be reduced to 25 players, and will include those based in Australia, ahead of next month’s Lions tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Great Britain will play one Test against Tonga, two against the Kiwis and one against PNG, who may include Barrow Raiders Stargroth Amean and Wartovo Puara.

GB squad: J Trueman, L Watts (both Castleford), S Tomkins (Catalans Dragons), J McGillvary (Huddersfield), J Connor, J Shaul, S Taylor (all Hull FC), A Handley, S Ward (both Leeds), J Lomax, T Makinson, M Percival, J Roby, L Thompson, A Walmsley, M Knowles, L Coote (all St Helens), J Jones (Salford), R Lyne (Wakefield), B Austin, J Charnley, D Clark, C Hill, J Hughes, J Philbin, S Ratchford (all Warrington), O Gildart, S O'Loughlin, G Williams (all Wigan).