WARRINGTON Wolves’ Chris Hill and Stefan Ratchford, as well as new signing Daryl Clark and ex-Wolves player Mike Cooper, can expect an electric atmosphere when England open their Four Nations campaign in front of an expected 52,000 sell-out crowd in Brisbane this Saturday.

Against underdogs Samoa, in the curtain-raiser to Australia versus New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium, Steve McNamara’s side have the opportunity to show that they have the potential to reach the final.

Samoa, however, will be looking to further prove they are an international side to be reckoned with after qualifying with a 32-16 win over Fiji in May, avenging their 22-4 World Cup quarter-final defeat to the Fijians at the Halliwell Jones Stadium last November.

Matt Parish’s side boast a big forward line including St Helens Grand Final winner Mose Masoe, as well as experienced Canterbury Bulldogs second rower Frank Pritchard, aptly nicknamed ‘Frank the tank’.

There is no place in their squad for departing St Helens forward Sia Soliola or new Salford Red Devils captain Harrison Hansen, but Wakefield scrum half Pita Godinet is included.

World champions and pre-tournament favourites Australia can become the first international rugby league team to win 17 consecutive matches with victory against New Zealand on Saturday.

Head coach Tim Sheens is without big names such as Billy Slater, Johnathan Thurston and Paul Gallen through injury. This is hardly a weakened Australian side, with the experience of captain Cameron Smith and the talents of Greg Bird, Cooper Cronk and Greg Inglis on board.

Ten uncapped players feature, including 18-year-old winger Sione Mata’utia, who will become the youngest to line up for the Kangaroos should he feature in the tournament.

England’s players and fans are still hurting from semi-final defeat in last year’s World Cup at the hands of New Zealand. Shaun Johnson’s try in the dying seconds at Wembley gave the Kiwis a 20-18 win and saw them progress to the final at England’s expense.

Skipper Sean O’Loughlin and his men will be looking for revenge in Dunedin. There are no Super League players named in Stephen Kearney’s squad, and Sonny Bill Williams misses out due to his move back to rugby union, but former Wigan half back Thomas Leuluai is expected to feature.

Squads:

Australia: Greg Bird (Gold Coast), Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly-Warringah), Boyd Cordner (Sydney), Cooper Cronk (Melbourne), Robbie Farah (Wests), Aidan Guerra (Sydney), Ryan Hoffman (Melbourne), Ben Hunt (Brisbane), Greg Inglis (South Sydney), Josh Jackson (Canterbury-Bankstown), Michael Jennings (Sydney), Alex Johnston (South Sydney), David Klemmer (Canterbury-Bankstown), Josh Mansour (Penrith), Sione Mata’utia (Newcastle), Josh Papalii (Canberra), Corey Parker (Brisbane), Beau Scott (Newcastle), Cameron Smith (C, Melbourne), Sam Thaiday (Brisbane), Daniel Tupou (Sydney), Dylan Walker (South Sydney), Aaron Woods (Wests).

England: George Burgess (South Sydney), Tom Burgess (South Sydney), Joe Burgess (Wigan), Josh Mose Masoe, heroic in Samoa’s 2013 World Cup 42-24 loss to the Kiwis Charnley (Wigan) Daryl Clark (Castleford), Mike Cooper (St George Illawarra), Liam Farrell (Wigan), Brett Ferres (Huddersfield), James Graham (Canterbury-Bankstown), Ryan Hall (Leeds), Zak Hardaker (Leeds), Chris Hill (Warrington), Josh Hodgson (Hull KR), Sean O’Loughlin (C, Wigan), Stefan Ratchford (Warrington), Dan Sarginson (Wigan), Michael Shenton (Castleford), Matty Smith (Wigan), Joel Tomkins (Wigan), Sam Tomkins (NZ Warriors), Kallum Watkins (Leeds), Joe Westerman (Hull FC), Elliott Whitehead (Catalan), Gareth Widdop (St George Illawarra).

New Zealand: Gerard Beale (St George Illawarra), Adam Blair (Wests), Jesse Bromwich (Melbourne), Lewis Brown (Penrith), Greg Eastwood (Canterbury- Bankstown), Sosaia Feki (Cronulla), Kieran Foran (Manly), Tohu Harris (Melbourne), Siliva Havili (NZ Warriors), Peta Hiku (Manly), Shaun Johnson (NZ Warriors), Shaun Kenny-Dowall (Sydney), Thomas Leuluai (NZ Warriors), Isaac Luke (South Sydney), Simon Mannering (NZ Warriors), Suaia Matagi (NZ Warriors), Sam Moa (Sydney), Jason Nightingale (St George Illawarra), Kevin Proctor (Melbourne), Jason Taumalolo (North Queensland), Martin Taupau (Wests), Manu Vatuvei (NZ Warriors), Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Penrith), Dean Whare (Penrith).

Samoa: Leeson Ah Mau (St George Illawarra), David Fa’alogo (Newcastle), Pita Godinet (Wakefield), Tim Lafai (Canterbury-Bankstown), Joey Leilua (Newcastle), Isaac Liu (Sydney), Dunamis Lui (Manly), Penani Manumalealii (Cronulla), Mose Masoe (St Helens), Suaia Matagi (NZ Warriors), Peter Mata’utia (St George Illawarra), Reni Maitua (Canterbury-Bankstown), Josh McGuire (Brisbane), Tautau Moga (North Queensland), Dominique Peyroux (NZ Warriors), Frank Pritchard (Canterbury-Bankstown), Ben Roberts (Melbourne), Tim Simona (Wests), Michael Sio (NZ Warriors), Kyle Stanley (St George Illawarra), Sauaso Sue (Wests), Sam Tagataese (Cronulla), Daniel Vidot (Brisbane), Antonio Winterstein (North Queensland).

Fixtures

Sat Oct 25: England v Samoa (7am, UK time), Australia v New Zealand (9.30am)

Sat, Nov 1: New Zealand v Samoa (3am)

Sun, Nov 2: Australia v England (5am)

Sat, Nov 8: New Zealand v England (7am)

Sun, Nov 9: Australia v Samoa (5am)

Sat, Nov 15: Final (7.45am)

England games are on BBC TV