Will Pryce ignoring NRL talk as he targets England Knights debut
Teenage stand-off Will Pryce is brushing aside talk of going to the NRL as he looks to take another step forward in his burgeoning career by playing for England Knights.
The 18-year-old son of former Great Britain international Leon Pryce burst onto the scene in sensational fashion in 2021, playing in Huddersfield’s last 13 matches of the Super League season and catching the eye with his evasive running.
His reward is a place in Paul Anderson’s team for Friday’s game against Jamaica at Castleford and a chance to impress England head coach Shaun Wane, who saw him close up at a joint training session with the seniors at Headingley on Tuesday morning.
“I was really buzzing when I got the call,” Pryce said after the session. “I didn’t expect it to be honest, I was thinking more about the under-19s squad than the Knights.
“To get selected for this is really humbling. I’ve watched my dad play for England and it’s what everyone wants to do. To get that honour, I’m so grateful and I can’t wait.”
Friday’s game is part of Wane’s preparation for the World Cup in 12 months’ time but for Pryce the realistic target is morel likely to be 2025.
“It’s definitely in my focus,” Pryce said. “We’ve spoken about that with Paul Anderson, Scully (Paul Sculthorpe) and Shaun Wane just at the end of the session there.
“He said that, if you show and prove to me that you’re worthy, in three or four years you’ll be selected and you’ll be playing.”
