Wales call for Burke

Photo: Dave Murgatroyd

Joe Burke: Wales call

JOE Burke is included in a 29-man Welsh training squad to complete a full set of personal targets for the season.

When he signed for Oldham last March, the Newport-born prop (25) said his short-term goals were to earn a regular place in the Roughyeds' squad, to help his new club to stay in the Championship and to win a recall for Wales.

Having already achieved the first two, he got his Welsh wish today when Dragons' boss John Kear included him in his training squad for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup qualifiers next month.

They play Serbia in Llanelli on Saturday, October 15 and Italy in Monza on Saturday, October 22.

After winning the European Championships in 2015, Kear and his squad will fancy their chances of qualifying for the World Cup.

Squad: Fleming (Bradford), Grant (Dewsbury), Channing (Featherstone), Kear, Williams (London Broncos), Gay (Mackay Cutters), Massam (North Wales), BURKE (OLDHAM), Joseph, Kopczak (Salford), Fozard (Sheffield), Olds (South Logan Magpies), Davies, Farrer, Newbury, Roets (South Wales), Grace, Knowles, Wellington (St Helens), Emmitt, Lloyd (Swinton), Evans, Parry, Reece (Gloucester), Walker (Wakefield), Evans (Warrington), Dudson, White (Widnes), Flower (Wigan).

Kieran Gill will have an operation on his hand next week, but Danny Grimshaw (hernia) and Craig Briscoe (knee) are still waiting.

Jack Holmes, widely reported as the 'former' Oldham player who scored two tries in Rochdale's shock win at Toulouse Olympique, is technically still an Oldham player because he is only ON LOAN to Hornets.