Wakefield winger Ben Cockayne, shocked by his call-up into the England squad, will now set about trying to stay in it.
The 29-year-old former Hull KR player was the only new face named in coach Steve McNamara's 30-strong elite training squad in preparation for the end-of-season World Cup.
McNamara has also to find room for his Australia-based players before trimming his final squad and Cockayne knows he has some work to do to overhaul Ryan Hall (Leeds), Josh Charnley (Wigan) and Tom Briscoe (Hull), who are all in front of him in the current pecking order. "It's like a dream come true," he said. "I was a bit shocked when Steve rang me. I knew I had been playing reasonably well but to get that call was unbelievable.
"Hopefully I can push on and make something of it. I know that squad will get trimmed down later in the year and I just want to keep my form up for Wakefield." McNamara admitted he could not ignore the claims of the form winger from the early rounds of Super League but says he has had his eye on Cockayne for some time.
"Over a sustained period of time his form has been outstanding," McNamara said. "He caught my eye last season and his form is even better at the start of this season. "He's a very infectious character and I'm sure he'll bring energy and enthusiasm to the squad. He's a very smart rugby league player."
Today's call-up marks a transformation in the fortunes of a player who was sacked by Hull KR two years ago after he failed to heed a final warning for a breach of discipline. He was thrown a lifeline by home-town club Featherstone and turned around his personal life before returning to Super League with the Wildcats.
With one eye on the future, McNamara has also invited a trio of teenagers to get a taste of the big time in the absence of an England Knights training camp.
Bradford's England academy captain John Bateman, 19, Leeds utility player Stevie Ward, 19, and Warrington second rower Ben Currie, 18, are expected to form the nucleus of the side for the 2017 World Cup but McNamara says they could yet force their way into the reckoning for October.
Squad: C Ablett (Leeds), T Briscoe (Hull), R Burrow (Leeds), G Carvell(Warrington), J Charnley (Wigan), R Chase (Castleford), B Cockayne (Wakefield), E Crabtree (Huddersfield), L Cudjoe (Huddersfield), G Ellis (Hull), L Farrell (Wigan), R Hall (Leeds), Z Hardaker (Leeds), G Hock (Widnes), C Hill (Warrington), J Jones-Buchanan (Leeds), D McGuire (Leeds), M McIlorum (Wigan), A Morley (Warrington), L Mossop (Wigan), R Myler (Warrington), S O'Loughlin (Wigan), S Ratchford (Warrington), J Roby (St Helens), K Sinfield (Leeds), D Tickle (Hull), S Tomkins (Wigan), K Watkins (Leeds), B Westwood (Warrington), J Wilkin(St Helens).