Huddersfield Giants have had three players named in the England Academy squad to face Australia Schoolboys next month.

Forwards Tyler Dickinson, Liam Johnson and Mikey Wood are all in line to play in the two-Test series against the young Kangaroos, with both fixtures taking place at Leigh Sports Village on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 12.

Whether all three make the final line-up remains to be seen.

But Giants Head of Youth Performance Andy Kelly is still delighted the club have gained recognition at the treble.

“It’s fantastic news,” said former Wakefield Super League head coach Kelly.

“Again, these calls are probably a little further proof of the quality Academy system we’ve now got in place.

“I’m also sure Kruise Leeming would have been included in the squad had he not suffered such an injury-hit season, but Liam Johnson has shown you can still come back from injury and get back into the England set-up, so there’s some targets for players going forward.

“And the more players we can get in the squad, the better.

“Being called up is a fantastic opportunity, not just in linking up and meeting and mixing with other Academy kids, but also with the chance to playing against the top Australian youngsters, which is guaranteed to be a massive test. They’re getting an opportunity to pit themselves against the old enemy in a full international.

Liam Johnson
Liam Johnson

“I also think having three lads called up from the Giants will help motivate their clubmates, knowing what can be achieved here if they put their minds to it.”

Dickinson and Johnson both earned full-time Super League contracts for 2015, while Wood has spent time training with the senior squad.

And while Kelly knows how much they will have benefited from training alongside some of the game’s top stars, he knows others also deserve credit in their development.

“I think a lot of credit needs to go to a lot of different people,” added Kelly.

“Player Performance Manager Steve Hardisty has worked hard to keep things in a positive manner for the Academy for some time, while Academy coach Chris Thorman has also had a very big role to play in these three getting their England calls.”