Tony Smith has options in Sam Burgess and Kevin Sinfield for the role of England loose-forward, but Sean O’Loughlin’s injury jinx has nonetheless dealt a blow to Smith’s plans for the Gillette Four Nations, which starts for his team against France on Friday.

O’Loughlin, the Wigan Warriors captain, cracked a bone in his thumb during England’s 48-12 warm-up win over Wales on Saturday. He withdrew from the World Cup last year with a shoulder injury and missed the mid- season romp against France in Paris with a badly cut knee.

It brought an unexpected call-up to the senior squad yesterday for Tom Briscoe, the 19-year-old Hull wing, who impressed with two tries on his England debut in Bridgend on Saturday but did not expect to feature in any of the Four Nations fixtures with France, Australia and New Zealand over the coming month.

Briscoe has had his own injury problems in only his second full season with Hull, having missed four months with an ankle injury that restricted him to 13 appearances. However, his size, power and speed captured Smith’s imagination enough for him to include the former Featherstone Rovers junior in his elite training squad in the summer.

“Sean is pretty devastated and we’re sorry that he won’t be with us,” Smith, the England coach, said. “He’s had a bad run of luck with injuries when it comes to international rugby league. We’ve plenty of strength in our forwards and adequate coverage in the pack, so there was no need to bring in a replacement forward.

“This is a great opportunity for Tom. He had a strong display on Saturday night and I’m sure he’s going to make a very positive contribution.”

Briscoe said: “I was more than happy to have played against Wales. Considering the frustrations of this season, I didn’t expect much more. Making the squad doesn’t guarantee anything but, having got this far, I’ve got to impress in training.”

Leon Williamson, from New Zealand, will referee England’s opening match, while Steve Ganson, the video referee criticised by Australia after last year’s World Cup final loss to New Zealand, will take charge of the trans-Tasman rematch at the Twickenham Stoop on Saturday.

Scott Moore, the England hooker, has signed a contract extension with St Helens that will keep him at the club until the end of 2012. The 21-year-old is returning to Knowsley Road for the 2010 season after two years out on loan, first with Castleford Tigers and this year at Huddersfield Giants, with whom he won his first international cap in the 66-12 defeat of France in June.

Bradford Bulls have re-signed Stuart Reardon, their former Great Britain full back, after Hull cancelled his contract when he failed a medical on an Achilles tendon injury.