Former NRL player Blake Austin has been named in England’s elite performance squad coached by Wayne Bennett ahead of the World Cup Nines.

Sydney-born Austin, who plays for Warrington in the English Super League, qualifies for England through his UK-born grandmother.

The 28-year-old former Canberra Raiders five-eighth is the only new face in a revised 27-strong squad that will be pushing for England selection for the World Cup Nines in Sydney on the weekend of October 18-19.

Austin is leading the race to be crowned Man of Steel after taking his first season in Super League by storm.

He is also in contention for a place on the Great Britain tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea which follows the World Cup Nines.

Bennett said he would be open to selecting Australia-born players at his first press conference as Great Britain coach in June, but Austin is the only call-up so far.

Rugby Football League rugby director Kevin Sinfield, who leads the England Performance Unit, said Austin was a quality player, but just as important was his commitment to joining the England squad.

“Unlike a few other guys who would qualify to play for Great Britain later this year through their ancestry from other Home Nations, he would make himself unavailable to play any representative rugby in Australia as soon as he plays for England because England are a tier one nation,” Sinfield said.

“That is a good indication of his commitment to joining our group and we believe he will be a very positive addition.”

Austin is one of seven Warrington players included in the Super League-based squad, one more than leaders St Helens.

Former Leeds captain Kallum Watkins has been left out following his move to the NRL, while Joe Greenwood (Wigan), Robbie Mulhern (Hull KR) and Adam Milner (Castleford) have been dropped.

Watkins will be one of 11 NRL-based England players to come into the reckoning later in the year.