Jackson Hastings insists he’s not the best just because he’s won the first fight for a Great Britain spot.
Hastings and Gareth Widdop have come out top in a six-way battle to be named in the halves for Saturday’s Test match against Tonga. George Williams, Blake Austin and Jake Trueman have missed out completely, while Jonny Lomax is on the bench.
But Hastings insists he’s not kidding himself about the reasons he’s got the nod off Wayne Bennett. He said: “I think I am a bit lucky with the way I play.
"I am more of a structured half, whereas the other boys are great runners and play with a bit of freedom.
“I don’t necessarily think I got the nod because I’m the best player. It’s more the way I play the position that helped me.
“It has worked in my favour that I am a loud communicator and point the boys around. Wayne wants me to be the loudest on the field and be dominant at all times.”
Hastings is one of three Australian-born players in the squad, alongside Austin and Lachlan Coote who starts at full back. But he hopes to dampen any controversy by showing how much the Lions jersey means to him.
The 23-year-old, who took Salford to the Grand Final, said: “It’s a massive honour and I just want to do the jersey justice.
“It fills you with confidence when the best coach of all time shows faith in you and now I want to repay that and do the best for my team-mates.”
