LEEDS forward Stevie Ward has revealed he could play for Wales in the end-of-season World Cup but insists his priority is to force his way into the England side.

The Rhinos back rower was a late call-up for the 2016 Four Nations Series but never got to make his international debut and this week missed out on selection for England's mid-season game against Samoa.

However, the 23-year-old Ward, who inherited Kevin Sinfield's number 13 jersey when the former Leeds and England skipper hung up his boots, is still in England coach Wayne Bennett's 30-strong elite training squad and believes a strong second half to the regular Super League season could help him press his claims.

"I've got a strong confidence that I want to be playing in Australia at the end of the year," said Ward.

"My mother's Welsh – she's from Wrexham – and that's something that can always be looked at but the optimum thing for me is to be there with England and playing to the best of my ability.

"I'd have fancied my chances this time a bit more if I had been fit coming up to that game (against Samoa) but I do know that decisions are made a lot later in the year for what's going to go on.

"The only thing I can do is play well for Leeds and, if I'm in their plans at the end of the year, then brilliant."

Ward, who recovered from major knee surgery to play the last four matches of the 2016 season with the Rhinos, cancelled a holiday in America with his team-mate Adam Cuthbertson to answer a call from Bennett in the autumn but holds no grudges over being ignored for selection.

"It was a little disappointing," he said. "I probably wasn't in the best physical shape to go down and do the training because I was just coming back from the ACL injury but it was a good experience to be in the fold and it can only help me in the future."

Ward's injury problems continued this year when he was sidelined for six weeks with a hamstring strain but he played both games over Easter before being rested for Leeds' Challenge Cup tie against Doncaster and will be back for tomorrow's home game against Huddersfield.

The Rhinos will go top of the table if they can complete the double over the Giants, who are experiencing the sort of season they themselves endured in 2016.

Huddersfield are firmly entrenched in the bottom four after failing to win any of their last eight league games and are reeling from a shock exit from the Challenge Cup at the hands of part-timers Swinton but Leeds captain Danny McGuire insists they remain a dangerous threat.

"They're obviously doing it tough and, losing in the Challenge Cup at the weekend, they are really going to be feeling that," McGuire said. "We were in that situation last year when things weren't going to plan.

"But they will be thinking there is no better place to come than Headingley and get a scalp. Our focus is making sure we don't take our foot off the gas. Our preparation and attention to detail for the last six weeks has been really good and I think that's why our performances have been really good.

"We've got to make sure we turn up ready to play because Huddersfield have got some quality if you give them time."