EVERY cloud has a silver lining, and the early season injury sustained by Alex Walmsley presented young prop Matty Lees with the opportunity to step up.

And it is a chance that the 20-year-old from Rochdale took with both hands, nailing down a first team spot with his strong running and aggressive off the line defence putting him on the plane for the England Knights tour to Papua New Guinea.

After a fine individual season, one in which he was nominated for Super League's Young Player of the Year, Lees is happy for the chance to get two more matches in.

Not least because he does not want a year that has gone so well, to end with that disheartening Super League semi-final defeat.

Lees, who will be under the stewardship of former Saints packmen Paul Anderson and Paul Sculthorpe on the two-match tour, said: "After the year we have just had, personally as well as the team, it is an honour to have been picked and that is a good confidence boost for me.

"After that semi defeat you just want to get straight back into it with the ball in your hands, rather than have a big break doing nothing until the pre-season.

"It will be good to get a couple of games in to take my mind off the way the season ended."

The Knights play their opening test against the Kumuls in Lae on Saturday and then head to the national stadium in Port Moresby the following week.

The small island nation is fiercely passionate about the 13-man code and Lees has been told by his Saints teammates, who played there in last year's World Cup, to expect a cauldron off the pitch and an intense physical battle on it.

Lees said: "A few of the Irish lads said it will be tough over there, but they said it is a good experience and one I will enjoy at the same time.

"It will be a good physical and mental test for us, especially with the climate out there.

"The Kumuls are a very physical side, but I like taking in the one-up carries in the middle and we have just got to slow it down the best we can and do our best.

"The tour will put me a bit out of my comfort zone, with Danny (Richardson) dropping out meaning I am the only one from St Helens coming on this tour and I have got to mix in with the other lads."

Lees has pitched in with a big effort this year, securing his spot in the 17 and then graduating to starting prop at the back end of the year.

It has been a rollercoaster, with a sending off at Salford and a harsh sin-binning at Warrington, being incidents he has learned from without curtailing the natural bite to his game.

"The way the season started, with Al getting injured, gave me the opportunity to put a first team shirt on and play and that has been a good experience this year.

"I have learned a lot this year, particularly from one or two mistakes I have done.

"I have never really meant them, but Justin said just slow it down but keep the aggression because that is what we need.

"That is the reason he picks me, so they have supported me well at the club," he said.

At Saints Lees takes his place alongside fellow Rochdale lad Jack Ashworth, Luke Thompson and Morgan Knowles in a youthful pack that will more battle-hardened for the experience of last term that saw them top the table.

He said: "We had a good mix this year - a few young lads and a few senior lads, who have been good to learn from.

"Wilko has left us now and he will be a loss in the middle. But I am looking forward to the future and we will see what happens.

"Al coming back in will bring a big lift for us and I am looking forward to that."