England centre Kallum Watkins has said that home advantage could be crucial during Saturday's Rugby League World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
The bookmakers have made Steve McNamara's men firm underdogs against the defending champions, but Watkins believes that an enthusiastic Wembley crowd could level the playing field.
He told Sky Sports News: "It should be an interesting contest, one that I'm looking forward to. What's lying ahead is massive. To get into a World Cup final for us. It's a huge challenge.
"It's brilliant to play there [at Wembley]. The atmosphere is fantastic so that could be an advantage for us because the fans will mostly be cheering for us."
When asked whether he thought that the Kiwis were beatable, Watkins replied: "I think they are. They are a fantastic side, no doubt about it. They have some real top-class players.
"They are all special players. You can't single out one of them. It's a team performance at the end on the day. Their halves have been on form. Their forwards are massive and we've got the match that."
England have never won the World Cup as an independent nation. They have twice finished as runners-up, while Great Britain have been victorious on three occasions.
Robert Summerscales
