{"id":262824,"date":"2025-11-04T21:29:06","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T21:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/262824\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T21:29:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T21:29:06","slug":"tears-and-trouble-shaun-wane-on-englands-narrow-defeat-to-australia-rugby-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/262824\/","title":{"rendered":"Tears and trouble: Shaun Wane on England\u2019s narrow defeat to Australia | Rugby league"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shaun Wane is a bear of a man who has built a hugely successful rugby career on intimidation and rabble-rousing, terrifying his own players as much as opponents and reporters. But being an emotional person works both ways. It would not have been a surprise if the 14-4 defeat to Australia<\/a> had left the England coach in tears on Saturday but, in fact, he became emotional when I asked him about his grandchildren.<\/p>\n

After the final whistle Wane spent some time cuddling his small grandkids by the England dugout, showering them with attention and affection. It was lovely and touching. Their smiles and laughter were clearly infectious. A few minutes later, Wane was telling the press how \u201cdevastated\u201d he was by the defeat and how 10 loose minutes from his players after half-time had infuriated him. \u201cThat really, really hurts \u2013 I\u2019m so disappointed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Did those precious moments with his family put losing narrowly to the best team in the world into some perspective? \u201cYes,\u201d said Wane, his voice cracking as he teared up. He told me off for asking, but was only half joking. I think.<\/p>\n

It has been a challenging few weeks for Wane, who has joined the long list of illustrious coaches unable to win the Ashes. A dozen of the finest have tried and failed, including Frank Myler, Maurice Bamford, Mal Reilly, Brian Noble and Ellery Hanley. Three Australians \u2013 David Waite, Tony Smith and Wayne Bennett \u2013 couldn\u2019t do it for England. Four more England coaches failed to stop the Kangaroos at World Cups, too.<\/p>\n

Even the last man to lead Great Britain to a major trophy \u2013 1972 World Cup-winning coach Jim Challinor \u2013 lost both of his Ashes series in charge. And the last coach to win one, Johnny Whiteley in 1970, was beaten by Australia in the World Cup a few weeks later and humiliated in the 1982 Ashes in his second stint. It\u2019s the toughest of gigs. \u201cThey turn up and they\u2019re ruthless,\u201d said Wane. \u201cWe did a lot of good things, but not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wane blamed Super League\u2019s lack of intensity. The Kangaroos face far more tough games, with State of Origin and the NRL\u2019s weekly examinations, although six of this England squad play in the NRL and a dozen more were under severe pressure a few weeks ago in Super League<\/a> playoff matches.<\/p>\n

Wane\u2019s wish for more \u201creally intense games\u201d is not going to happen next season, when his players will face newly promoted York, Bradford and Toulouse, as well as the limited challenges set by Huddersfield and Castleford. When Wakefield winger Tom Johnstone steps inside the touchline at Belle Vue, he is not confronted by five of the world\u2019s best players intent on smothering him, as he was twice at Everton\u2019s stadium. No coaching or team talks about Winston Churchill can counter that.<\/p>\n

Mike McMeeken runs into a wall of Australia players. Photograph: Peter Byrne\/PA<\/p>\n

England prop Mike McMeeken was pleased with some aspects of the performance. \u201cWe can take a lot of pride in what we did,\u201d he said. \u201cSome people probably say they were off, but we made them play that way. But there\u2019s no satisfaction in that right now. It\u2019s never going to be easy to break Australia down \u2013 they have some world-class players. Opportunities are going to be small. I thought we\u2019d got them at times, but they scrambled very well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Man of the match Cameron Munster \u2013 who is as entertaining off the field as on it \u2013 said England \u201cput trouble\u201d on Australia. \u201cTheir attack is not bad, but our defence wins us games,\u201d he said. \u201cGood job as we were pretty pathetic with the ball in hand\u201d. The worry is Australia won while well below their best \u2013 again. Kevin Walters, the Australia coach, hinted that he might pick some unused squad members in the third Test in Leeds next Saturday, which may be England\u2019s best hope of avoiding a whitewash.<\/p>\n

England will not have much time on the training pitch this week to make improvements. \u201cWe\u200b don\u2019t spend too much time on the field, probably only two sessions,\u201d said McMeeken. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of stuff that will happen off-field \u2013 a lot of video looking at the positives and the negatives. Once we\u2019ve recovered we\u2019ll go again Wednesday and Thursday, and start putting the plans into action for next Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n

England\u2019s outside backs impressed, but they lack the elusiveness of Reece Walsh or the pace of Josh Addo-Carr. Joe Burgess will replace the injured Dom Young, who was so much the go-to man that Harry Smith even passed to him when Young was hobbling away up the sideline with the physio in the closing minutes. But Young, Johnstone and Burgess are not in the same class as Jason Robinson and Martin Offiah.<\/p>\n

Before the first Test at Wembley, Offiah was spotted chatting to Young and Kai Pearce-Paul. Without hearing what was said, you can guess it was about how to light up the biggest stage. Young and Farnworth are trying their hardest to do that, but it is just not happening. The Kangaroos just slide the door shut in their faces. It is enough to make hard men cry.<\/p>\n

Clubcall: EvertonThe Everton stadium was a great host venue. Photograph: Peter Byrne\/PA<\/p>\n

Wane was granted his wish for \u201ca proper rugby league crowd\u201d on Merseyside, where there were just a few dozen empty seats. It\u2019s clearly a major event when England shirts dot rail platforms 200 miles from the ground and the train announcer advises fans how to get to the ground. At lunchtime, fans queued in buzzing pubs, accents ranging from scouse to southern to Scottish. At one table, a soap star, a Strictly winner, a farmer (all Kelvin Fletcher), a TV producer, an international and a Super League winner discussed Super League expansion, while the founders of both London Skolars and St Albans Centurions were all spotted in the rammed stadium forecourt. The match had that kind of pull.<\/p>\n

Australia made the first of their four victorious trips to Everton in 1908, when a late Dally Messenger goal clinched victory over the Northern Rugby League at Goodison Park. The new stadium will surely be hosting more big matches soon. With Everton only playing once at home next April, Hill Dickinson looks likely to host a triple header \u2013 Challenge Cup semi-finals and England v France women \u2013 next season, and it must be high up the list of potential venues for the Kiwis\u2019 tour in 2027. Whether Wane will be in charge by then may depend on what happens at Headingley on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Foreign quota<\/p>\n

Wigan prop Tyler Dupree<\/a>, who was dropped by England after a disappointing season, is set to become the first high-profile beneficiary of Super League\u2019s expansion transfer policy as he joins promoted Toulouse on loan for next season. Wigan will benefit by not only shifting Dupree\u2019s wages off their salary cap but also being allowed to spend an additional allowance. This logical policy to help the promoted clubs has, along with Toulouse and York\u2019s half-funding arrangement, been poorly presented.<\/p>\n

They could have been sold as Super League\u2019s take on America\u2019s franchise expansion: promoted clubs receive full central funding but to get their licence must pay a \u00a3600,000 bond into a fund to be raided only in a Salford-like emergency. Toulouse signing Dupree is like an expansion draft: established clubs encouraged to send players to promoted clubs in exchange for salary cap dispensation and actual increases. That could be extended to clubs releasing any contracted player to the new boys.<\/p>\n

Goalline dropout<\/p>\n

With no mid-season international next year, England\u2019s match at Headingley could be their last at home for 23 months. The game needs to prioritise international fixtures, even if the results can be predictable. When NRL chair, Peter V\u2019landys, left the stadium on Saturday evening he passed dozens of fans waiting to meet Walsh, the sport\u2019s new rock star Walsh. Surely V\u2019landys will ensure that the Ashes returns to the UK in 2028 or 2029, regardless of whether Australia make it 3-0 on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Fifth and last<\/p>\n

England did win the Ashes last weekend: the first ever wheelchair series. They came from behind to win the second Test 48-42 on the Gold Coast, sealing a 2-0 victory in the series. London Rooster Joe Coyd scored the winning try with two minutes left after captain Lewis King had scored a hat-trick, with two-try Halifax star Jack Brown putting in a player-of-the-match display. Hats off chaps.<\/p>\n

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