England\u2019s Team Manager Sam Tomkins said their showing in Saturday afternoon\u2019s opening Ashes Test against Australia \u2018simply wasn\u2019t good enough\u2019.<\/p>\n
Shaun Wane\u2019s side were thumped 26-6 by the Kangaroos at Wembley, failing to impress in front of what was a record crowd for a Rugby League Ashes Test held in the UK.<\/p>\n
The hosts trailed only 8-0 at the break, but went on to concede 18 unanswered points in a second half collapse as man-of-the-match Reece Walsh and Angus Crichton tore them apart.<\/p>\n
St Helens hooker Daryl Clark was responsible for England<\/a>\u2018s only reply, which came just minutes before the end of the clash to spare the embarrassment of being nilled under the arch.<\/p>\n \u2018What we dished up today just simply wasn\u2019t good enough\u2019<\/p>\n England now face the Aussies<\/a> at Everton FC\u2019s Hill Dickinson Stadium next Saturday \u2013 November 1 \u2013 and Headingley on November 8.<\/p>\n Team Manager Tomkins, who also forms part of Wane\u2019s backroom team where coaching is concerned, did not hold back in his assessment of their display in the first Test.<\/p>\n Speaking to Sky Sports<\/a> post-match at Wembley, the 36-year-old said: \u201cThe positive is it\u2019s a three-Test series, and we\u2019ve got next week to prove that we\u2019re better than what we showed today.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we dished up today just simply wasn\u2019t good enough.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got some very skilful players in our group that quite often, at Super League level, complete any opportunity and today we just didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n Playing 29 games for England between 2009 and 2022, three-time Super League champion Tomkins \u2013 who retired for a second time earlier this year \u2013 also enjoyed a stint Down Under in the NRL with the New Zealand Warriors.<\/p>\n All seven of his appearances as a player against Australia ended in defeat, including the opening game of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup in Cardiff.<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cWe\u2019re massively disappointed, I\u2019m just gutted that we just didn\u2019t see the best version of this England side.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not here just to take part, we want to win every game that we are a part of.<\/p>\n \u201cToday we weren\u2019t good enough and we\u2019ve got seven days to dust ourselves down, come up with a game plan and execute better next week.\u201d<\/p>\n SUNDAY\u2019S READS ON LRL<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffb Exclusive: Hull KR prop set for exit as Super League duo launch move for forward<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffb England\u2019s big team dilemmas including big Jack Welsby question ahead of must-win second Ashes Test<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffb England 6-26 Australia conclusions as \u2018true rockstar\u2019 emerges as world\u2019s best player<\/a><\/p>\n