Shaun Wane: I know I’m the right man to lead England to the Rugby World Cup despite Ashes whitewash | Rugby League News
England head coach Shaun Wane insists he is the right man to lead England to the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, despite a 3-0 Ashes defeat to Australia.
The series whitewash leaves England with questions to answer, with the return of the contest for the first time since 2003 turning into a reality check for the home side.
Overall, the pack stood up, the backs couldn’t shoot. The system has sometimes worked but then leaves no room for maneuver.
England had no point of difference; the kangaroos had differences all over the park – Reece Walsh, Cameron Munster, Harry Grant, Nathan Cleary and Angus Crichton to name a few.
After a series of tourist-like drubbings inflicted on England, it would only be standard practice for the role of the head coach to be scrutinized.
Wane has a 3-0 series win over Tonga and a 2-0 win over Samoa under his belt. He also suffered heartbreak in the Rugby League World Cup semi-final on home soil.
With another World Cup on the horizon in 2026, the question will now be whether Wane is the man to lead England into this competition on the Green and Gold pitch.
Is Wane’s experience, having already led the team to a World Cup, invaluable? Or is this the time for the national team to take a chance and make a change?
Wane has been dynamic and is adamant that a change at the top would not be the right move.
“I think we didn’t play well enough for long enough against a really good team,” Wane said.
“It’s a different challenge against a team that’s going to ask you questions continuously for 80 minutes and we couldn’t do that for long enough periods.
“I don’t believe it, I know I am (the right man to lead England to the Rugby World Cup).
“The only people I want are the players and the staff and I know I have that.
“I’m going to do a report on the show and what I think and sit down with people from the RFL.
“They want to improve things, they don’t like us to lose and we are all going in the same direction. So we have to be better for the World Cup next year.”
England scored just two tries in the three matches, but try scorer George Williams backed his head coach.
Wane also has the support of his skipper George Williams, who says Wane is “100 per cent” the right man and should continue to do the job.
“100 percent, without a doubt. We all believe in him,” Williams said.
“As disappointing as this series has been, what we’ve built has been really good under Shaun and he’s definitely the right man.”
It is now up to the RFL to decide what is the right decision in less than 12 months to put things right.
Rugby League Ashes 2025
First try: England 6-26 Australia
Second Test: England 4-14 Australia
Third try: England 8-30 Australia
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