I’m the man to take England into World Cup – Wane

Head coach Shaun Wane says there is “no question” he is the right man to lead England into the 2026 World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea despite his side falling to a 3-0 Ashes Test series defeat.

Wane, 61, took the England job in 2020 after succeeding Wayne Bennett and led them to a World Cup semi-final in 2022 where they suffered an agonising golden-point defeat by Samoa.

Since then, series wins over Tonga and Samoa have followed – the former Wigan boss has won 14 of his 19 matches in charge.

But his position has been scrutinised by sections of the English media and some fans during the course of the Ashes series, with world champions Australia winning at Wembley, Hill Dickinson Stadium and AMT Headingley.

When asked directly whether he should stay at the helm, Wane told BBC Sport: “Absolutely. No question about that.”

In a post-match media conference later, he was asked if he believed he was the right man to take England into the World Cup, and said: “I don’t believe – I know I am. The only people I want [the backing of] are the players and staff and I know I have that.

“Talks aren’t planned yet but they will be planned. We’ll do a report on the series and what we think we need to make it better. We’re all going in the same direction.

“I need to have a conversation with the RFL in the next few weeks about the direction we’re going in. I’ll make recommendations to give us a chance to have these players prepared for a World Cup and we’ll take it from there.”

Wane’s detractors will point to three unforced changes to England’s spine after their first Test defeat by Australia at Wembley and a lack of penetration in attack.

Without Victor Radley, England have lacked a ball-playing 13 – and while performances did improve once they reverted to a halves combination of Harry Smith and George Williams, and Morgan Smithies was brought in, to some extent Wane began the series in a no-win situation.

His omission of Super League’s Man of Steel winner Jake Connor raised eyebrows before a ball had been kicked and Mikey Lewis’ limited role in the second Test also proved an unwelcome talking point.

However, there is unanimous support for Wane among his players, captain George Williams explained.

“No doubt at all. We all believe in him 100%,” said Williams..

“What we’ve built in this series has been really good and Shaun is definitely the right man. As players, we’re just looking at ourselves really. We really believed we could do something special in this series and it’s 3-0, which is a bit embarrassing.”

Earlier in the week, Hull KR hooker Jez Litten said he “loved” playing under Wane, while St Helens prop Matty Lees also gave him a firm endorsement.

Shaun Wane’s defiance about his position as England head coach comes from a lifetime of fighting against the odds – whether turning his life around as a troubled teen to become a professional rugby league player or now battling to stay in an England job which has always been his ultimate goal.

That steely determination has made him a success at most things he has turned his hand to – whether winning all the major honours with Wigan, leading England to Test series victories over Tonga and Samoa, or public speaking to corporate audiences away from the sport.

So a 3-0 loss to Australia is unfamiliar territory. His side carried all the hallmarks of a Wane team – tough, spirited and full of heart. But they were unable to execute effectively against the world’s number one international side.

He found England a new gear and motivation after they got their World Cup semi-final against Samoa wrong three years ago, putting the loss to one side with back-to-back series wins.

Wane would back himself to do so again, but falling short in three games against Australia requires an immediate response with a World Cup on the horizon.

His critics will point to a stubbornness around selection. Where was Jake Connor? Why was Mikey Lewis used so sparingly?

Is Wane to blame for a lack of creativity after a total of two tries in the series? Is that a gameplan issue, or a wider Super League problem relating to breaking down the best defences?

In response, he can point to players who have shown their mettle at the elite level, given England went into this series unbeaten in five Tests.

Wane also pertinently points out that, before the players were released to him for this series, he had no on-field sessions with them in 2025. That is a league scheduling issue.

Those involved in Wane’s squad have spoken glowingly of his camps, the preparation and his nurturing of the players. Despite the losses, they feel progress has been made under the head coach.

And there was tangible game-by-game improvement through the series, despite the three defeats. So England clearly benefited from facing the best.

Australia sharpen their tools throughout the year with State of Origin and high-intensity NRL fixtures. Super League’s need for longer seasons to fulfil broadcaster requirements and generate club incomes comes at a cost to wider quality. More blowouts, fewer intense games and bigger workloads in terms of minutes.

Wane said before the third Test that he had not had conversations about his future yet. He will submit a report into the series, highlighting concerns over preparation and game time for his squad.