BY JOHN DAVIDSON
Former Great Britain captain Garry Schofield has criticised the lack of creative players in England’s squad, and believes passion and patriotism are not enough to wrestle back the Ashes from Australia.
England will lock horns with the Kangaroos in the first Test on Saturday. This year’s Man of Steel Jake Connor has been controversially left out of the squad.
Schofield, a member of the British Rugby League Hall of Fame, is concerned that England does not have enough creativity and variety in its team to trouble the Aussie defence and score enough points.
“We’ve only got one creative player in George Williams and they will nullify George Williams quite easily,” he told rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads.
“Whoever plays alongside George, Harry Smith or Mikey Lewis, they can’t take the pressure off George Williams because they’re not creative halfbacks. Harry Smith’s not good enough to be an international scrum-half anyway.
“Mikey is a maverick of a player, an individual player, but he won’t take the pressure off. The Australians will know this and they will target George Williams.
“Is Jake Connor good enough for international rugby league? We’ll never know unless he’s been given an opportunity. Should he have been selected? Yes he should have.
“He would give a different option for George Williams, and he can also fill the utility role. I don’t buy into Shaun Wane’s pathetic excuse for why he didn’t pick him.
“Jake Connor should not just be in the squad, he should be the starting halfback alongside George Williams. Jake is not a player Waney likes. Waney is a structured coach, he only likes to play one way. If they go away from that structure then no doubt they’ll get dropped or a massive bollocking.”
Schofield scored 31 tries in 46 caps for Great Britain in the 1980s and 1990s, and played in six Ashes series.
Many are expecting England to play a grinding, wrestle-dominated style of play in these Ashes Tests, focused on brute force and high set completion.
England coach Shaun Wane has emphasised the grit his team has, as well as the passion and belief they have in their camp.
But Schofield believes the side needs more than just patriotism to end their Ashes drought: “That’s not going to get you anywhere near winning the Ashes.
“He’s got to come up with a game plan that’s going to frustrate Australia and confuse Australia. If we don’t, and if the Aussies hit their straps in the first Test, it could be more embarrassing in the second and third Tests.
“We hope, not just to compete. Can we win the Ashes for the first time in 55 years? Miracles can happen. Are we going to win them? Unfortunately, and it doesn’t give me any joy, the Aussies will keep the Ashes.
“The Australian spine will be the difference.”