By ROSS HEPPENSTALL
England head coach Shaun Wane is desperate to arrange a game against any opposition later this year after the eagerly-awaited Ashes series was officially scrapped.
England were set to play the Kangaroos in three Test matches in Bolton, Leeds and London this autumn but the Covid-19 pandemic has put paid to that.
Australia will not now travel after the series was cancelled and, with the 2021 World Cup already coming into focus, Wane is seeking to line up an alternative, possibly one-off fixture, later this year.
Reviving the Exiles concept, a collection of the best overseas talent in Super League, to face England would appear to be the most viable solution as a substitute for the Ashes series.
Wane is in constant dialogue with Rugby Football League supremo Ralph Rimmer about who England might face in 2020.
The former Wigan Warriors head coach said: “I’m in regular conversations with Ralph regarding quite a few things but the actual team we’re going to play against, we don’t know yet.
“I just want us to play, I just want to get coaching and do what I hopefully do best.
“If it’s the Exiles then great because if you look at the quality of those players over here, it’s a great team. That would be a great test for us.”
Despite the disappointment of the Ashes not happening this year, there is hope that Australia could instead head over for a series in 2022.
England played an Exiles side four times between 2011 and 2013, with both sides winning two games apiece before the concept was shelved.
Yet Wane has no doubts about the quality of opposition that England could face, with players such as Sonny Bill Williams and Israel Folau potentially in line to represent the Exiles.
Wane added: “The other day I was in the garden and I picked an Exiles team of players I’d seen in Super League, and it was a very strong team.
“It was as good as any Test team, so it would be great for the fans over here to watch a game like that of that standard.
“But I know a lot of things could happen, so it’s not certain of being on.
“But if there’s a chance I know Ralph has always been very supportive of me and helped me in every way he can, and I know he’ll do his best in the same way.
“If I’m being brutally honest, if it’s in Dubai, if it’s in Wigan, if it’s in St Helens, I’m not bothered where it is played. The higher quality the better and that would suit me.”
If the Exiles game does not materialise, Wane is open to the prospect of facing a Home Nations side later this year.
“Definitely, he said.
“Super League is strong and we’ve got players from all of the Home Nations in Super League.
“A game is a game, but for me, as national coach, I would want it to be as high quality as possible – that would be the key.
“The only thing I’m concerned about is the World Cup next year, and getting to [the final at] Old Trafford and hopefully winning that competition.
“It is a fair while before the World Cup starts, but the longer I have with the players, the more satisfied I will be.
“I understand the need to get some games on this year and the players want to play.
“That is the priority at the minute – get Super League going, get watching some games and get the players doing what they do best.
“I will make the best of it. Whenever it finishes we will get together and the players will get some quality from being in the England squad.”
Wane insisted it would be not a complete disaster if England did not play a single game this year heading into next year’s showpiece tournament.
England could have a game later this year, a mid-season Test next year and possibly a final warm-up match before the 2021 World Cup is staged on home soil.
Wane stressed: “I will never say I am at a disadvantage to someone.
“If we do not get any games [this year], we will have camps, have days and sessions.
“Me and my staff just have to make them the best quality for those players. I will never ever make excuses.
“I haven’t got a fixed number of games in my mind but I would like to have a game at the end of this year and a mid-season game.
“A game against the England Knights, we would get something out of that because there are certain areas we want to concentrate on and it would be a bit more intense.
“If that is what we need to do, and if we have two games, then I think we will be in good shape going into the World Cup.”
Despite the UK being in lockdown for over two months, Wane has been busy working behind the scenes.
He is speaking regularly to Super League coaches and players as the domestic season prepares for a possible return in August.
Wane was asked about the prospect of an end-of-season camp and whether the NRL-based players could be involved.
He said: “Hopefully. If we can get something out of it then having those sorts of players over here would be really important to me.
“But if it weren’t to happen, and I could get together with the Super League players, then I’ll make the best of it, yet I would prefer it to be a complete camp.
“I’ve had a few chats with different head coaches in Super League, but it’s been more around tactics and what sort of behaviours I want from my England players.
“It’s been more general on what sort of things I want to see from an England player.
“I’ve spoken to everybody in the squad and a few other individuals as well as that.
“The thing that I do personally which I’ve been trying to get over to the players I’ve been speaking to is our plan for the day after.
“I know what I want to do tomorrow, I have an idea.
“I’m just asking players for to organise their day, prioritise things to get things done, just make sure you go to bed and you’re a better player.
“You’re watching games, you’ve trained and you’ve done whatever you can, and they have all been doing that.
“They’re really good pros, so it’s just been generally having a chat and making sure they’re okay.”
Wane, who succeeded veteran Australian Wayne Bennett as England boss in February, had selected a 31-strong group of players to meet at Old Trafford on March 23.
The outbreak of the coronavirus wrecked that scheduled get-together but, while Super League remains suspended, the NRL returned with a bang at the weekend.
England playmaker George Williams, who Wane nurtured for many years at Wigan, starred as his Canberra Raiders side won impressively at title rivals Melbourne Storm.
Indeed, the 25-year-old playmaker took centre stage as Ricky Stuart’s side – featuring three Englishmen in Josh Hodgson, Elliott Whitehead and Williams – won 22-6 in their first outing since the NRL season restarted.
Profiting from the new ‘six again’ rule, which has been introduced to speed up the game and has won Wane’s approval, Williams had a hand in two tries as the Raiders claimed an 18-6 half-time lead before an outstanding defensive display kept Melbourne scoreless after the break.
Aussie commentators were gushing in their praise of Williams while Sam Burgess, who retired at the end of last season due to injury, tweeted to congratulate Williams on a “cracking performance”.
It was only Williams’ third appearance for the ‘The Green Machine’ since he joined from Wigan at the start of the season.
Yet Wane said: “I thought the Aussies went over the top – they were raving about him.
“I’ve seen George do those things hundreds of times; he does it in Super League and doesn’t seem to be recognised.
“I thought he did some good things but he can have more involvement.
“If George had delivered that for me at Wigan, I’d have been into him.
“I’m sure other Super League coaches may have been the same.
“He did well, no question, and I’m a big George Williams fan. But he needs to improve.”
Players such as Whitehead, Hodgson and John Bateman have thrived in the Australian competition but Wane denied the NRL was on a different level to Super League.
He reasoned: “Who is to say Elliott Whitehead, if he stayed here, wouldn’t have been the same?
“Elliott is a great player and the NRL is a great competition, no question.
“But I’ve coached in many intense Super League games as well, so wherever they are, we just have to make it the best product ever.”
Conjecture, meanwhile, surrounds the future of Raiders second-rower Bateman, who remains close to Wane after they spent five successful seasons together at Wigan.
Bateman enjoyed an outstanding debut campaign in the Australian capital last season as they reached the Grand Final before losing narrowly to Sydney Roosters.
Bateman has been linked with a move away from Canberra – possibly even back to Wigan – and Wane revealed: “I spoke to John yesterday.
“My advice would be, go wherever you feel comfortable and the fact is he’s in the NRL, he’s at a great club.
“He knows what he wants. If he asks for my advice, it would be go wherever he feels happy.
“If he comes back to Super League there would be clubs looking to snap him up as he’s a quality player.
“But I think he’s got some unfinished business over there in the NRL.
“He’s not been to a Grand Final and won it, and that’ll be eating away at him no question. But wherever he is, he gives it his best shot.”