England are pondering whether to axe Shaun Wane as head coach or to reappoint him.
BY JOHN DAVIDSON
THE WASHOUT from last year’s World Cup rolls on.
Hosts England were heart-breakingly knocked out at the semi-final stage in an epic clash with Samoa in London.
After impressing early in the tournament, and smashing Samoa in the opener, they failed to even make the final. Going out without facing traditional rivals Australia or New Zealand, it was another disappointing end to a tournament. Fifty years of them seems more than enough.
But perhaps what is most startling has been coach Shaun Wane’s tenure in full, the reaction to the defeat, and what has been done since.
Wane was appointed in 2020 but had to wait some time for his first game because of Covid. His reign didn’t start particularly well, with a loss to the Combined Nations All Stars. He also made some curious comments about only wanting “homegrown/English-born” players in his squad, a stance he later backtracked on by selecting Victor Radley.
England went on to beat France, as expected, in 2021 and then the Combined Nations All Stars last year in the lead-up to the World Cup. There was the Eddie Hemmings/BetFred video furore, they did a number on Fiji in a friendly and then tore Samoa to shreds at St James’ Park. The rugby league world was shocked and England fans were excited.
The national team went on to down France, Greece and Papua New Guinea to set up another juicy meeting with Samoa. Then it all went wrong.
To be fair to Wane and England, they were dealt a harsh hand with the loss of Lomax, Walmsley, Dodd, Percival and several others before the tournament. The talent pool was limited. Even with those players at full fitness, England was always going to be hard-pressed to defeat a rejuvenated Kangaroos.
Five decades of failure against Australia proves the point that there are systematic issues at play here, away from just the XVII on the field and the coach at the helm.
Before the World Cup, I interviewed ex-player Garry Schofield about England’s chances. Schofield’s view received a lot of criticism but was ultimately proved right. Wane’s selections, of several ageing players, players out of position and players he trusted, came undone at the Emirates. Going without a back-up hooker in the semi-final back-fired.
Curiously, during the tournament after the win over PNG, Wane claimed he was staying on with England in 2023 and had signed a contract extension.
Was he speaking out of turn, or had an extension been offered and verbally agreed to, but not signed? Had Ralph Rimmer promised him a new deal? We don’t know.
But after the defeat and the tournament, in a December interview with the Mirror Wane stated his desire to stay on in the role, and it was revealed that he was off-contract. Even odder.
In the story Wane claimed Wayne Bennett and Steve McNamara had had three or four tournaments as coach of England. Bennett actually had just two – the 2016 Four Nations and the 2017 World Cup – and McNamara had four. But both only had one World Cup campaign each.
Since then it has been reported that Wane is still under review, as the RFL ponders whether to sack him or back him.
Considering the World Cup final was back in mid-November, there has now been two months without a decision. A call is not expected to be made until February, with England playing France in April.
You could say action has been slow, but you could also argue it is more important to get the decision right than wrong. If in doubt, Paul Anderson or even Andy Last could serve as a caretaker coach for the France match.
If Wane is punted, the next question is who replaces him? Should it be another English coach, or a foreigner?
Wane was the obvious choice because of his success with Wigan and in Super League. There is no other English coach with a similar pedigree, apart from Brian McDermott, and that seems as likely as Leigh winning the competition in 2023.
Coaching a national team in rugby league is not a full-time role. Look at Mal Meninga, Michael Maguire, Kristian Woolf, even Matt Parish. It is a part-time gig. Countries do not play enough to make it full-time.
If they go external, who would suit the position? Could someone like Craig Bellamy be tempted? Trent Robinson is already assisting France, but could the jobless Des Hasler be enticed? Ivan Cleary? Justin Holbrook knows English players and systems well, and did well in the UK.
Public opinion turned on Bennett after the disastrous Great Britain tour in 2019. He had the support of Kevin Sinfield and Nigel Wood, but fan outrage saw him axed.
Public opinion seems mixed on Wane. He has only had nine games in charge, so should the RFL give him more time? Or do they want a coach less set in his ways, more media friendly and easier to deal with?
These are the questions the RFL must answer.
A nation awaits.
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