🔗 Share this article

As stated by skipper George Williams, the national team were handed a stark "reality check" as Australia secured the coveted Ashes trophy.

The Kangaroos' 14-4 triumph at the stadium in Liverpool on Saturday gave them a 2-0 series lead, making the upcoming Headingley encounter a dead rubber.

The England team had come into the series holding aspirations of sending Australia to their maiden Ashes setback since over five decades ago.

Recently, they had enjoyed a dominant victory over the Tongan side and a 2-0 triumph over the Samoan team. But as the Rugby League Ashes resumed after a two-decade hiatus, England were unable to take the next step against the world champions.

"No excuses from us. There were enough sessions to execute properly on the field, and it's clear we've managed that," the captain stated.

"Credit to Australia. They were good defensively. But we've got a lot to address. It seems not as prepared as we thought we were going into this series.

"So it's a necessary wake-up call for us, and [there is] loads to enhance."

The Kangaroos 'Arrive and Are Merciless'

After being heavily outplayed in an mistake-ridden performance at Wembley, England's were significantly better on the weekend back in the rugby league heartlands of England's north.

During an energetic initial stages, England forced mistakes from the Australians and had all the field position and ball control, but crucially did not make it count on the scoreboard.

Notably, England have now scored just a single touchdown over 160 minutes, with player the forward powering through late on in the setback in the capital.

On the other hand, the Kangaroos have accumulated six so far - and when errors began to appear in the hosts' play just after the half-time, it was a case of certainty, they were going to be made to pay.

Initially the playmaker scored, and then so too did the forward. From being tied at four-all, the home side were down by double digits.

"Proud for the bulk of the game. I thought for most of the match we were competitive," said the coach.

"The drop in intensity for a brief period after the break cost us immensely. The first try was avoidable and should never happen in a top-level game.

"We're devastated. So proud the squad had a dig but very frustrated with that second-half lapse, which cost us significantly."

While the upcoming global tournament in Australia and Papua New Guinea is just under 12 months away, the team's primary concern will be on attempting to regain respect, preventing a 3-0 sweep and eliminating the mistakes that annoyed Wane.

"I wanted to see greater effort thrown at Australia. My aim was us to build pressure in the game - we failed to deliver last week," added the veteran coach.

"We did this week. The issue is a lack of precision in our offensive play where we could have applied under more pressure. It's essential to defend both [tries] more effectively.

"Credit to the Kangaroos - that is no slight to them. They perform and are ruthless when they seize opportunities, and we failed to be, but in defense we can and should do better.

"They will be determined to win 3-0 and we need to be equally determined to make it a respectable scoreline. I've said that to the squad. It has to be our main aim. It will be a tough week but the side that desires it the greatest will get the win next week."

Competitive Edge Must to Elevate in Domestic Competition

England have played a comparable number of international fixtures to Australia since the previous global tournament in 2022.

Yet the coach thinks that the quality of the Australian league - and level of the State of Origin matches between NSW and Queensland - offer a more effective foundation for competing at the top of the international game than what is available in the northern hemisphere.

The England coach commented that the congested Super League calendar left no time for him to train his team during the season, which will only raise additional concerns around how England can narrow the difference to the Kangaroos before travelling to Oceania in 2026.

"The Australians play a lot of Test matches in their competition," Wane added.

"We play ten to fifteen a year. It's crucial demanding games to boost the competition and increase our chances of succeeding in these types of matches.

"It was impossible to even practice with the players. There was no chance to got on the field in the campaign and despite having the complete support of everyone in the domestic competition.

"I have also been in the boots of the head coaches that must to win games. The league is that tight. It's a pity but it's not the reason we got beaten today."