🔗 Share this article

According to captain George Williams, the national team were handed a brutal "wake-up call" as the Kangaroos secured the Rugby League Ashes.

The Kangaroos' 14-4 triumph at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday gave them a unassailable 2-0 advantage, making next week's Headingley encounter a academic contest.

Shaun Wane's side had come into the series harbouring hopes of sending the Kangaroos to their first Ashes series defeat since over five decades ago.

In the past two years, they had achieved a clean sweep over the Tongan side and a series win over the Samoan team. But as the historic rivalry returned after a two-decade hiatus, England were unable to make the leap against the world champions.

"We take full responsibility. We've had enough training periods to execute properly on the pitch, and I don't think we've achieved that," the captain told.

"Australia deserve praise. They were good defensively. But there's a lot to work on. We're probably not as strong as we believed we were entering this series.

"So it's a valuable lesson for us, and [there is] loads to develop."

The Kangaroos 'Show Up and Prove Ruthless'

Having been comprehensively defeated in an sloppy showing at Wembley, England's were markedly enhanced on the weekend back in the rugby league heartlands of the North.

In a rousing first half, the home side elicited errors from the Kangaroos and had superior positioning and possession, but unfortunately did not capitalize on the points tally.

Tellingly, the English team have now managed just one score over two full matches, with player the forward scoring late on in the defeat in the capital.

Conversely, Australia have scored six in two games - and when mistakes began to creep into the hosts' play just after the interval, it was a case of certainty, they were going to be severely punished.

Initially the playmaker scored, and then so too did the forward. From being tied at 4-4, England were down by double digits.

"Satisfied for the bulk of the game. I thought for 70 minutes we were competitive," said the coach.

"The drop in intensity for a brief period after the break hurt us immensely. Munster's try was soft and should not be scored in a top-level game.

"We're heartbroken. So proud the squad had a fight but very frustrated with that after half-time, which hurt us heavily."

While the next World Cup in the Southern Hemisphere is just under a year from now, the team's primary concern will be on trying to regain respect, avoiding a series whitewash and addressing the issues that frustrated the coach.

"I wanted to see more thrown at the opposition. I wanted us to apply sustained attack in the game - we fell short last week," added the 61-year-old.

"We did this week. The issue is a bit of detail in our offense where we could have put them under increased strain. It's essential to defend both [tries] better.

"Credit to Australia - that is not a criticism to them. They arrive and are merciless when they get a chance, and we weren't, but in defense we can and should do better.

"The Australians will be obsessed to win 3-0 and we need to be equally determined to make it a competitive series. I've told that to the players. It has to be our obsession. It will be a difficult week but the side that desires it the most will get the win next week."

Intensity Needs to Improve in Domestic Competition

The English side have participated in a comparable number of international fixtures to Australia since the last World Cup in 2022.

However the coach argues that the caliber of the Australian league - and standard of the State of Origin matches between New South Wales and Queensland - provide a more effective preparation for competing at the highest level of the international game than what is available in the Europe.

Wane noted that the hectic Super League calendar left no time for him to coach his team during the campaign, which will only pose more issues around how the national team can close the divide to the Kangaroos before travelling to Oceania in 2026.

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

"England play 10-15 a year. It's crucial really intense games to enhance the domestic league and boost our chances of winning these types of matches.

"I couldn't even train with the players. There was no chance to trained together in the campaign and despite having the total cooperation of all clubs in Super League.

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