Former Super League referee Richard Silverwood has called for England to part ways with boss Shaun Wane after the loss to Australia in the second Test.
England were beaten 14-4 at Hill Dickinson Stadium, with the Kangaroos wrapping up the series win with a game to spare after their one-sided win at Wembley a week previous. The two nations will go head to head once more on Saturday at Headingley, but the best England can hope for is to avoid a 3-0 whitewash.
Wane’s side got the better of Australia for large periods on Saturday in Merseyside, but despite enjoying plenty of good ball, they couldn’t find a way through the tourists’ defensive line to touch down. And, sloppy defending at the start of the second half gave the Kangaroos the opportunities they needed to take the game away from the battling hosts.
It means that England will head into next year’s World Cup down under on the back of a defeat, but should Wane be the man taking the side to the tournament? Not according to Silverwood, who has taken to social media on Saturday to voice his belief that Wane ‘needs to go’.
The former referee pointed to a series of selection calls to back up the notion, with the decision to snub Jake Connor being one of them and England’s lacklustre efforts in attack have also been criticised.
Richard Silverwood wants England head coach change
“For me Wane needs to go,” Silverwood tweeted. “Farnworth is a world class left centre but Wardle gets picked and Farnworth pushed right. Connor not picked. Knowles over Smithies. Loads of other non sensical decisions. Clueless in attack.”
For me Wane needs to go. Farnworth is a world class left center but Wardle gets picked and Farnworth pushed right. Connor not picked. Knowles over Smithies. Loads of other non sensical decisions. Clueless in attack.
— Richard Silverwood (@SilversRef) November 1, 2025
In light of the series defeat, Wane was asked about his future after the game at Hill Dickinson, but insisted he ‘couldn’t care less’ at present, with his focus solely on avoiding a 3-0 series defeat.
England are rather large underdogs heading into Saturday’s third and final Test though, with some bookmakers offering odds of 1/10 for Australia to get the win in West Yorkshire.
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Anonymous
November 3, 2025 at 12:05 pm
Couldn’t care less has been wane’s attitude for a long time.
How he got chosen initially is typical of the less than professional approach to British rugby league for a long time.
If the game in this country doesn’t come under one completely independent organisation’s control asap then in ten years it will be dead and buried as an international sport.
Anonymous
November 4, 2025 at 12:26 pm
Totally agree he needs to understand he is coaching England not Wigan
Anthony Dyson
November 3, 2025 at 3:52 pm
Here we go again silverwood has to put his penny worth in but all he has done is copied what others have said lets face it he was a sub standard ref like the rest which followed he should stick to staying out of it because if we remember rightly the aussies weren’t impressed with his reffing so what the hell has he done in coaching except at low amature level
John
November 3, 2025 at 4:17 pm
Meanwhile, sticking to Silverwood’s article, and not trying to introduce my own, personal agenda; the only reason Wane has lasted this long is because we hardly play any matches to show up how poor a selector he is and then how bereft of attacking options with the players he picks.
It should be self evident that a coach who completely ignores the reigning Man of Steel, puts the runner upon the bench for all but 19 minutes and disregards Super League’s top try scorer to put in players who have had, at best, indifferent seasons or have “credit in the bank”, is at a level way above his abilities or understanding, and what is needed for 21st century rugby league.
Self evident to everyone except the RFL.
Anonymous
November 4, 2025 at 2:01 am
Silverwood probably lost us more games against Australia than any coach ever has so crawl back under your stone because nobody is interested in what you have to say