Great Britain icon gives Shaun Wane verdict following England opening Ashes Test blunder

The first Ashes series contested in over two decades started off poorly for England, and they have come under plenty of scrutiny for their efforts.

Shaun Wane’s men suffered a 26-6 defeat at the hands of Australia, and there is huge amount of work to be done if they are going to draw level at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this weekend.

Both Wane and the players have been subject to criticism from across the rugby league world since that performance, with some going as far as calling it “horrible“. Others have been slightly kinder, however the fact is England need to rectify their game plan and show Australia a completely different side to them, one that was severely lacking at Wembley.

Former Great Britain winger and current presenter of Sky Sports’ rugby league coverage, Brian Carney, has now offered his insight, claiming that he underestimated the Kangaroos, and he believes England did too.

Carney, who played in the Ashes the last time the series was held in 2003, wrote an article on the Sky Sports website giving his verdict on last Saturday’s events and how this Saturday is a crucial game for Wane and England.

“I tipped England to win,” he wrote in his column. “I believed the noises and that’s on me. I thought the Australian absentees coupled with travel and the time England have had to build a squad would have the majority leaving Wembley smiling. There was gloom.

“Why, in the biggest fixture in years did England look least like a team capable of competing in one? Why did a group that promised clarity look so confused? We have questions but no answers.”

The pre-match build-up was sold in a way that said England could compete with, or even defeat the Kangaroos, when in fact they looked like a team as cohesive as one selected at random, and their ability to execute plays is what let them down most.

Ex-Great Britain winger believes “uncomfortable questions” will be asked over Shaun Wane should England fail to win this week

If they are to keep the series alive, they are going to have to produce a near-perfect performance, and even then it still may not be enough. Carney has floated the idea that a series defeat, be that 2-1 or 3-0, could become the beginning of the end for Wane as head coach, with England seemingly stagnating since their 2022 World Cup semi-final defeat.

He wrote: “A win this weekend would flip the narrative, turning last week’s defeat into the bad day every good side sometimes needs. It would restore belief and wouldn’t that be welcome? I cannot wait to see and hear the rugby league supporters in the new stadium on what could be an unforgettable day for the game in this country.

“How quickly Wembley would be forgotten if the journeys out of Liverpool next Saturday echoed with cheers and chatter about a “decider” at Headingley.

“Lose again, though, and the conversation changes. Wane has been in charge long enough for goodwill to have an expiry date. The World Cup semi-final slip still lingers, and another series loss will force uncomfortable questions about who should lead England to the next one.”

If England do decide to part ways with Wane after this series, it would mean that he leaves a year earlier than expected, with the former Wigan boss contracted until the end of the next World Cup. Carney believes that this week is crucial for English rugby league, as not only do they need to show they are capable of competing with the Australians, they need to prove doubters wrong that the gap between Super League and the NRL is in fact closing, and not getting wider as some have suggested.

He said: This weekend isn’t just about levelling a series. It’s about proving that the optimism wasn’t misplaced, that last week was a stumble, not a slide.

“Because if England can’t show it now, all the talk of progress will sound hollow.

“I’ll reiterate what I said last week. Narrow defeats count for nothing. I know. Beating Australia matters only if it’s to win the Ashes. A 2-1 series defeat is just that. Defeat.”