Warrington Wolves boss Sam Burgess has been touted as the man to replace Shaun Wane at England if the ex-Wigan man departs his role.
Wane is currently tied in until the end of the World Cup next year but defeat in this year’s Ashes, which stands at 2-0 at the time of writing but could well become 3-0 in a matter of hours, could be fatal for the England head coach.
It’s not simply the fact England have lost the Ashes but the fashion in which they’ve done it, without truly landing a blow on an Australia side that has been well below par themselves.
To date, after the first two Tests, England have scored just one try with Daryl Clark’s late charge over the only time the Kangaroos line has been breached outside of penalties.
There’s no immediate suggestion that Shaun Wane’s job is on the line but it’s not stopped speculation about who could replace him and Sam Burgess has seen his name pushed to the front of the debate.
Among those pushing that narrative are Australian journalists Brent Read and David Riccio, appearing on Triple M’s Daily NRL podcast.
Should Sam Burgess replace Shaun Wane as England head coach?
Read was the man to push Sam Burgess as a replacement, highlighting his “passion” as one of the major drivers for why he should be considered.
On the England head coach situation, Read explained: “I reckon Shaun Wane has got to be under pressure.
“I know our mate Woodsy (Aaron Woods) had a crack at him but he’s dead set got to under massive pressure after the way they’ve played in this series.”
At that point, Read introduced the idea of Sam Burgess as next in line, claiming that he’d had that suggestion from someone “highly influential in the game”.
“I spoke to someone last week, a highly influential figure in the game, who suggested that Sam Burgess should be the England coach,” Read said.
Admitting that Burgess had struggled in year two at Warrington, Read added: “At least you know if Sam was coach, they’d play with a bit of passion.”
Riccio was less keen and poured some cold water on the suggestion, noting previous off-field misdemeanors, stating: “I don’t know what he’s done off the field, or as a coach, to suggest he is the leader of men.
“There’s no question he is a South Sydney hero, but away from footy, I mean he has had a chequered couple of years in his life before he left Australia.
“I’m suggesting the right man for the job, as well as being a great coach, should be an upright member of the community.”
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