Shaun Wane has stepped down from his role as head coach of England, and despite boasting a winning record of just under 75%, there were a few key moments that led to this moment.
With around 10 months to go before the Rugby League World Cup in Australia, the RFL now have a huge selection decision to make, as they look to appoint the right person to take England into the biggest competition in the sport.
Wane, who had been in the role since February 2020, was in uncertain waters after the Ashes series over whether he had a future, with RFL chair Nigel Wood saying that a thorough process would take place to see if the former Wigan man was right for the role.
Ultimately, the governing body have decided against that, and after five years and 11 months at the helm, his time is over. We have gone back and looked as some of the biggest factors that led to this decision.
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The turning points that cost Shaun Wane his role of England head coach
World Cup Semi-Final defeat
Wane may have won 14 of his 19 matches, but of those five defeats, all of them came in the biggest games of his England career.
After losing his first game in charge to the Combined Nations All-Stars, Wane would go on a seven-game winning run, including mid-season games and warm-up fixtures, that was put to an abrupt end at the semi-final stage of the 2022 World Cup.
England crashed out to Samoa, who they beat convincingly in the opening group game, as they failed to even reach the final on home turf.
What makes the exit more disappointing is the fact England hadn’t played either Australia or New Zealand in the tournament, and wouldn’t have to until the final.
The biggest game of Wane’s England career was a defeat, and that was the first real sign that Wane wasn’t capable of handling it against the top countries in rugby league.
Poor Ashes selection
Following series wins over the Samoans and Tongans, things started to look positive for Wane and England, albeit they were both on home turf. Fast forward to the start of 2025, and England were preparing for their first Ashes series against Australia.
A series rich in history, England already were on the back foot given the gulf in quality, but Wane’s selections for the 24-man squad were another key part of his downfall.
Not only did his choices make him lose the trust of the fans, a trust that he never managed to regain, but it hampered England on the field, too.
The decision to not select Man of Steel Jake Connor was astounding, and picking the likes of George Williams and John Bateman who had struggled for form, certainly rose eyebrows.
Even within the 24-man squad, using Mikey Lewis at hooker and then full-back, when the Hull KR man is one of the best halves in the league, was another case of Wane shooting himself in the foot. Although, Wane can be partly forgiven for the latter position, given it was forced upon him through AJ Brimson’s injury.
Shambolic Ashes performances
On the back of some questionable selections, perhaps Wane would have brought back some credibility had the side he chose performed well. However, the opening Test at Wembley was nothing like what England were expected to do, as they suffered a 26-6 defeat, with the only try coming from Daryl Clark in the final five minutes.
Whilst the intensity at Everton and Headingley improved, the execution did not, and the results gave both England and their fans a reality check over where the national side are, and how far away they are from being able to compete with the Kangaroos, who themselves were nowhere near their best – something you’d expect them to be on home turf this Autumn.
Ultimately, the 3-0 defeat was the deciding factor in his exit, but England will now be under even more pressure, especially considering whoever the new coach is won’t get the chance to see the side in action before the opening group game of the World Cup against Tonga.
