There are several factors being considered for England and Great Britain coach Wayne Bennett’s future, according to RFL rugby director Kevin Sinfield.
Bennett has seen over a disappointing autumn. His Great Britain side has lost three test matches in a row and England missed out on the final in the Nines World Cup.
However, since his appointment in 2016, the NRL veteran coach led England to a World Cup Final in 2017 and a series win against New Zealand a year later.
“I think we wait until the end of the series [to decide],” Sinfield said.
He told the Radio 5 Live Rugby League Podcast: “That dialogue has started and been ongoing for some time.
“What’s important is, Wayne is here as Great Britain head coach, but we should really take into account his performances as England head coach when we decide what happens over the next couple of years.
“He got us to a World Cup final, we won the Test series last year against the Kiwis, and although there is disappointment this time with GB, it’s important to understand the changes and the transition that has happened.”
One of the mitigating factors that Sinfield mentions is the injuries suffered by the Lions ahead of this tour.
“Look at this series and the players that are missing,” he added. “There’s Sean O’Loughlin, Sam Burgess, James Roby, Luke Gale, Kallum Watkins, Tommy Makinson, Mark Percival. There’s a handful there of top international players – our pool is getting bigger and better.
“If you take that quality out of any national team, they’re going to struggle. The Aussies and Kiwis have real strength in depth, we’re building towards that but we’re still a way off.”
The tour ends with a match against Papua New Guinea on Saturday.
