Jake Wardle has won it all with Wigan Warriors, but insists representing England against Australia in The Ashes is the pinnacle: and isn’t willing to let the series slip away without a fight.
Warriors centre Wardle earned just his second Test cap for England last weekend at Wembley as the first Rugby League Ashes Series in 22 years got underway.
The game itself didn’t go England’s way, beaten 26-6 under the arch on a day where the lasting tagline was the truth in that the Kangaroos ‘didn’t see the best’ of the hosts.
Wardle and his international colleagues will spend the week preparing intensely for this weekend’s second Test at Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, analysing what went wrong in the opening clash with the Aussies and attempting to put things right.
‘It’s the pinnacle of your career to play for your country’
Despite things not going to plan in the capital, Wardle says pulling on his country’s shirt in such an occasion is the moment every player dreams of: him included.
Speaking to the media – including LoveRugbyLeague – on Monday afternoon at England‘s training base in Manchester, the 25-year-old said: “For me personally, I think it’s the top.
“It’s the pinnacle of your career to play for your country, and to do it against the best in Australia at Wembley, a big occasion and everything like that, I’ve got to rank it at the top.
“The result wasn’t what we wanted, but the whole occasion and experience of that, I’d put it at the top.
“The motivation is that Australia are ranked number one and you want to test yourself against the best.
“The group of lads we’ve got here, we all want to test ourselves against the best players and I think that’s the motivation there. We all strive to be the best versions of ourselves and I think that’s the big thing.”
England head into Saturday’s second Test on Merseyside knowing a win is essential to keep the series alive ahead of what could be the decider at Headingley on November 8.
Wardle stressed just how much Shaun Wane’s squad are embracing the challenge and focussing on putting their plans into practice, saying: “It’s do or die this week really, isn’t it?”
“Obviously if we lose, we’ve lost the series, so you’ve got to put it to the back of your mind and focus on the next job. For us, that’s starting in training and fine-tuning a lot of things, so hopefully we can put it into practice on Saturday and hopefully get the win.
“I think that’s where the (first) game was… they managed to nail their big moments, and we didn’t, unfortunately.
“There’s plenty for us to work on, and that’s a good thing. It would be worrying if there wasn’t much to work on and the scoreline was what it was.
“he fact we’ve got so much to work on this week, we don’t need to overcomplicate things either, but just make sure we nail those moments.”
‘When Waney rang me saying there was an opportunity for me to play, it was one I knew I couldn’t miss’
Halifax native Wardle first donned an England shirt against the Combined Nations All Stars in June 2022, and then earned a first Test cap the following April against France.
That was the last time we’d seen him on the international stage until last Saturday though having been disrupted by injury for the lat couple of years. But for the centre, he insists that makes the opportunity of going up against the best in the world even sweeter.
He explained: “Obviously it’s been a bit frustrating over the last couple of years, having to get surgery at the end of the year.
“When Waney rang me saying there was an opportunity for me to play, it was one I knew I couldn’t miss… the opportunity to play against Australia and test yourself against the best.
“Thankfully, I was in a position where my body was holding up and I didn’t need anything done in the off-season, so as soon as Waney gave me the phone call, I was over the moon and just wanted to put my best foot forward.”
There’s a World Cup to come Down Under for England next autumn, but for Wardle, it’s all about the present.
There’s no thought of the World Cup or even 2026 as a whole, his focus is on helping England bounce back so that this Ashes Series isn’t over without a fight.
He said: “Every opportunity to represent your country is a massive occasion. For me personally, I’m not really thinking about the World Cup right now.
“My job here is to try to help my country get a series win against Australia in The Ashes. Obviously if everything goes to plan and I play well, whether that helps me to get selected for the World Cup or not, it’s not in my hands.
“For me right now, it’s just about being as good as I can this week.”
