As galling as it is to lose three games on home soil, this was an experience England needed before the World Cup. You cannot be among the world’s best unless you take on the world’s best.
There are certain factors that England will always struggle to overcome. Rugby league is a minority sport here, with 11 times more people playing it in Australia, where the popularity and exposure means far greater funding is on offer.
But there is also a mental block. Did England, who never led at any point during the three games of the series, ever really believe they could beat Australia?
England had better average completion and made more passes than Australia in the opening two games – but come the final whistle in game three, the Kangaroos had won by an aggregate score of 70-18 and scored 11 tries to two.
They showed their ability in flashes across all three games, and their performances improved as the series went on. But failure to take their chances, a hesitant attacking style – carry the ball to 10 metres out, then hope for the best – and regular individual errors in defence cost them dear.
And structural issues are also at play. Super League teams already play more domestic matches than those in Australia’s National Rugby League, and that is before the English league expands in 2026. And the games played in Australia, through the play-off system and hugely significant State of Origin matches, are generally of much higher quality.
“What happens commercially with Super League is out my hands, but the amount of and intensity of games we get is a problem,” said England coach Shaun Wane. “We will play 10 more games and then are expected to kill it at the World Cup next year.
“I need to have a conversation in the next few weeks about the direction we are going in, how to have these players prepare for World Cup next year.”
Wane, despite chants from the Leeds crowd that he will be “sacked in the morning”, says he is “absolutely” the man to lead England into the World Cup, so therefore is likely to be the man who must figure out how they beat Australia.
But the future of international rugby league – for Wane, for England and for the Ashes – is much less certain.
