Wayne Bennett’s side were beaten by Australia at the weekend and again miss out on a Four Nations final – with little prospect of improvement if the status quo is maintained“It’s an easier job than I thought it would be,” admitted Wayne Bennett with perhaps the most surprising comment following yet another failure for England at international level. And that is what it was: failure. Hope sprang eternal for English rugby league fans with Bennett and Sam Burgess heading up a brave new era. Ultimately, it was the same old result.Has Bennett taken England backwards? Are England in a stronger position to win the World Cup than they were 12 months ago? Can rugby league’s “master coach” inspire a turnaround...
The belief that England could defeat Australia for the first time since 1995 was crushed by the way the Kangaroos easily outsmarted and overpowered Wayne Bennett’s sideIt’s the hope that hurts the most. The anticipation and the creeping belief that England can finally knock off Australia, rugby league’s answer to the all-conquering All Blacks.Even with the return of the talismanic Sam Burgess and the appointment of the master coach Wayne Bennett, with nearly half of their team now playing in the elite NRL competition and not on home shores in Super League, they have again fallen agonisingly short. Related: Australia simply too good as England denied place in Four Nations final Continue reading...
The Kangaroos’ 14-8 win over New Zealand was their fourth under the experienced coach as they took another step towards the Four Nations titleBarring a huge upset against England in London next weekend, Australia have booked their place in the Four Nations final with a 14-8 victory over New Zealand.Who can stop this Australia side? Since Mal Meninga has come on board theKangaroos have romped to four straight wins, three over the Kiwis and one overminnows Scotland. They have racked up 110 points and conceded just 26 in anumber of dominant performances in both hemispheres. Related: Australia defy New Zealand grandstand finish for Four Nations triumph Continue reading...
Five teams have featured as the ‘fourth nation’ in the tournament without any managing a win but Scotland will benefit by playing England and the sport should give smaller nations more regular opportunitiesWhen Scotland take to the field in Coventry on Saturday to face England in the Four Nations – a sentence that would have been barely computable in rugby league circles a few years ago – it is not only their winless run in the tournament they are trying to end as the sport breaks new ground in the Midlands.Since the Tri-Nations was extended to a four-team tournament in 2009, five teams have taken part alongside the traditional big three of Australia, New Zealand and England – but France,...