Leeds Rhinos star throws support behind Shaun Wane following England's Ashes whitewash defeat
England centre Harry Newman has thrown his full support behind under-pressure head coach Shaun Wane, but admits the Ashes series has been an eye-opener for his side ahead of next year’s Rugby League World Cup.
Leeds Rhinos star Newman’s only appearance in this autumn’s three-game series against the Aussies came in the third and final Test at Headingley on Saturday afternoon.
By the time he stepped onto the field, the Kangaroos had already sewn the series up with comfortable victories in the first two Tests, at Wembley and Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson Stadium respectively.
And in the final Test, Kevin Walters’ side recorded their biggest winning margin, cantering to a 30-8 success thanks to 18 unanswered second half points.
‘He’s 100% the right man for the job’
After a 3-0 series whitewash defeat on home soil and the manner of the three losses, a heavy spotlight has been shone on the England side, and indeed the future of head coach Wane with a World Cup on the horizon in less than 12 months time.
But, despite the growing pressure on the boss, Newman – who made his international debut in 2023 – feels he is the right man to take England forward.
“100%,” he said when quizzed on Wane’s future post-match in Leeds.
“I can’t thank Waney enough. Since I came into that camp in 2023, he’s been great for me. He really took me under his wing.
“I’ve learned a lot from him and from a lot of the lads he’s picked. He’s 100% the right man for the job.
“We’ve had three tough results there (in the Ashes), but we’ll fix that up and go into the World Cup ready.”
‘If we’re going to win the World Cup, we’re going to have to beat them at some point’
This autumn, England scored just two tries across the three Ashes Tests, with one coming from a dummy-half dart and the other courtesy of a moment of magic from Hull KR hooker Jez Litten. Australia scored 11.
That stat is truly worrying when you also consider the opportunities England missed, too. At Wembley, they missed two clear-cut chances in the first-half alone, while also failing to convert extended periods of pressure into points in both Tests two and three.
Australia, on the other hand, were clinical. Tries didn’t just come in ones, they came in twos and sometimes even threes.
Kevin Walters’ side snatched two tries in five minutes to take the win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in the second Test, a feat which bettered their two tries in six minutes to kill off Test one at Wembley.
That trend again popped up at Headingley, too, with an 18-minute flurry of tries halting England’s comeback having fallen 12-0 behind. The series will serve as a harsh lesson for this England squad, something Newman is fully aware of.
“We’re going into a World Cup next year, and it’s probably an eye-opener for us,” he said.
“There’s a challenge ahead. If we’re going to win the World Cup, we’re going to have to beat them at some point.
“It’s been tough, getting beat 3-0, but it’s a learning curve and one we’ll look to put right.
“There’s been signs in all three Tests where we showed we can (compete with Australia), we could go with them and match them; but any switch off, then they pick you off. That’s what they’ve done.”
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