Shaun Wane was five years old the last time a British team deprived Australia of the rugby league Ashes, which illustrates the size of the task facing his England side at Wembley on Saturday as they begin their daunting quest to make up for almost a lifetime of hurt.
The head coach has spoken all week of the danger of underestimating his England side but the statistics are all too evident: the last time they – then Great Britain – raised the famous trophy was with a 28-7 win in the decisive third match in Sydney in 1970, thanks to a match-winning try from Roger Millward.
Hopes of wresting the Ashes back earlier have been hampered by everything from false promises to pandemics, but the scarcity of both the opportunity and that winning feeling is perhaps why Wane’s class of ’25 would regard success – first at Wembley, then at Everton and Leeds over the ensuing fortnight – as the pinnacle of their careers.
“I dreamt of playing in games like this as a kid,” said captain George Williams, the Warrington half-back who has won two Super League Grand Finals, a World Club Challenge and a Challenge Cup title, but is clear where he would rank a history-making moment against the Australians.
Williams added: “I’ve been fortunate enough to win Grand Finals but this feels a little bit more special. If we could get this Ashes series win, it would 100 per cent top my Grand Final wins. It would be a great stepping stone and give us a lot of belief to go on and win the World Cup.”
Australia last succumbed to a British side in 2006 and head to Wembley as the double defending world champions, head coach Kevin Walters having had his pick of players from the flagship NRL, a league that continues to outstrip Super League on every conceivable scale.
But successive series wins over Tonga and Samoa over the last two autumns has kept Wane’s men ticking over, and after a Super League season which has underlined the ascendency of new stars, not least Williams’ likely half-back partner Mikey Lewis, he is understandably upbeat about England’s chances of success.
“They have the title as the best team in the world and rightly so with what they’ve done over a long period of time, but we’re on the rise,” added Williams.
“People are quick to forget what we’ve done over the last couple of years. A lot of people were talking about Samoa when we played them and we beat them. A lot of people were saying we couldn’t beat Tonga and we beat them.
“Don’t get me wrong, we know how good Australia are. If we’re being honest, it’s a superior competition to Super League, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have enough players within ours to match them. They’re human just like us and this group is ready.”
Much responsibility will fall on Lewis, fresh from leading Hull KR to their historic domestic treble last season, much of it forged in the shadow of the main stand at Craven Park, named for the architect of that 1970 triumph who made almost 400 career appearances for his beloved Rovers.
Lewis is likely to get a chance to write his own name in both Hull KR and England history with a starting berth after being preferred to Wigan’s Harry Smith, who had started every game since the 2022 World Cup under Wane but who was one of five players axed from his final 19-man squad on Thursday.
“Mikey’s had a great year,” added Williams. “He’s been brilliant. He’d bring some unpredictability and his kicking game has come on leaps and bounds over the last couple of years. He’ll be full of confidence – winning the Grand Final makes you feel 10 feet tall. Hopefully he’ll go to 12 feet on Saturday.”
