Club structure killing us, admits Wane

RUGBY LEAGUE Shaun Wane admits England's hopes of bridging the gap to Australia in time for next year’s rugby league World Cup are being hampered by a club-driven domestic structure.

- 

The 61-year-old head coach cut a defiant figure in the wake of his side's Ashes wipeout at Headingley on Saturday, insisting he remains the right man to lead the team Down Under.

But his pleas for fewer, higher quality fixtures have fallen on deaf ears after Super League owners pushed through a controversial expansion to 14 clubs from the start of the 2026 topflight campaign.

Wane said: “They (Australia) are playing State of Origin games, they're playing finals and less games, so they're very intense games that they play, and not as many.