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Is ex-Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane in the England frame?

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2020 5:00 pm
by josie andrews
Fresh candidates have emerged for the vacant England coaching role, Rugby Football League chief executive Ralph Rimmer has revealed.

Veteran Australian Wayne Bennett's contract ran out at the end of 2019 and, although he is said to be keen to continue in the role he began in 2016, he appears to be facing competition.

A decision will be made early in February when the RFL board receives a review of the ill-fated Great Britain Lions tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Former Wigan boss Shaun Wane, currently working part-time with the Scottish Rugby Union, is known to be keen on the England job, but Rimmer declined to confirm any names when he addressed the media at the RFL's season launch in Huddersfield on Monday.

"There's been a few (candidates), a mix," Rimmer said. "Any time the coaching posts come up at any of the four major nations, you would expect there to be a strong field of candidates that want to to take the role.

"So plenty of candidates have emerged."

Rimmer has been conducting the review alongside RFL rugby director Kevin Sinfield, who has maintained regular contact with Bennett.

"Kevin has been a huge part of the review," Rimmer said. "He is integral to the report that will finally be submitted.

“We're right on timetable, as we were. The board meeting is on February 6. The review will be completed and it will hit the table and some decisions will be made.

"We won't be keeping people waiting."

Bennett turned 70 on New Year's Day, but age is not a concern according to Rimmer, who says the appointment will take in the 2021 World Cup as well as this year's Ashes series.

"It's all about performance," he added. "As a part of this review, we've spoken to lots of externals, people who would have some value.

"We've spoken to everybody in the camp, asked them to do a survey so we get some feedback anonymously. By the time we get to the right place, it will be comprehensive."

Rimmer also said ticket sales for the Ashes series will be a consideration when it comes to appointing the head coach. Wane would be seen as a popular choice among fans.

"There will probably be some consideration made," he said. "But the primary concern is to win the World Cup in 2021 and it would be naive not to think that would have to be taken into consideration.

"The driving force at the moment is that the recommendation is this is the right person to win the World Cup in 2021."

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/is-ex- ... 1-10198761

Re: Is ex-Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane in the England frame?

Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2020 7:32 pm
by morley pie eater
I, for one, hope he is.

Re: Is ex-Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane in the England frame?

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:37 am
by moto748
So do I. Never wanted Bennett in the first place.

Re: Is ex-Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane in the England frame?

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 11:17 am
by Wigan_forever1985
I think Wane is made for the international role its all of his strengths that are needed.

Re: Is ex-Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane in the England frame?

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 5:57 pm
by Barney841
His skill set isn’t the best but the one thing he will be good at is getting the team up for it and buzzing. Could never fault his charisma

Re: Is ex-Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane in the England frame?

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 11:39 pm
by jobo
Barney841 wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 5:57 pm His skill set isn’t the best but the one thing he will be good at is getting the team up for it and buzzing. Could never fault his charisma
Skill set?

Re: Is ex-Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane in the England frame?

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 12:20 am
by Caboosegg
Barney841 wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 5:57 pm His skill set isn’t the best but the one thing he will be good at is getting the team up for it and buzzing. Could never fault his charisma

Wane was told to win trophies no matter what and he did just that with a constantly changing team. We had more churn than leeds and look how they have been doing since the had to handle change.

The Anti Wane brigade might disagree (and probably claim any good plays was players ignoring the game plan )but you dont achieve what he did without having the skillset of a good coach.

I still enjoy watching 2014 wigan, how anyone could say that team was boring is beyond me.

Re: Is ex-Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane in the England frame?

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 1:04 am
by Barney841
jobo wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 11:39 pm [quote=Barney841 post_id=472862 time=1579197474 user_id=840
His skill set isn’t the best but the one thing he will be good at is getting the team up for it and buzzing. Could never fault his charisma
Skill set?
[/quote]

I mean the way he set the team up, tactics wise.
Pretty robotic at times but effective

Re: Is ex-Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane in the England frame?

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:01 am
by moto748
We've got the apparently best coach in the world, but I haven't seen any magic woven; he has done no better than McNamara, if as well. Looking at the shambles of the last tour, it's a pretty low bar which I think Shaun Wane could clear no problem. (Yeah, I know that was the Lions, but still)

Re: Is ex-Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane in the England frame?

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:36 am
by DaveO
If Wane is in the frame then we are desperate.

He’d coach England the same way he coached Wigan and so the forwards would all be told to drop to the deck on contact for a quick PTB and the wingers told to make the yards in their own 20m.

It would take a half decent Aussie coach five minutes to suss this out and I think we’d get mullered.

Sure he’d have better players across the park but props like Graham and Burgess would be wasted.