Wane: "We are going to use these get-togethers to make sure we nail this Ashes series."
Monday 3 February 2020 19:36, UK
Shaun Wane has targeted Ashes and World Cup glory after being named the new head coach of the England men's rugby league team.
The former Wigan Warriors boss takes over from Australian Wayne Bennett, having spent the last year working as high-performance coach for Scottish Rugby.
Wane will have to lift the English players who were part of a dreadful Great Britain Pacific tour in October and November 2019, that saw them lose all four matches they played, bookended by defeats to a Tonga Invitational side and Papua New Guinea.
But Wane is in confident mood after signing a two-year contract that will take in this year's home Ashes series, as well as the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, also on home soil.
When asked what his goals were in his new role, Wane told Sky Sports News: "Winning it, if I'm honest. I don't mean that in an arrogant way and I don't mean that to be disrespectful to other nations.
"But winning it is the only thing and we've got the players. I have no doubt that if we buy into it the players will have the information they need to be very good.
"When I do get the players in I need to make sure that the information they get is very crisp and they understand when they are leaving what we need to do beat the big teams in these tournaments.
"It's about being smart and making sure less [time with the players] is more. They just want some key elements on how we are going to win these games.
"We are going to use these get-togethers to make sure we nail this Ashes series."
First, Wane must make sure the English contingent that formed part of the disastrous tour of Oceania regain the confidence needed to beat the best countries in the world and secure silverware for their country.
"It's important, no question about that, but they're all mentally tough and I am coaching the best from the best," added Wane.
"You just need to be smart and you don't need to make lots of changes. I have my own style of coaching.
"I'm different to what they've had in the past and it's just about instilling that information in the players.
"We are all in it together and we want to win this Ashes series and we want to go into the World Cup next year in a really positive way."
Wane must do without the experience of former England captain Kevin Sinfield, however, after he announced he will step down from his role as head of the England performance unit with immediate effect.
Former Leeds Rhinos player Sinfield was a strong supporter of outgoing head coach Bennett but Wane insisted he must look to the future and a new era for the England side.
"I don't know the exact reasons and I need to go into detail of what exactly the job entails," said Wane.
"Kevin is a good friend of mine and he's chosen to step away and I respect him for that.
"I am a forward thinker and we need to move on and get the next person in whom is going to improve us - who's next and who's the best."
