England boss Shaun Wane calls for extra time with players ahead of Ashes

SHAUN Wane has told Super League club chiefs he wants more time with England’s players as he works on when the Aussies come for the Ashes, not if.

And he has demanded technical developments from potential Test stars in domestic competition.

So far, no dates or venues have been confirmed for the three-Test showdown after a change of thinking by the Kangaroos – it was meant to be Down Under next year.

But national boss Wane, who has seen the mid-season match with France fall by the wayside, has called for extra sessions with his squad after seeing their development as they beat Samoa 2-0 this year on the back of last year’s 3-0 Tonga whitewash.

He said: “I’d rather do something. I spoke to all the owners and CEOs about getting them together and being with the players more often.

“Off feet, it would be every month and then, hopefully, two or three sessions when I can be on feet with them.

“I’ve been a head coach, so I know the pressures of that job – they have to win games. So I’ll be as gentle as I can but we can’t be in an Australia series not having been together.

“If we can have a couple of camps where the players can get some togetherness and we can work on what I feel is some very important skill, it’s better than nothing.

“And the way the squad developed during the last camp told me that if we can get them together more often, we’d be a lot better. We need to be.

“But while the last Super League season was very good, I want to see a few technical things from potential England players in 2025. If I see that in their games, I’ll be very happy.”

Wane has already scouted Australia and will watch individuals over the next NRL season as anticipation grows, including his own.

He added: “The Ashes are on. There are no confirmed dates yet but I think they’re a fair way down the track on confirming things.

“I’ve been asked my opinion on where the games will be. I’m not bothered, as long as we're playing Australia. It’s an Ashes series and I’ll be happy.

“We’ve just beaten two top five teams in a series. Tonga pushed Australia close in their game and their win in New Zealand put our 3-0 series win into context.

“It’ll be a massive shot in the arm for the game, a really uplifting series for the fans and a dream for me as coach. I was brought up on the Ashes series, so bringing it back is fantastic.

“Australia has showed us a lot of respect. We just need to make sure we give them a tough time when they come over.”