England coach Wayne Bennett insists his group are “doing things right” and are heading in the right direction ahead of this autumn’s World Cup as they prepare for their only game before the tournament this weekend.
The run-up to England’s clash with Samoa has been shrouded in controversy, with selection policies, streaming and a poor Four Nations last year all creating a somewhat sombre feel to this game.
However, Bennett says his players are on the right track.
“With England, things get hyped up about what they can and can’t win but we’re doing things right,” he said.
“We had a good Four Nations without winning anything or making the final but I still thought we did a lot of good things. We’ve been good this week and what I’m most pleased about is we’re heading in the right direction.
“We’re trying to make some things happen and it’s no good sitting at home dreaming about results. We’ve got to get out there, be in the middle of it and be committed to it and build a team that’s got the confidence to take the next step we all want to take.”
Bennett also believes his players can build some much-needed confidence during the game in Campbelltown on Saturday – which will be controversially streamed via the RFL’s website.
He said: “They can take a bit of confidence and a bit of belief that what we’re doing is right and that they can knock on the door come the World Cup.
“We want to bridge the gap not having been away from each other for 12 months and not having had a game and not getting little issues sorted. we want to hit the ground running in the World Cup knowing who can do what.”
