England coach Shaun Wane is collaborating with his football counterpart Gareth Southgate as the pair prepare for their respective World Cups later this year.
Southgate, who became England manager in 2016 and took his charges to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and European Championship final in 2020, was a guest when Wane, at the helm since 2020, got his elite training squad together in Manchester recently.
And the 51-year-old former England player (he won 57 caps) is due to attend England’s opening World Cup game against Samoa at St James’ Park, Newcastle on Saturday, October 15.
Wane is aiming to take his side to the final at Old Trafford, Manchester on Saturday, November 19, two days before football’s World Cup gets underway in Qatar.
“Gareth sat through the meeting and we were the last to leave the hotel,” said Wane, whose side will tune up with a match against the Combined Nations All Stars at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium on Saturday, June 18.
“He had lots of questions. I can see why he’s a successful manager; his thirst for learning is very much like mine.
“Gareth is going to get involved with other sessions and come to games in the World Cup.
“He loves his Rugby League and he loves his sport. He spoke very well to the players.
“He sent me a long message the day after about what he got from the meeting, which was really impressive.
“We’re going to bring in many more speakers. It’s always a good message for players to hear about other sports and other ideas how to make things better.”
Wane revealed that he will sound out Newcastle Knights’ former Huddersfield winger Dom Young about the possibility of playing for England.
And he says Brisbane Broncos’ Lancashire-born centre Herbie Farnworth is back in his thoughts after being dropped from his elite squad last year for failing to meet standards off the pitch.
Wane will check up on Australian-based England players when he heads to Brisbane for the NRL’s Magic Weekend at the Suncorp Stadium between May 13-15.
On the suggestion he should ask St Helens hooker James Roby to reconsider his retirement from international action, he said: “His form is fantastic, but he’s made his decision and I probably wouldn’t like to interfere with that unless he approached me.”
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