ENGLAND will have no mid-season game ahead of next year’s World Cup.

Following England’s dismal showing in the recent Ashes series against Australia – in which Shaun Wane’s men went down 3-0 – there have been calls for increased preparation.

Not only was no international scheduled beforehand, but the team didn’t hold a single training session together until after the domestic season finished.

Coach Wane said earlier this month: “We don’t get together until the start of the World Cup and we’re expected to do something.

“I’m not moaning about it because that’s a fact – nobody can argue that’s not the way it is. If they want us to be better, we need to be together.”

Despite a mid-season Test against Papua New Guinea being mooted by their coach Jason Demetriou, given the expanded contingent of Kumuls set to ply their trade in the northern hemisphere next season, as well as France also having a World Cup to prepare for, no space has been allocated in the Super League schedule.

Rugby League Commercial managing director Rhodri Jones said: “There are no spare weekends in the calendar.

“There are, however, some weekends in Super League where there are no games on a Sunday.

“So there is the potential opportunity for squad gatherings on Sunday afternoons or Monday mornings.

“But in terms of actual fixtures, there is no space in the calendar.

“Shaun’s been quite vocal that, whether he was the coach or someone else had that opportunity, he felt the team really needed a mid-season Test going into a World Cup.

“The risk would be England going into that tournament with one hand tied behind their back in that sense.”