COLUMN: England's performance, Wigan's departures and rugby league's best kept secret

Coach Wane was pleased with how his side battled a star-studded opposition, led by former Saints boss Kristian Woolf, but admitted he knew there were plenty of improvements to come.

The England squad had only trained twice together ahead of the tie at the Totally Wicked Stadium, with the game marking the first in weeks for the NRL players in John Bateman, Victor Radley, Elliott Whitehead and Tom Burgess.

That long break looked to have an impact, with loose forward and Sydney Roosters star Radley leaving the field after 25 minutes but not before assisting the game’s first for Wigan loanee Toby King.

Prop Burgess shone in the middle against a big opposition pack, while ex-Wigan back-rower Bateman had a quiet game, although to his credit, he undergoes a lot of unnoticed work. It could also be the last time we see Whitehead on the international stage with club coach Ricky Stuart having previously strongly indicated that 2024 could be the last of his illustrious rugby league career.

Harry Smith once again controlled the tempo of the game with his management and kicking game, allowing Mikey Lewis to utilise his running threat, which led up to the opening four-pointer, while the Hull KR star also crossed on his international debut for England’s second.

Even more pleasing was his post-match interview on the BBC, with the 22-year-old unable to contain his emotions following a proud day for him and his family.

There’s a lot of questions over players and their choice to not represent England, something captain George Williams somewhat questioned himself during a media day in the lead-up to the series, admitting he would never not put his hand up - legend Sam Tomkins always insisted the same, too. But seeing how much the game meant to Lewis shows that playing for your country is still the pinnacle to some, as it should be, with the future looking brighter than ever for the international game with a confirmed calendar up until the delayed 2026 World Cup.

For the Warriors, coach Matt Peet somehow managed to keep a secret in rugby league with the unexpected announcement of Sam Eseh from relegated Wakefield Trinity.

The 20-year-old prospect was voted Championship’s Young Player of the Year in 2022 following stints with Featherstone and Barrow, and could hardly contain his pride and excitement in joining the champions when speaking about the move.

Additionally, and with all due respect, it was no surprise to see that Cade Cust and Iain Thornley had their departures confirmed earlier in the week.

Chief executive Kris Radlinski paid tribute to the pair and their character when left out of the first team, both having featured in the reserves Grand Final win over St Helens.

Cust played an influential part in 2022 and was just unlucky not to play more games this year following the successful experiment that saw Bevan French moved into the halves.

Thornley, who became Daryl Powell’s first signing at Wakefield for next season, started at centre in the 2022 Challenge Cup win over Huddersfield and departs having made special memories for the supporters during their day at the fantastic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.