The first of England’s two-match Test series takes place on Sunday, and head coach Shaun Wane has given his pre-match thoughts to the media:
“I just want to say thank you to Ben [Gardiner] and Samoa Rugby League for coming over and for us being able to get these games on. We are very grateful, and we do appreciate it,” Wane said.
“I’m excited and I love my job of coaching my own country, England, – it’s something that I am really proud of, and I loved the series against Tonga last year.
“The chance to play against a nation like Samoa in grounds like Wigan and Leeds - I’m really looking forward to it. We know how talented Samoa are – they’ve got some unbelievable talent in their team and are a great team to play against.”
Wane has selected a 24-strong squad to take on Samoa, whittled down from an initial 31-man performance group, but this wasn’t without plenty of selection headaches.
He also spoke about some of the players he is looking forward to working with over the next two weeks, including uncapped Junior Nsemba and Liam Marshall, who could make their senior England debuts this autumn, and the return of NRL stars, Victor Radley and Dom Young:
“There were some close choices I had to make to pick the 24-man squad. I’ll be honest, it was difficult.
“But we're very confident with the 24-man squad. I know what these players are like when they get into camp and the spirit they have.
“There’s no club allegiance and they all get behind the England badge. I know it’s going to be a fantastic few weeks.
“There’s a good chance that both Nsemba and Marshall could play. Nsemba’s form for Wigan has been standout.
“His ball carrying is as good as anybody, so he's still only a kid. He's still learning his trade and I think being in the camp with people like Chris Hill and seasoned professionals will do him the world of good and he'll get a taste of Test rugby in the next few weeks.
“Victor Radley brings everything. He buys into our English culture and fits in. He's really popular with the lads and they all speak very highly of him and he trains so hard. He standards are so high. As soon as I knew he was fit to play, I wanted to get him on a plane and get him over. He brings that much.
“Dom brings a lot of excitement and he’s a great player. The fact we missed him last year makes it more exciting for all England fans to come out and watch him play this Sunday.
“He’s an unbelievable talent. He’s a great lad and the way he managed himself with illness last year – he was gutted he couldn’t come and play for us against Tonga. It was a testing time for everybody, but I'm looking forward to seeing him this weekend.
“I'm very confident in the team we've picked and the squad we’ve got, and this Test series has got the making of two teams really going at it and ripping it into each other. May the best team win!”
But Wane knows his England side have a tough challenge awaiting them on Sunday, and that a star-studded Samoa are not to be taken lightly:
“Samoa’s talent in the team is immense and they were the better team in the World Cup Semi-Final, but I think we've improved from that.
“Our bond and our togetherness have improved. I think we've got better, and I think this this series will be an improvement on last year.
“I was really pleased with win over Tonga last year. I was obsessed about getting that to be a 3-0 victory, but this with Samoa is going to be special.”
Similarly, Wane’s opposite number, Ben Gardiner, also commented on his delight to come over and compete against England for this year’s Test series:
“It was important to get these games on and we're very happy to be here. We'd like to thank the English Rugby League for the invite to come and play the two Test match series.
“I think any country having an opportunity to play against the country such as England and the experience and the history and the game - I think it's a great thing for us to come here as a smaller nation to be able to put our wares out in some of the biggest games that we could possibly play.
“We were welcomed with open arms which is brilliant so it's really great to play here and we're really excited to play at two of the most historical grounds in England.
“It’s two great grounds to play two great test matches and it’s between two nations who are very strong and very proud. We are very, very excited.”
“International Rugby League games are the peak of rugby league so to be able to play against the nation like England in England, it's a great opportunity for us and our small nation. To be able to come over here and test ourselves and bring our players together – we’re looking forward to these two matches and looking forward to the World Cup in 2026 and trying to build towards that.”
The sides last met in the latest World Cup in 2022, with Wane’s team crushing their opponents 60-6 in the opening match, before Samoa enacted a brutal revenge in the Semi-Final – claiming a dramatic 21-20 victory in Golden Point extra-time.
Gardiner admitted that this, along with the World Cup as a whole, was a sensational spectacle, but is focused on looking ahead:
“We're not really worried about what happened in 2022. They were all brilliant games, and the World Cup Semi-Final was a game of great excitement for both teams.
“But now we're here to play this Test match series. We've got two great Test matches to play – and it’s going to be two very different sides to what played in 2022.
“We’ve got a number of debutants and England will have got a few debutants, so it’s a great opportunity for both groups to show where they're at right now, and that's what we're planning on doing.
“It’s going to be a good challenge!”
The full press conference can be found here.
England v Samoa's first Test will take place on Sunday 27 October at The Brick Community Stadium in Wigan (K.O. 2.30pm), followed by the second Test at AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds, on Saturday 2 November (K.O. 2.30pm).
Both will be televised by BBC Sport domestically and on SuperLeague+ overseas.
Have you got your tickets yet?
Tickets for the England v Samoa two-game Test series are available to buy now at rugby-league.com/tickets with prices starting per test match from £25 Adults and £12.50 Under 16s.
The new England RL shirt can also be purchased now from Oxen’s Elite Pro Sports online store.
