Ellery Hanley has backed England boss and former Wigan team-mate Shaun Wane to fashion a formidable challenge for World Cup glory this autumn.
Not since 1972 in France have the national side, in the guise of Great Britain, ruled the world but Hanley reckons Wane has enough talent at his disposal to potentially topple the likes of Australia and New Zealand.
Hanley was this week appointed as head coach of the Combined Nations All Stars who face England in a vital mid-season international on Saturday, June 18 at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Ex-Great Britain star Hanley, universally regarded as one of the greatest players of the modern era, said: “I think we've got enough personnel in the Super League to trouble any side and I think we've got the right man in place in Shaun Wane.
“I've known him for a number of years. I wouldn't say it if I didn’t mean it and I tell you in all honesty we have .
“He's brilliant in terms of that he's got that his expectation is high, his level is high with what he wants from the players and the standard he wants from the players.
“He was the same as a player and he's just moved over to the role in a tracksuit.
“I have the utmost respect for him and love him to bits but we're going to have a difficult torrid time when it comes to those 80 minutes in June.
“We know it's going to be a battle and neither of us is going to step aside whatsoever.
“But at the end of it we'll still respect each other forever simply because we've been in the trenches together as foot soldiers and we know what to expect from each other.
“So there will be no surprises from me and there were no surprises to me from the squad he named yesterday.
“He's picked the players he thinks can challenge for the World Cup so it should be a really wonderful contest.”
Wane, meanwhile, said he was impressed with the performance of Leeds Rhinos winger Ash Handley during his team’s win at Wakefield Trinity on Thursday.
Handley scored a hat-trick of tries in a week when he was left out of the latest England squad.
Wane said: “Was I impressed with Ash Handley? Yes, and a few more players. Tom Johnstone played well too.
“There were some good performances, absolutely. But I just need to see it every week.”
Hanley, meanwhile, said he was relishing the prospect of taking on England and insisted he had never lost touch with the game.
The 60-year-old added: “You have got to understand that some people talk about being complex but actually I’m very simple in terms of when I say I’ve never been away from coaching.
“When I watch a game - and I’ve probably seen 90 per cent of the games since I retired - I’m still coaching in terms of speaking to individual players and going into to see them collectively at different organisations.
“So I don't believe at any stage that I have stopped coaching.”
Hanley took centre stage at today’s press conference at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, and Wane admitted: “I’ve not done many pressers where somebody else has got the heat.. all the questions are for him!
“Ellery’s an old friend of mine and we go back a long, long way.
“We’ve had some success at Wigan and that’s what your game does: it creates friendships because you are in a tough place when you play professional rugby league.
“And we’ve been there. We’ve been in the trenches. It’s been hard work. And you end up getting respect.
“The last time I saw Ellery was in Barcelona a few years ago (May 2019) and I see him again now and you just have that automatic friendship and respect, like you do all our Wigan team-mates.
“I’m really looking forward to it. I know how competitive he is and I am. He knows me really well.”
Wane admitted last year’s defeat to the All Stars – then coached by Tim Sheens – on his England coaching debut had left him devastated.
Wane added: “I am still hurting from last year’s game. I didn’t like losing that game and wanted to win this one.
“It’s got the makings of two really good teams going at it, the players will be fresh and into each other and it's going to stand us in good stead for the World Cup.”
