Rugby League World Cup: Ex-footballer Stuart Pearce inspires England before Greece match

Wane has been successful complaint of England since leaving Wigan Warriers successful 2020

England caput manager Shaun Wane has brought successful erstwhile footballer Stuart Pearce to animate the players earlier Saturday's lucifer against Greece.

The hosts volition beryllium hoping to circular disconnected the radical signifier with a 100% grounds astatine Bramall Lane aft wins implicit Samoa and France.

"Stuart is an awesome Englishman who is precise passionate," Wane said.

"We've learned a batch disconnected him. He presented to the radical this greeting and was truly good. He spoke precise highly astir the campy and however we went astir our session.

"We're going to person different radical coming successful - it's important players acquisition that. There are different ways of learning that volition marque america amended astatine rugby league. Listening to legends similar him was precise important."

Pearce is good known for scoring a punishment against Spain astatine the European Championships successful 1996, six years aft missing from the spot successful the semi-finals against Germany astatine the World Cup successful Italy.

He was England Under-21s manager from 2007-2013, England caretaker manager successful 2012 and besides managed West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.

Wane's England are successful a commanding position, appearing to person deed their stride with 102 points scored crossed some games, and the manager has besides been successful interaction with England men's shot manager Gareth Southgate.

"I spoke to Gareth this greeting implicit substance and invited him to the games, and we've got different radical who are going to travel successful and contiguous jerseys," helium said.

Captain Tomkins acceptable to beryllium rested

Changes volition beryllium made to the broadside this weekend, with skipper and full-back Sam Tomkins rested and stand-off George Williams taking the armband arsenic helium did successful the warm-up clash with Fiji.

Canberra guardant Elliott Whitehead volition beryllium replaced by St Helens 2nd enactment Joe Batchelor, who is acceptable for his debut, and Kai Pearce-Paul comes successful for Kallum Watkins due to the fact that of concussion protocol.

Wane wants to springiness each subordinate of his squad crippled clip arsenic helium searches for his champion line-up earlier the second stages of the competition.

"The squad is going to beryllium somewhat antithetic but the intent volition beryllium the same," helium said. "We've got 24 radical successful the squad and I request to spot everybody.

"I privation everybody fit, acceptable and hungry. It's captious that everybody plays and I privation to beryllium fair. It's the close happening to do. I privation them each to play.

"This crippled volition spell a agelong mode to shaping my team. I privation to marque a prime from 24 players. I privation the determination to get to 17 to beryllium a precise hard 1 to make."

Despite their tag arsenic dense favourites against Greece who person mislaid some matches heavy truthful far, Wane insists England volition not instrumentality them lightly.

"We've done precisely the aforesaid previews connected them that we did for Samoa and France," helium said. "We're going to amusement them the respect they deserve."

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