Jonny Lomax says St Helens will draw on relative adversity and relish their unfamiliar role as underdogs when they kick off the new Betfred Super League season next week.

Saints saw their four-year reign end in a play-off semi-final defeat to Catalans Dragons in October, and will lose their status as world club champions to either Wigan or Penrith.

The 33-year-old Lomax, who was confirmed as his club’s new captain earlier this month, will also be leading Saints into something of the unknown this year following the retirement of talismanic hooker James Roby after 551 appearances.

But Lomax, the obvious choice to step into Roby’s shoes, believes the unusual situation will bring out the best in a club that had grown accustomed to both starting and finishing the season on top of the pile.

“Last season still hurts but having had the pressure of chasing more titles released in some ways, there’s a new excitement and a hunger to go out and chase it again,” Lomax told the PA news agency.

“It’s a nice tag being champions, but now someone else has to wear that and take the added pressure and scrutiny that comes with it.

“When you are winning all the time we are never satisfied. If we’d won the title last season we’d have wanted number six then number seven. When you’re chasing something, it really makes you appreciate the ups and downs that get you there.”

Lomax is better placed than most to acknowledge the difficulties of sustaining a career at the pinnacle of the sport.

He overcame a life-threatening head injury as a teenager, after which doctors told him he would never play again, plus three serious ACL surgeries that left him contemplating retirement.

Lomax admits that none of those setbacks were far from his mind when he was asked to replace Roby as captain by head coach Paul Wellens last month.

“I was a little bit taken aback and emotional when I was given the task,” he admitted.

“The good is never without the bad. We see the bad as something we want to push away, but the reality is that that’s where you learn the most – the good habits, the good practice, the resilience and desire to keep showing up.

“It’s probably more about the down moments. They make the highs feel sweeter, and they have probably shaped me into the person who others see as having the right mindset to lead by example.”

There were few higher points for Lomax than their stunning world club win over Penrith in Sydney a year ago, when half-back partner Lewis Dodd converted a golden point drop goal.

And the pain of seeing that title slip from their grasp – potentially into the hands of their Lancashire rivals – at the DW Stadium later this month, is evident for a player who signed for Saints as a 14-year-old in 2005.

But he believes the way in which Penrith responded to the crushing disappointment of their loss to Saints by going on to retain their NRL title last season provides a blueprint for a similar revival.

“To see Penrith go on and win it (the NRL) after that, and to see how that disappointment really drove them on, is a lesson for us,” added Lomax, who is anticipating Wigan’s crack at the Australian champions with mixed emotions.

“In some ways I hope they (Wigan) win,” he smiled. “The NRL is the pinnacle competition, certainly from a financial perspective, but at the same time I think we are guilty of downplaying our own competition a bit.

“We should be proud of the competition and the players we’ve got here. There are players who are certainly good enough to go to the NRL but for whatever reason they might not want to. I think we should champion ourselves a bit more.”

Huddersfield have signed England international and former NRL winner Tom Burgess on a three-year deal from the start of the 2025 campaign.

The 31-year-old forward has made more than 200 appearances for South Sydney Rabbitohs since 2013, winning the title and featuring in his side’s World Club Challenge triumph over St Helens in 2015.

Burgess has also made 33 appearances for England, and played in their 2017 World Cup final defeat against Australia.

Burgess, who started his career with Bradford, told Huddersfield’s official website: “There is no mistake in what I want to do over in England, I want to come over there and win silverware.

“I’m not coming back to make up numbers or finish my career. I never got there with Bradford, we had a good side back in those early days, but we never pushed through into the play-offs and made a go of it.

“So that’s one thing I look for in a club, I want to get there, I want to get to those finals and bring silverware back to where it should be, the birthplace of rugby league”.

Burgess follows his brother Sam, whose role as assistant coach at South Sydney was terminated last year and subsequently took on his first head coach role at Super League rivals Warrington.

Huddersfield struggled in last season’s Super League, finishing ninth, and Burgess’ impending arrival will be seen as a significant and long-term statement of intent.

The Giants have already made seven new signings for the 2024 season, which begins later this month, including three players – Adam Clune, Jack Murchie and Thomas Deakin – from Australia.

Huddersfield head coach Ian Watson said: “This is a huge transfer, not just for the Giants, but for Super League and the game in general.

“With the stature of Thomas and what he’s achieved in his career to be consistently one of the best front-rowers within the game, we’re absolutely delighted for him to become a Giant in 2025.”

Live Super League games will be shown on the BBC for the first time as part of a three-year deal struck between the broadcaster and Rugby League Commercial.

The BBC will show a total of 15 live games during the 2024 campaign – starting with Wigan’s trip to Castleford on February 17 – and the World Club Challenge between Wigan and Penrith the following week, both of which will be on BBC Two.

RL Commercial’s managing director Rhodri Jones said: “This is a landmark agreement for Rugby League. Securing live free-to-air coverage on the BBC for the Super League competition as part of this reimagined partnership, means there will be more visibility than ever before.”

The BBC will also continue to broadcast at least one Challenge Cup match from each round, culminating in the Wembley final on June 8, along with games in the women’s and wheelchair competitions.

The deal effectively replaces the previous two-year deal with Channel 4, which expired at the end of last season.

Sky Sports extended and expanded its own deal with Super League in October, which will see every match covered live via a combination of Sky Sports channels and the company’s new streaming platform, Super League Plus.

 Rugby League Jamaica successfully concluded its ninth National Division II competition on at the UWI Mona Bowl. Once more, the eight-team competition saw cross-town rivals Duhaney Park Firestorm and Washington Boulevard Bulls battle for supremacy after previously getting past Liguanea Dragons and Mona Pelicans, respectively, in the semi-finals the week before.

The Firestorm emerged champions with a narrow 16-10 win. The final was a defensive battle throughout as both teams found it difficult to score. With a minute to go and the score locked at 10-all, it took a massive defensive stop by the Firestorm to secure victory.

Bulls was in possession and threatening to score. However, Oshane Edie was bundled into touch. At the restart, Javian Bryan broke free for the Firestorm and sprinted 80 metres to score under the posts to seal the win for the champs.

Other try scorers for the Firestorm were Akel Johnson and Akeem Murray, while Kemoy Whyte kicked two goals. For the Bulls, tries came from Racheed Pencle and Shawayne Collins, while Shamoy Stewart kicked a goal.

Commenting on the competition Director of Rugby Romeo Monteith said, “It was a great competition, one of the most competitive to date with very close scores in most of the games. The Firestorm have proven their resilience one more and congrats to them. One of the highlights for us is the high number of players aged between 18-23 that participated. This is really our target audience for this Division, and we see some fantastic athletes coming through.”

The player of the match in the men’s Super League Grand Final will be presented with the Rob Burrow Award from this year onwards.

The new prize will replace the Harry Sunderland Trophy, which had been presented to the most influential player in all 26 Grand Finals since 1998 and was previously used in Championship and Premiership finals.

The change was announced on Wednesday by the game’s commercial management board, Rugby League Commercial, and the award’s organisers, the Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters Association.

Former Leeds, England and Great Britain scrum-half Burrow won eight Super League titles and was the first player in the summer era to win the Harry Sunderland Trophy twice, in 2007 and 2011.

He is now a passionate campaigner and fundraiser for people with motor neurone disease – a condition with which he was diagnosed in 2019 – and was awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours list.

RLWBA chair Trevor Hunt, who is also serving as the vice-president of the Rugby Football League, said: “After long and serious consideration, we believe that now is the right time to make a change that brings the award recognition into the new era.

“I am certain that rugby league players and supporters will agree that the name of Rob Burrow is a fitting one to recognise.”

Two other two-time winners of the previous trophy, Burrow’s former Leeds team-mates Kevin Sinfield and Danny McGuire, have been invited to present the new award at this year’s Grand Final at Old Trafford on October 14.

The 2024 Betfred Super League season begins on Thursday, February 15 with a derby between Hull and Hull KR.

Adrian Lam is determined to prove Leigh’s stunning 2023 season was no fluke.

Fuelled by an off-field rebranding campaign, the promoted Leopards not only charged up the Super League table on their top-flight return but dramatically won the Challenge Cup for the first time in 52 years.

After spending most of the summer era toiling in the lower tiers – with just three fleeting single-season campaigns in Super League amid numerous financial crises – it marked an extraordinary turnaround.

The challenge now for their dynamic former Wigan coach Lam is to prove it was no flash in the pan, as he fears many people suspect.

“I think people underestimated us last year,” said Lam, who was named coach of the year after following up cup success with a fifth-placed finish.

“I think people probably still doubt that we can do it and potentially feel that we may have got lucky, so we’ve still got a few people to prove wrong.

“We’re aware that it’s going to be that little bit harder because everyone’s aware of us.

“But we’ve added 10 new players to the group and hopefully they can bring something to us, while we’ve not lost many. We’ve just got to believe really, and have that consistency.”

Lam is pleased with how his squad has been rejigged over the winter. While a host of new faces have arrived, a core of key players including Dream Team entrants John Asiata, Robbie Mulhern, Josh Charnley, Edwin Ipape and the coach’s son Lachlan Lam have all been retained.

Among the new signings is former Penrith and Cronulla playmaker Matt Moylan, a one-cap Australia international, who looks set to play alongside Lam junior in the halves.

Lam senior said: “I think the new players that have come in are definitely better players, to add to the squad and to make us better.

“That’s all really exciting. We’ve just got to make sure that we gel off the field. By doing that we get the trust on the field.

“I think that the goal will be to finish higher than we did last year, so that would be in the top four.

“I think that’s a realistic goal but it’s going to take a lot of hard work. We’re aware of that but we’re a club that’s on the up and we want to show that’s what we’re capable of.”

The Leopards, who beat Warrington 28-12 in a pre-season friendly last weekend, begin their Super League campaign when they host Huddersfield on February 16.

Resilience and evolution will underpin Leeds’ bid to reassert their once-customary status as Betfred Super League title contenders when the 2024 season kicks off in a fortnight’s time.

Rohan Smith’s fairytale start to the head-coach role at Headingley, when he lifted them from 11th place to fifth and ultimately a place in the 2022 Grand Final, proved a distant memory during a turbulent 2023 campaign.

But a productive pre-season, which saw the headline arrival of Salford’s former Man of Steel Brodie Croft among six others, has helped convince Smith that the tough times could soon be a thing of the past.

“What we went through last season has made a lot of players and staff resilient,” Smith, whose side’s play-off hopes were ended by injuries and the unscripted departures of key players like Blake Austin and Sam Walters, told the PA news agency.

“There were some tough times in among some really performances, but the resilience of having to fight through the tough bits is something you can only get by going through them.

“It’s been a really productive pre-season. The Croft and (Andy) Ackers situations don’t pop up very often, so it was a chance for us to make a statement. I think we will start as a work in progress and get better.”

Just as he shut out criticism during the more difficult moments of the 2023 season, not least the crushing September defeats by Wigan and Catalans Dragons, Smith is also intent on blocking out the increasing external expectations.

“When we went to the Grand Final I wasn’t reading the paper, and I wasn’t reading the paper when we didn’t make the play-offs,” added Smith.

“I live in my own little bubble and I have to get informed on most things that happen in the real world. I keep my focus on the things I can have an influence on.

“This time last year things were looking OK and that’s probably how we played. This year the characters who have come in have been picked on their personality as well as their playing ability, and there is a real cohesion and consistency in the group.”

Australian full-back Lachie Miller is another high-profile arrival but for Smith the club’s academy remains front and centre to a prospective revival, so the emergence of the likes of homegrown prop Tom Holroyd – who will wear the famous number 10 shirt this season – is of equal importance.

“Tom had a terrific season last year and he’s a player who’s got a lot ahead of him, but he’s also a sign for the rest of the group that there’s an opportunity out there for them.

“It’s up to them to decide what happens with recruitment and retention going forward. The opportunity is there for the young players to emerge and take that jersey.

“That’s the plan moving forward, that we evolve and emerge from within, rather than looking outside for anything more than the necessary components.”

Newcastle Thunder chairman Keith Christie has issued an ultimatum to the north-east’s rugby league community ahead of his team’s return to action in Betfred League One next season.

Christie has been integral to the resurrection of the club who announced their resignation from senior competition following relegation from the Championship in October, when departing owner Semore Kurdi said it was “not feasible” to continue.

A group of volunteers led by Christie responded by stepping in to chisel a viable business plan which resulted in an application to effectively rejoin the domestic league’s third tier being accepted two days before Christmas.

The heady days of full-time professionalism and aspirations of Super League have been shelved for the time being, as Christie works to grow the club from the bottom up, a project for which he stresses the backing of local fans and businesses is critical.

“The club has gone through a couple of guises with serious investment, and it hasn’t worked,” Christie told the PA news agency.

“My question was, do we have the desire for a rugby league team in the north-east? And the overwhelming response was, we do. To which my answer is – prove it.

“I’ve been through the mill a couple of times with this club and it’s not something I do lightly. It takes a lot of time and effort. We have a financial commitment and a ground, but it is fundamentally balanced on the investment and support we get from the people in the north-east.”

Christie has been involved with the club in an official capacity since he was first appointed general manager in 2009, and has observed their fluctuating fortunes, including a decision to go full-time in 2022, which was reversed the following year, plunging them to the foot of the Championship.

With the club having been left debt-free following talks with outgoing owner Kurdi, and striking a deal to continue playing at Kingston Park, at least in the short-term, Christie sees plenty of cause for optimism.

Newcastle-born former Super League player Chris Thorman has committed to another season as head coach, while there was also an unexpected boost in the first list of ratings issued by sports media giant IMG, which will determine the make-up of the top-flight from the 2025 season onwards, which rated Thunder – ironically dormant at the time – in 18th position.

“The IMG ranking is a bit of a bonus but it wasn’t a driving factor,” added Christie. “We have been through a lot of areas where mistakes were made, and one thing we learned is that we can’t expect to go out and buy a winning team.

“We’ve got a huge opportunity to grow the game organically and develop our own players. To do that we have to be sustainable, but we also have to have investment, and that’s the message I’ll be sending throughout the year.

“As romantic as it sounds, I’ve been part of rugby league in the north-east since 1989, and I don’t want to lose this.”

A community rugby league team established just a year ago primarily as a means to raise funds and awareness for mental health charities are preparing to make their debut in the Betfred Challenge Cup on Saturday.

South Wales Jets qualified by virtue of having soared unbeaten through their first season in the Welsh Premiership, and will take on seasoned Challenge Cup campaigners Stanningley in Ebbw Vale.

And while they harbour ambitions of bringing higher-level rugby league back to the region, the club’s founder Liam Price is determined that the mental health message will stay at the front and centre at the Jets.

Price, a former local rugby union player, told the PA news agency: “The idea to form a club came during furlough when I discovered how much I missed the social aspect of being involved in a rugby team.

“Before Covid I was something of a workaholic, and going from 80-hour weeks to nothing really affected me. I was one of those people who never really saw mental health as an issue, and all of sudden I found that I physically couldn’t get out of bed.

“After speaking to some of my friends who were going through a similar experience, the idea came up to start what would essentially be a charity sports team that would play a few union sevens tournaments raise some money and awareness.

“It got to the point where we decided to step up it and switch to league in order to enter the Welsh Premiership. But the mental health message will always remain central.”

Since their inauguration, the Jets have raised over £12,000 for a number of charities, chiefly the community-based Signposted Cymru, which has pride of place on the club shirts, and helped refer 17 young men for mental health counselling.

After a stellar first season, on-pitch ambitions involve a potential move to the Southern Conference League, but Price is wary of the fate that has befallen previous attempts to kick-start the sport in the region, most recently West Wales Raiders, who resigned from League One at the end of the 2022 campaign.

Four ex-Raiders are currently part of the Jets set-up, while former Super League players and Welsh internationals Ben Flower and Lloyd White have been working with the club to help prepare them for the daunting challenge of facing Stanningley.

Ebbw Vale itself is no stranger to league, having boasted a professional side that competed regularly in the Northern Union, and were the last Welsh club to be dissolved in 1912. But for Price there is still some way for the undoubted talent in the region to be realised.

“There’s a lot of talent in South Wales but the code is just severely under-funded,” said Price. “We looked at moving into the SCL but because of the distance between the teams it’s not financially viable at the current time.

“We’ve got a longer-term plan but we don’t want to make the same kind of mistakes that teams like the Raiders have done. We know we’re probably too strong for the Welsh league but it is important for the club that we do things properly.”

In a thrilling men's senior international rugby league clash at the Mona Bowl, University of West Indies in Kingston, the USA Rugby League team managed to hold on for a hard-fought victory against Jamaica's Reggae Warriors, securing a 30-26 win.

Despite challenging conditions with the temperature soaring to 85 degrees, the Reggae Warriors took an early lead of 10-0, showcasing resilience despite having less possession. However, the USA Hawks responded strongly, turning the tide to lead 14-10 by halftime. Kyle Granby, the Brooklyn Kings centre, played a pivotal role, scoring two of his three tries in the lead-up to halftime.

Granby's exceptional performance continued after the restart as he completed a genuine five-minute hat trick. Veteran loose forward Joe Eichhner crossed the try line on the hour mark, contributing to the Hawks' lead. Granby, who also kicked two goals, showcased his versatility and skill throughout the match.

USA's skipper, Peter Lupton, reflected on the challenging contest, stating, "It was back and forth, and we had to deal with some big players. It was tough from start to finish." He acknowledged the efforts of both teams, emphasizing the significance of the game for the growth of rugby league.

Despite two late tries from Jamaica's Tahj-Jay Lynch and Kenneth Walker, the Reggae Warriors fell just short of a comeback, concluding the match with a 30-26 scoreline. The USA team, having only one training session before the game, demonstrated resilience and adaptability.

Jamaica faced setbacks with injuries, losing Andrew Simpson in the first half and Kevin Thomas in the second, limiting their bench options. Head coach Roy Calvert expressed gratitude to the USA Hawks for their visit, acknowledging the support from the local fans. Calvert said, "It was a fantastic occasion despite the narrow loss. We're 1-1 now for games between the nations played here in Jamaica and are looking forward to the next one."

 Jamaica host USA in a men’s senior international tomorrow (Saturday) at the University of West Indies’ Mona Bowl in Kingston (kick off at 3pm, local time).

The match, for world ranking points, will be the Reggae Warriors’ first since their appearance in the World Cup a year ago - and only third international at home in 18 years – and will be the ninth encounter between the nations.

The Hawks lead 6-2, although Jamaica have won the last two encounters. The hosts are set to hand debuts to Daniel Graham, Tahjay Lynch, Hakeem Richards, Kahil Green, Oshane Edie and Kamarine Williams but are without Khamisi McKain who played in the World Cup but is recovering from a broken leg.

Jamaica men’s Lead coach, Roy Calvert, commented: “We are looking forward to this game as the Hawks have always been good competition for us. It’s important for nations in the Americas to provide opportunities for our domestic players to test themselves at a high level.

“Both countries are looking to debut several newcomers and that makes the game even more interesting. Jamaica’s squad has some exciting young players as strategically we are looking to build on the next generation to propel us over the next 10 years. The great thing is they get to play with legends like Thompson and Bailey who have been around for that long.”

The USA men’s team have had a four-year absence from the international scene, with their last encounter being a 38-16 loss to Cook Islands in the RLWC2021 repechage game, and the Hawks will field a new-look side selected from seven clubs.

“I’m really happy to have the men’s Hawks playing again,” noted USA head coach Sean Rutgerson. “It has been too long between games. We are looking forward to being in Jamaica with eight new guys aiming to gain their first cap.”

JAMAICA SQUAD

Akeem Murray, Andrew Simpson, Chevaughn Bailey, Daniel Graham, Jade Harrison, Kenneth Walker, Kevin Thomas, Kile Nembhard, Marvin Thompson, Owen Linton, Ryan Grant (Duhaney Park Red Sharks), Adrian Hall, (Liguanea Dragons), Tahjay Lynch, (St Catherine OB Thundercats), Hakeem Richards, Kahil Green, Oshane Edie, Reinhardo Richards (Washington Blvd Bulls), Kamarine Williams, Omar Jones (West Kingston Hyenas)

USA SQUAD

Sean Hunt (Atlanta Rhinos) Tevita Bryce, Kyle Granby (Brooklyn Kings) Urban Iyo, Peter Lupton (Boston 13s) Ethan Ferrick (DC Cavalry) Ryan Bannerot, Jason Martin, Mason McCrory, David Washington, Malcom Webb, James Williams (Jacksonville Axemen) Wes Piggins (Southwest Florida Copperheads) Joe Eichner, Matt Finnesy, Gunnar Johnson, Bart Longchamp (Tampa Mayhem)  

In an engaging finale at Campion College, the Rugby League Jamaica/Flash Ship Couriers National U19 Championship concluded on Tuesday, with defending champions Cedar Grove Academy securing their second consecutive hold on the coveted title. Displaying a dominant performance, the champs successfully fended off the challenge from BB Coke High, securing a resounding 26-6 victory.

Cedar Grove's victory was anchored by standout performances from Melvin Harris and Kaden Hunter, each contributing with two tries, while Hunter also showcased his kicking prowess by adding a goal. Additional try-scorers for the champs included Jahsemia Tulloch and Tajay Brown. BB Coke's lone try came from Tyrone Davidson, and Domique Myers added a goal.

Expressing his joy over the victory, winning coach Antonio Baker remarked, “We are elated that we won. Our victory is a culmination of years of hard work and a continuation of our dominance at the U19 level, seeing that we also won the championships last year. I am very proud of the progress the boys are making and hope that they will transition to playing the sport at the adult level.”

In the battle for the third-place position, host Campion College faced a closely contested match against Calabar High, ultimately losing 2-1 on drop-goals after both teams were deadlocked in a 12-12 tie following full and extra time.

Calabar's try-scorers, Tevez Tulloch and Tyreke Hutchinson, made crucial contributions, with goals coming from Dean Griffiths and Timor Osbourne. For Campion, Deshawn Gordon and Jaleel Green scored tries, while Josiah Neil kicked two goals. In the kick-off, only Maliq Morris made a successful kick.

Kevin Sinfield has stressed there is no time to waste as he prepares to embark on his latest “crackers” fundraising quest in aid of research into Motor Neurone Disease next week.

The former Leeds Rhinos star, who will set off another series of seven back-to-back ultra-marathons from Headingley Stadium on December 1, remains frustrated by a perceived lack of urgency on behalf of the Government to fulfill a pledge to commit £50million to fighting the disease.

The 43-year-old Sinfield and his team have raised over £8m from a number of endurance events which started with their first ‘7 in 7 challenge’ in 2020.

Sinfield said: “It’s really important that the money is released as promised and used in the best possible way so that we can find a cure.

“People with Motor Neurone Disease don’t have time to wait. We all want things done now, we all want change now, we all want our great scientists across the UK to work together to find a cure, so there is some frustration.

“We know the statistics from diagnosis are that 50 per cent die within the first two years. People with MND don’t have time on their hands, so we’ve got to shift this quickly. As we saw with Covid, if you throw money at something you can get a cure.”

“(Rob) thinks I’m crackers but he fully gets it. He’s with us 100% in spirit, and he’ll be there at the start and the finish. He’s such an inspirational friend and I’m delighted to be doing it again.”

Sinfield admits he will embarking on his latest quest a little “under-cooked” due to the tight turn-around following his return from France where he was working as a defensive coach for England’s rugby union World Cup squad.

Having insisted prior to a similar epic challenge last year that his running days would soon be a thing of the past, he revealed his ex-team-mate, good friend and inspiration, MND sufferer Rob Burrow, described him as “crackers” for resolving to put himself through it once again.

But Sinfield, whose route this year will include trips to Birmingham, Brighton, Cardiff and Edinburgh, as well as Dublin for the first time, said he never considered hanging up his running shoes while a cure remains out of reach.

“There are 100,000 reasons why we shouldn’t go again but there is one big reason why we should and that is to continue representing this beautiful community,” added Sinfield.

“The messages, the emails, the face to face meetings – on average three times a day someone will stop me and tell me someone they know has got MND or has passed, and they want us to keep going.

“The awareness is crucial and will make such a difference to finding a cure for this disease. It’s shown me why I’m here on this earth, and that’s to try and help. I don’t think there’s a greater gift.

“(Rob) thinks I’m crackers but he fully gets it. He’s with us 100 per cent in spirit, and he’ll be there at the start and the finish. He’s such an inspirational friend and I’m delighted to be doing it again.”

Following his first quest of seven marathons in seven days in 2020, Sinfield ran 101 miles in under 24 hours from Welford Road in Leicester to Headingley in 2021. Last year’s challenge ended on the pitch at half-time during the men’s World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand at Old Trafford.

The Government has been approached for comment about Sinfield’s concerns.

England boss Shaun Wane admitted he wanted to clinch a series whitewash over Tonga “so badly” following their 26-4 victory at the AMT Headingley.

The hosts were keen to secure a clean sweep from the start of the tie and crossed the whitewash twice in the first 26 minutes thanks to Ben Currie and Matty Ashton.

Both teams finished the half with a temporary man less after Matty Lees and Keon Koloamatangi were sent to the sin bin for a scuffle which caused a mass brawl.

England took no prisoners in the second half and cruised into an unassailable lead as Elliott Whitehead marked his final cap with a try before Harry Newman crossed for his first international score, but England’s defence was finally breached when Eliesa Katoa grabbed a consolation for the visitors.

Wane was proud of his players throughout the series and thinks they deserve full credit for a 3-0 success.

He said: “Unbelievable approach what we’ve done and how we’ve done it.

“I’ve nothing but praise for the players, the main mention is to them. I so badly wanted to win this game, no matter what. Two-nil didn’t matter to me, so to win in this fashion is great. I was desperate.

“You look at how the players have behaved and I think they’ve been outstanding and they’ll go from strength to strength.

“We stuck to our task well and they can play, athletic, big, they tested us, but the desire to defend and the detail was absolutely outstanding.

“We’ve got a really good team spirit, it’s very much like a club team. We spend time with each other and there is no club cliques and that’s been the most satisfying thing for me. We look like a club team and that’s why we’ve got the success today.”

Wane still has nightmares about England’s World Cup semi-final defeat last year but insists his side will now get stronger and did not think they would limit Tonga to just five tries in three games.

He added: “It will always haunt me, it doesn’t make it better, but how we played that game will always be there.

“I never thought we could manage that (five tries in three games). You look at their talent, that was a tough ask and you look at the physical side, big athletes, so to do that, the credit the players deserve is untrue.

“I’d love to do another three weeks. I’m back to walking my dogs next week and I’d love to do another three weeks. We’ve had a great time.

“When you score tries like that, it beggars belief when you hear stupid comments about us not being entertaining.”

Tonga boss Kristian Woolf handed full credit to England following the defeat but was proud of his team.

He said: “England were exceptionally good. Sometimes you have to sit back and applaud the tries they came up with, good tries and some good plays, they did a good job of scrambling.

“We didn’t deserve the scoreline if you look at the effort, I was proud.

“We showed up with a great attitude and I thought we showed that throughout the game and when the score looked like it could have blown out we hung in, we kept defending and trying to find points.

“We were disappointed to go down 3-0, there’s no doubt about that, and we’re certainly disappointed in the scoreline, but I’m not disappointed with the way our group have come over here. They have put their footy first and I’m very proud of them as a group of players.”

The prospect of Super League rugby returning to Wales has been made more distant under IMG’s new grading system, according to the chief executive of the only remaining senior club in the country.

North Wales Crusaders ranked rock-bottom of the 35-strong list of senior clubs which will be used to determine the make-up of the top-flight from the 2025 season onwards, scoring just 5.07 points from a possible 25.

In common with a number of others, Andy Moulsdale believes the ranking is not a “fair reflection” of the progress made by his club, who only missed out on promotion to the Championship last season when they lost the League One play-off final to Doncaster.

It also paints a bleak picture for prospective expansion, with Wales’ only other senior club, West Wales Raiders, withdrawing from the league after the 2022 season, and no Welsh club having featured in the top two divisions of the domestic game for almost a decade.

Moulsdale told the PA news agency: “We all know what we’ve got to work towards and I’m the first to admit there are certainly some pillars we need to improve on, but some of it doesn’t add up.

“For what we’ve given back to the sport, I don’t think it’s a fair reflection. We reached the final last season and finished third in the two years previously. We’ve also set up a foundation that runs a women’s and three wheelchair teams.

“These gradings make it increasingly harder for League One teams to reach Super League. We’re the only professional club in Wales and our short-term goal is to keep a Welsh team going, and start to make progress rather than just existing.”

Super League arrived in Wales in 2009 when Celtic Crusaders, effectively the existing club’s previous incarnation, were granted a top-flight licence and lasted three seasons – the latter two as simply Crusaders – before falling into financial problems and failing to re-apply for a licence in 2012.

North Wales have since made quiet progress at the third-tier level, but the stark reality of elevating teams from expansion areas has been made plain by the rankings, which were ostensibly set up, at least in part, to encourage just that.

London Broncos languish in 24th place and face the prospect of a single top-flight campaign irrespective of their on-pitch performances next season, while Midlands Hurricanes and Cornwall occupy the two places immediately above North Wales.

“There’s no doubt it makes things more difficult for us,” added Moulsdale. “The scoring is inevitably weighted towards Super League clubs, because finances and fandom are obviously going to be bigger if you’re in the top division.

“We’ve lost the likes of West Wales and London Skolars in recent seasons, and unless you have someone who can come straight in and invest a lot of money, the prospects (for expansion teams) are extremely tough.”

Moulsdale is one of a number of chiefs who believe their clubs were incorrectly graded, and that their true score could have helped them at least avoid the negative connotations of being in bottom place.

But he conceded: “The IMG gradings make you take a step back and realise it’s not all about what happens on the pitch any more. Whether you agree with it or not, that’s the way it is, and we just have to try to improve in any way we can.”