Derek Beaumont lays out bold plan for England glory amid brutal international warning

Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont says England boss Shaun Wane must be given time with his squad throughout 2026 to stand any chance at next year’s World Cup, and has laid out a blueprint for that to happen.

This autumn, England were beaten 3-0 on home soil by Australia in the first Rugby League Ashes series for 22 years.

Wane’s side were beaten 26-6 at Wembley, 14-4 at Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson Stadium and 30-8 at Headingley: scoring just two tries across the three games.

Confirmation is yet to be received as to whether Wane will remain in charge of the national team heading into next year’s World Cup, which takes place across Australia and Papua New Guinea.

But as things stand, whoever is in charge will only get to see their squad in action once the tournament comes around, with no mid-season break planned in.

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‘I think in a year of a World Cup, you’ve got to give your coach the best opportunity to succeed’

That was the case this year, and ahead of the Ashes, Wane was limited to a couple of ‘off-feet’ sessions with his squad: where they met up at a hotel for what was essentially a social bonding session.

Leopards owner Beaumont spoke to a selection of media – including LoveRugbyLeague – at Leigh’s home kit launch for 2026, providing an honest assessment of England’s preparations for the Ashes and how things currently sit for their build-up to the World Cup.

He said: “Waney’s a mate of mine, but what chance do you have?

“I thought we were having that (mid-season international break) this year, but then they did the split round where half of us played one week and half played the next. I don’t get that.

“As an international game, without sounding rude, that was a little bit poor and almost embarrassing.

“We never really had anything (in the Ashes), but Shaun’s not got anything in the build-up to be able to gel and see (what’s right).

“It is a juggling act, but you’ve got to decide what you want to do and what’s more important.

“I think in a year of a World Cup, that’s got to be more important, you’ve got to give your coach the best opportunity to succeed.

“I’ve just had four players playing for Papua New Guinea, Trout playing for England, and it makes me nervous because if they get injured I’m paying them their wages while we’re seriously dented as a team.

“I get why club owners don’t like it (the internationals), but our brand has ultimately got to be about our national team, that’s got to be the pinnacle.

“And if that is the pinnacle, you’ve got to give the coach half a chance. He’s got to have some time with his squad.”

‘The positivity of winning a World Cup is huge, and if we do nothing (in the build-up), we won’t have a chance out there’

Leigh front-rower Trout featured off the bench in the closing stages of the opening Ashes Test at Wembley, making his international debut in the process.

Beaumont, as you’d expect, hopes to see him earn a spot in Wane’s squad for the World Cup.

And the Leopards chief has devised a blueprint of his own as to how that might happen not just for Trout, but for other players too – wanting Wane to get as much time as possible with his squad without it impacting upon Super League’s fixture schedule.

Beaumont said: “You’ve got to do some rotational training, where one week they’re not playing (for England), but they’re training with them.

“If Owen Trout is selected (for England), then this particular week, he doesn’t train with Leigh but he plays for us still.

“That isn’t going to affect us at Leigh that much. It won’t affect anyone’s fixtures, it won’t affect how anyone plays (for their club) and it won’t affect me as an owner in how Owen slots into our team.

“But Waney has then at least had a week’s camp with his squad. He can find out where he’s at, and then for the next week’s camp, he might change the squad up a bit.

“He’d have a better chance then, when we got to the World Cup.

“It’s not like State of Origin when you’re saying players can’t play (for their clubs), it doesn’t affect anyone’s fixtures.

“It’s a World Cup year. We want to go there and have a proper go at that.

“The positivity of winning a World Cup is huge, and if we do nothing (in the build-up), we won’t have a chance out there.”