Paper talk: Wane wants England job, central funding for New York & Ottawa plus Sonny Bill

James Gordon

The latest from the rugby league press this Monday.

Wane wants England job

Shaun Wane has thrown his hat in to the ring for the England job, according to League Weekly, as pressure grows on Wayne Bennett. A review is ongoing following the disappointing Great Britain tour, and the ex-Wigan coach is reportedly interested in leading England in next year’s Ashes Series and the 2021 World Cup.

New York and Ottawa to receive central funding

New York and Ottawa will receive the same basic central funding as every other League 1 club, when they join the competition as expected in 2021. League Express reports that despite Toronto not taking any central funding since joining the RFL competitions in 2017, the new North American clubs won’t be going down that route.

Hull KR target marquee player

Hull KR chairman Neil Hudgell wants to sign a marquee player for 2021, reports League Weekly. He says their strategy is to build a squad of local talent “sprinkled with gold dust”.

Sonny Bill makes political stand

The boost of Sonny Bill Williams playing in Super League may not help rugby league to China, after he followed the lead set by Arsenal footballer Mesut Ozil in offering support to the Uighur ethnic group on social media. The Guardian reports that Sonny Bill risks a backlash from China, who scrubbed Ozil from the press and even video game eFootball PES 2020 following his comments.

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