Ranking six possible England head coach options as pressure mounts on Shaun Wane

England head coach Shaun Wane is under increasing pressure for his position, following his side’s dismal Ashes series defeat. 

The hosts slumped to a 3-0 series whitewash defeat against Australia, a series which included two heavy defeats at both Wembley and Headingley.

The manner of his side’s series loss, plus the looming pressure of next year’s World Cup, have put the boss’ future into the spotlight.

Several leading pundits have called for Wane to be removed from his post, while RFL Senior Executive Director Nigel Wood has remained non-committal on the head coach’s future with the national team.

“We will review all of that, like we always do,” he told BBC Sport. This isn’t a kind of public examination of any of the coaches.

“There’s nothing guaranteed on anything in life, is it?

“At the end of the day, as we always do, the RFL will seek the feedback from those around the camp and make a judgement in the fullness of time.”

While Wane might be in the hot seat for the time being, if the RFL do pull the trigger, who are the leading options to step in?

Former England international James Graham was touted as an option, but he has since ruled himself out of contention with a vocal sign of support for Wane.

That said, though, there are a few names in the club game that are emerging as possible candidates, even on a part-time basis alongside their club duties.

Here’s our take on the leading options.

Front-runner: Sam Burgess

Current Warrington Wolves boss Sam Burgess has had his name thrown right into the mix to lead the national side in recent weeks, and it certainly makes sense.

He might have been under pressure for his own post at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in 2025 after an inconsistent Super League season, but he is one of the best English coaching talents in the game right now. In his brief tenure at Warrington, he has taken them to back-to-back Challenge Cup Finals, as well as the Super League semi-finals, and also has great pedigree from his time as an assistant in the NRL.

Around that, he also knows exactly what it takes to succeed at international level from his time as a player. Burgess was the ultimate Test match player during his career on the field, even leading the national side in a World Cup too. That sort of recent experience will be invaluable in planning a camp and building towards a potential final.

In the mix: Paul Rowley

He might have only just landed the St Helens gig, but Paul Rowley would make an exceptional England head coach.

Rowley has a history of developing teams in a short period of time and taking them from the doldrums to genuine trophy contenders. With the obvious exception of 2025, Salford finished in the play-offs in two of his first three seasons at the helm, one of which also saw his team finish fourth in the table. Yes, they reached a Grand Final in 2019 – when he initially joined the club as a coaching consultant – but in the two years before becoming head coach they finished seventh and 11th respectively.

Rowley came in and changed everything about the club. They quickly developed a relentless attacking system built on playing quick, flowing rugby. That could be hard to replicate at Test level, given it needs meticulous training to nail, but if they can get even a small chunk of that system it could give England a new lease of life.

A big, and often unspoken, part of his coaching is his ability to get the very best out of his players. Brodie Croft, Tyler Dupree, Kallum Watkins and Ryan Brierley are just some of the many who became a better player for their time with Rowley at Salford, and you would think he would do the same with England.

Outside bets: Paul Wellens and Michael Maguire

Just underneath those two, Paul Wellens and Michael Maguire could be options to take the reins.

Looking at Wellens first, while it might not be an immediate name that springs to mind; the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. While he might not have delivered success at St Helens aside from the World Club Challenge title in his first official game, he enjoyed a decent spell as head coach. He took his side to two Super League semi-finals in three years, pushing both Catalans Dragons and Hull KR close in those fixtures in the process, a feat which does deserve some flowers all the same.

Wellens will also learn so much in Australia, following his appointment at the North Queensland Cowboys, and that experience will only aid his development as a coach. Yes, it’s still in the early stages, but by the time the World Cup rolls around he will have some decent time under his belt.

But him being based down under at the moment is a stumbling block for him taking the England job, considering he would likely be unable to attend any mid-season camps or Tests.

On paper, though, it does have some legs.

The same can be said for Brisbane Broncos boss Maguire, who has also been linked with the post should it open up. Again, him being based in Australia does potentially scupper the move, but he knows the English game well from his time with Wigan Warriors, and already has decent Test, Origin and NRL coaching experience under his belt.

His time in charge of the NSW Blues and New Zealand will certainly prick the ears of the RFL, leading the Blues to a State of Origin series victory in 2024 and the Kiwis to a Pacific Championships title a year previous.

It could be a great move to bring him in.

Surely not: Sam Tomkins and Andy Last

Current coaching group members Sam Tomkins and Andy Last seem like just throwaway names, but they would bring a sense of continuity should Wane leave his post. They have both served on his staff for a good while now, and would know the current squad inside and out as a result.

They will likely be down the pecking order, though, given the names listed above.

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