Bennett fears for England’s progress

HEAD coach Wayne Bennett has warned that England could be in danger of going backwards if he fails to get a midseason international in 2019.

The Australian says the 2017 mid- year Test with Samoa in Sydney was crucial preparation for his side’s successful World Cup campaign and this year’s clash with New Zealand in Denver was also critical to his long- term plan.

Proposals for a second trip to Denver have been shelved and Bennett’s hopes of replacing it with a game against France next June appear to have fallen through.

Bennett is also unclear about the opposition he will face when he takes a reformed Great Britain team on tour to the southern hemisphere next October.

Australia have shown little interest in hosting the revived Lions after their plans for a Kangaroos tour in 2019 were rejected, which would leave Britain to play New Zealand and the Pacific nations.

“If the Kangaroos don’t want to play we can’t make them,” Bennet said. “Life will go on with or without them.”

Meanwhile, the coach has been forced to make three changes for Sunday’s game at Leeds, where England can complete a 3- 0 series whitewash of New Zealand.

Scrum- half Richie Myler is handed a recall in place of Sam Tomkins, who broke his hand in last Sunday’s game, and Stefan Ratchford will take the place on the bench of hooker Daryl Clark.

Skipper Sean O’Loughlin has failed to recover from a calf injury he aggravated in the first Test and, with South Sydney prop George Burgess suspended, Bennett will give a debut to Wigan forward Joe Greenwood.