Graham: We can hit heights to overcome Kangaroos

James Graham says England are under no illusions about the scale of the challenge facing them at the London Stadium this afternoon, but that Australia can be defeated.

England must beat the world champions for the first time in two decades to qualify for the Four Nations final at Anfield next week but prop Graham said that, despite a mixed start to the tournament, the squad were shaping up well ahead of their biggest test.

“It’s obviously a huge challenge,” said Graham, who captains the Bulldogs in Australia’s National Rugby League. “We’re coming up against some of the best players in the world, some future immortals in the game, and that’s a tough ask. But as a group, it’s one that I think we can overcome.

“Our preparation’s been good, and we’ve just got to focus on ourselves, be competitive in everything that we do.

“If we do that, we’ll go a long way to giving ourselves the best opportunity to win the game.”

After a full week’s training, Graham declared himself completely fit from a knee injury that put him out of last weekend’s 38-12 win over Scotland in Coventry. “The physios and the medical staff have really been testing me out, so there’s been no reaction to it,” he said. “It’s good to go.”

With Graham back in the pack, coach Wayne Bennett is set to change his half-back pairing yet again, with veteran Widnes stand-off Kevin Brown poised to earn a shock recall alongside Gareth Widdop.

Graham, with four years of NRL experience behind him, knows this Kangaroos side better than most. “I guess it just takes away the fear of the unknown,” he said. “I’ve played against these guys for a number of years now.

“But knowing what they do and stopping what they do are completely different things. Matches are decided on the craziest things sometimes. But if we can come off that field knowing that we’ve done everything we’ve can, then we’ll be very proud.”

Scotland did England a favour by claiming an 18-18 draw with New Zealand in Workington on Friday. Danny Brough’s late conversion sealed a comeback for the Scots and ensured a simple win will be enough for England today.