O’Loughlin demands a series win against NZ.. or risk losing ground on Southern Hemisphere giants

SEAN O’LOUGHLIN says England need a series win over New Zealand to keep pace with rugby league’s growing Southern Hemisphere powers.

The Kiwis’ win over world champions Australia, Tonga’s rapid rise and the emergence of other Pacific nations has seen the international game boom Down Under.

England pushed the Kangaroos all the way in last year’s heartbreaking 6-0 World Cup Final defeat, but can not afford to stand still according to skipper O’Loughlin.

He said: “It would be a big statement from us to win. We didn’t come up against the Kiwis in the World Cup last year, but we got a good result against them in Denver in June.

“With how strong the competition has been in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, for us to get a series win would show that we are a real contender with the top teams.

“It’s always going to be tough against the Kiwis – when you get to international level it’s all about how teams go into the game playing and how individuals go.”

England’s progression to the World Cup Final in Sydney was kick-started by a 2015 series win over New Zealand that saw O’Loughlin score tries in the first and third Tests.

But with his former Wigan coach Michael Maguire now in charge of the Kiwis, he is expecting an even sterner challenge.

O’Loughlin added: “As a team we’ve built from that and since then we’ve carried on getting better and kept improving.

“There are familiar faces from that side as well as a lot of new faces so it is a different test for us. It’s something everyone is looking forward to.”