It’s just 12 days until the Rugby League World Cup, the sport’s Olympics moment in this country – and what better time for an England win.
The players are in the ideal position, in a bubble away from it all in South Africa. With the squad Steve McNamara has selected, they can realistically have aspirations to win the tournament.
The three Burgess brothers in the squad have talked about their ‘Band of Brothers’ mentality in Sydney where they play club rugby, and England will tap into that with a Club England ethos.
It’s an easier task of getting the players together than, say, Warren Gatland had with the British and Irish Lions. I always found as a player it was quite easy to go from taking each other out one week to being on the same side the next. That’s just professional sport. I also know there will be a really positive feel in the England camp.
You can always judge the strength of a squad by the players left out, in this case the likes of Shaun Lunt and Eorl Crabtree, two Super League stalwarts this season.
Some of the guys may have felt battered and bruised at the end of the season but they’ll be refreshed and all have the same thing in their mind – pulling on that England jersey. There is no higher honour in rugby league.
For my part, I’ve been spreading word about the tournament on the Wright Stuff last week, and I’ll be dancing with some of my old Strictly Come Dancing foes in the opening ceremony. There’s plenty of twists and turns in the coming weeks.
Martin Offiah is an official ambassador for RLWC2013 which kicks off on October 26. For info and to purchase tickets visit rlwc2013.com
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