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As stated by skipper the England captain, England were handed a harsh "reality check" as the Kangaroos secured the coveted Ashes trophy.

The Kangaroos' 14-4 triumph at the stadium in Liverpool on the weekend gave them a unassailable 2-0 advantage, making the upcoming sold-out third Test a dead rubber.

The England team had entered the series dreaming of sending Australia to their maiden Ashes setback since 1970.

In the past two years, they had achieved a 3-0 series win over the Tongan side and a series win over the Samoan team. But as the historic rivalry returned after a 22-year absence, the English were failed to advance further against the reigning title holders.

"No excuses from us. There were enough sessions to perform correctly on the field, and I don't think we've achieved that," Williams commented.

"Full marks to the Kangaroos. They were strong defensively. But we've got plenty to improve. It seems not as prepared as we expected we were entering this series.

"So it's a good lesson for us, and there is much to enhance."

The Kangaroos 'Arrive and Are Merciless'

Having been heavily outplayed in an mistake-ridden performance at the national stadium, England's were markedly enhanced on Saturday back in the traditional strongholds of England's north.

During an energetic first half, the home side caused turnovers from the Australians and had all the field position and ball control, but unfortunately did not make it count on the scoreboard.

Tellingly, the English team have now managed just one score over 160 minutes, with St Helens hooker Daryl Clark barging over late on in the setback in the capital.

Conversely, Australia have accumulated half a dozen so far - and when blunders began to creep into the hosts' play just after the interval, it was a case of when, not if, they were going to be heavily penalized.

Initially the playmaker crossed, and then so too did the forward. From being level at four-all, England were 10 points adrift.

"Satisfied for the bulk of the game. In my view for 70 minutes we were competitive," said Wane.

"The drop in intensity for 10 minutes after the break damaged us severely. The first try was soft and should not be scored in a Test match.

"We're devastated. Extremely pleased the squad had a go but so disappointed with that second-half lapse, which cost us significantly."

While the upcoming global tournament in Australia and Papua New Guinea is just under a year from now, the team's primary concern will be on trying to salvage honor, preventing a series whitewash and eliminating the issues that frustrated the coach.

"I wanted to see additional intensity thrown at the opposition. My aim was us to maintain momentum in the game - we failed to deliver last week," added the 61-year-old.

"We managed this week. It's just a bit of detail in our attack where we could have put them under increased strain. It's essential to stop each of [tries] better.

"Credit to Australia - that is no slight to them. They turn up and are ruthless when they seize opportunities, and we failed to be, but defensively we can and should do improve.

"They will be obsessed to win all three Tests and we need to be equally determined to make it 2-1. I've told that to the squad. This must become our obsession. It's going to be a challenging week but the side that wants it the greatest will get the win next week."

Intensity Needs to Improve in Super League

The English side have participated in a similar number of Test matches to the Kangaroos since the last World Cup in 2022.

Yet Wane thinks that the caliber of the NRL - and quality of the State of Origin matches between NSW and QLD - deliver a much better grounding for competing at the top of the international game than what is available in the northern hemisphere.

Wane commented that the hectic domestic league calendar left little opportunity for him to work with his players during the campaign, which will only pose more issues around how the national team can narrow the difference to the Kangaroos before travelling to the Southern Hemisphere in the next World Cup.

"The Australians participate in a large number of internationals in their competition," he stated.

"England have 10-15 a year. It's crucial really intense games to boost the competition and increase our prospects of winning these high-stakes fixtures.

"It was impossible to even train with the players. There was no chance to got on the field in the season and I had the complete support of everyone in Super League.

"I understand in the position of the club managers that need to win games. The competition is that packed. It's a pity but it's not the reason we were defeated today."