Rugby League World Cup 2017: Elliot Whitehead says England can go from World Cup heartbreak to heroes next time they face Australia
Despite a narrow defeat in the final to Australia, our Rugby League men showed that they can compete with best Down Under
ENGLAND ace Elliott Whitehead believes they can go from heartbreak to heroes the next time they face the old enemy.
Australia second rower Boyd Cordner’s early score was the only try in a nail-biting World Cup final — and the red-hot favourites were clinging desperately to their lead as they closed out a 6-0 win.
Only a last-ditch ankle tap denied Kallum Watkins an equalising touchdown.
England also pushed Australia all the way in the group stage.
And Bradford-born Whitehead said: “We can compete with the best and have shown it twice against Australia. We proved that in the first game as well.
“Cam Smith, Billy Slater and Johnathan Thurston are superstars of the game but they are going to have to move on soon.
“We can keep rebuilding and hopefully claim that top spot soon, because we have our own superstars.
“We’ve got superstars like Jermaine McGillvary, who had a great World Cup and proved Super League players can compete over here. The Aussie players were on their last legs in that final ten minutes and just waiting for the final whistle.
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“They all came up and congratulated us on a great world Cup. We are building something special here, building a great team.”
Australia’s champions, never slow to make the most of beating the Poms, admitted it was the toughest game any of them had played all year.
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Yet the pride Wayne Bennett’s men had in their performance was scant consolation.
Yes, they had restricted the Kangaroos, who had scored 204 points in their previous five games, to only six more but, as the dust settled on Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, Australia were still the ones parading the trophy.
Yet the fact England were so close — even without injured skipper Sean O’Loughlin and influential hooker Josh Hodgson – gave them reason for optimism.
Whitehead added: “We lost two of our main players in Lockers and Josh and it was disappointing for them not to be part of it.
“We have proved we can defend and just have to get better at finishing our opportunities — and we are not far off that.”