England will be ready this time to grab World Cup glory says Leeds Rhinos star

The Leeds Rhinos star is an ambassador for the competition that arrives here next year.

Like many, he was excited by this week’s announcements when, marking 500 days to the tournament start, nations learned in which towns and cities they will stay, with Hull, Doncaster, York, Leeds and Sheffield among those involved.

Yet, equally so, it is hard not to recollect at the same time that 2017 final when Gale, named Steve Prescott Man of Steel having led Castleford to a maiden League Leaders’ Shield and Grand Final, featured against holders Australia in Brisbane.

Everyone knows what happened next; England, led by Sam Burgess and looking to be the first side from these shores to lift the Cup since Great Britain in 1972, came agonisingly close.

In one of the tightest affairs in the competition’s history, Wayne Bennett’s side eventually lost by a scoreline of just 6-0, missed chances costing them dear in their first final in 22 years.

Indeed, three years on, it is still hard not to think that it was a glorious chance gone begging to at last end that irksome barren run.

However, as painful as that near-miss was, prolific Yorkshireman Gale maintains they will now be in a better position to capitalise next year.

“First of all, it was amazing to play in a World Cup final,” he recalled to The Yorkshire Post.

“You learn from those defeats. What a massive opportunity we had to do it on the biggest stage of all. We did fall short at the final hurdle and it was tough to take.

“But I’m a massive believer in how you have to learn something from experiences like those.

“Then, the next time you’re in those situations you do things a little bit differently and you’ve learned from being in that arena before. You take that to the next stage and – if I get chance – that’s what I’d intend to do.”

England have been taken over by Shaun Wane this year although the former Wigan Warriors coach might not get chance to even look at his side in action before the tournament start given this autumn’s three Test Ashes series against Australia has been cancelled due to coronavirus.

Fit and firing again with new club Leeds after missing much of the last two seasons injured with Castleford, Gale is in Wane’s initial plans and has spoken to him via Zoom during lockdown.

The former Bradford Bulls captain, who turns 32 later this month, added: “Obviously, the Ashes being called off is a disappointment but one we kind of knew was coming.

“Shaun and his team will now be on the look-out for a new opponent to give us a test before we do take on that World Cup.