Poll: Give McNamara time – Peacock

The first batch of England players began the journey home from New Zealand yesterday following the team’s failure to reach the final of the 2014 Four Nations Series.

Narrow back-to-back defeats to Australia and New Zealand, who will contest Saturday’s final in Wellington, resulted in an all-too familiar outcome for the national team, who have not won a major series since Great Britain thrashed a weakened Kiwis touring team in 2007.

Although McNamara remains under contract for another 12 months, his position has been undermined by a record of just one win in nine matches against the southern hemisphere heavyweights since he succeeded Tony Smith in 2010.

Another former national captain, Garry Schofield, has called for McNamara to stand down, with Castleford’s Daryl Powell his choice to take over.

However, Peacock, who won 30 caps for England and Great Britain before retiring from the international game in 2012, says: “It’s an exciting time for that team when you look how many players are world class and how many are on the cusp of being world class.

“That’s testimony to the environment that Steve McNamara and his coaching staff have created over the last five years to enable players to reach their potential.

“I feel this team is as competitive with the southern hemisphere sides as any we’ve had over the last 15 years. I came back from the 2008 World Cup with a sense that we were a million miles away but that clearly isn’t the case any more.”