Sinfield backing shamed England to bounce back

In the months leading up to yesterday’s official tournament launch, the last thing the Leeds Rhinos star must have envisaged was having to answer a barrage of questions about a shock loss to huge outsiders Italy.

However, Saturday’s surprise 15-14 friendly defeat against the minnows meant it was clearly always going to be the main item on the agenda at Old Trafford.

England will open the 14-nation competition against favourites Australia in Cardiff this weekend with added pressure on their shoulders.

“It was a huge shock to the system,” admitted Sinfield, about the manner of that humiliating loss.

“It hurts and it’s caused some embarrassment, but I think as a group we’ll learn from it.

“I don’t think we wanted to create a siege mentality at all, but we’ve probably got one now.

“The squad was strong mentally and we’re certainly united, but more so now on the back of that.

“You (media) probably created that for us. It’d be quite easy to go home and read a lot of press and all the Twitter stuff that’s out there. It could send people into spiralling depression.

“I think you guys have helped create some of that. As players we rely on each other and each other’s trust and honesty and we’ve got to believe in each other. We’ll stick together.

“You don’t become a bad team overnight. We realise that.

“But 17 dropped balls tells the story and if we’d have done that against every nation that’s been here today they would probably have beaten us.

“Two blips in defence, two tries and 17 dropped balls... you don’t win rugby league games like that.”

But Sinfield, who linked back up with the squad at their Loughborough training base last night, 
retains a firm belief they can quickly turn that around and deliver a fitting response against the Kangaroos.

“To come here (press conference) with a big grey cloud over your head doesn’t help,” he said.

“But I knew what was coming today as soon as I walked off the field on Saturday.

“I knew we were going to cop it and it wasn’t a good enough performance for England.

“I’m confident, but to get back with the boys, be able to look them in the eye and see what people are made of and get out on the field with them, I think that’s when I’ll really know.

“Having left them Sunday lunchtime my gut feeling is they’re ready to do their very, very best and make whatever sacrifices they have to do to make sure England are successful.”

Of course, Sinfield and his Leeds side have made a habit of overcoming slow starts and surging ahead to win Super League titles.

The 33-year-old will, no doubt, draw upon some of that as he looks to navigate the weeks ahead with the national team.

“There’s not only myself and the Leeds boys who have been in that situation, but every club that has players involved in this England set-up will have faced some adversity or a terrible performance like we did on Saturday,” he added.

“It will test the character and quality of our squad. I believe we can bounce back and will do.

“We’ll do everything possible we can this week to fix things up and get out there on Saturday and put in a performance everyone can be proud of.

“We look forward to Australia now certainly. We can sit and dwell on this Italian game for the next six weeks, but I don’t think it will get us anywhere.

“We understand we’ve disappointed a lot of people, none more so than Steve and ourselves.

“We’re ready as a group to rip in and give it our best shot.”

Sinfield – hoping to lead the national side to a first World Cup success since Great Britain won in 1972 – admits the squad has been “galvanised” by what happened at the weekend.

“When you’re fighting for something and you feel you’ve got a lot of people behind you and suddenly a lot of those blokes start turning the guns inwards on you – justifiably so – you’ve got to do something about it as a group,” he explained.

“It will certainly test our quality and character and the group’s leadership too.

“We’re looking forward to this next six weeks and the challenges we’re going to face. No question we’re facing a huge one this weekend against Australia, but we’ll roll our sleeves up.”

Meanwhile, RFL chief executive and tournament director Nigel Wood believes the competition is set to leave a “lasting and indelible legacy” on all those who attend, and make a similar impression as the London Oympics.

“Rugby League World Cups are where reputations are made, where off-field friendships are forged and on-field rivalries deepened; a time when the greatest exponents of the world’s greatest sport deliver spectacularly on the biggest stages,” he said.

“As we have seen in the last few days with the warm-up matches, the international game has more depth than ever before and that bodes well for a successful and hugely enjoyable World Cup.

“This tournament has been a long time in the planning and we now stand just days away from an opening ceremony that will do justice to the largest multi-national event staged in the country since the 2012 Olympics.

“The London Games were a triumph which changed perceptions and changed the lives of everyone involved: I have no doubts that Rugby League World Cup 2013 will do exactly the same for our sport.”

A total of 28 matches at 21 venues will take place over the next five weeks building towards the Old Trafford final on November 30.