Smith praise for Widdop’s role in his Test development

Home coach Tim Sheens accepts all the pressure is on his injury-decimated Australia side after their first defeat in four years left them vulnerable to an early exit from the Four Nations Series.

England opened with a rusty 32-26 win over Samoa last Saturday, and Smith – who made his Test debut in that game – is confident there is much more to comeboth from the team as a whole and from his new half-back partnership with Halifax-born Widdop, who will be back on familiar territory after starting his professional career at Melbourne Storm.

“Gaz is a great player,” said Smith. “I’ve watched him for a few years now. He’s my roomy on tour and I think it was a great move by the coaching staff to put me in with him.

“You get to know each other a little bit and I’ve been spending a lot of time with Gaz, drinking a few coffees and hanging around with him. That all helps when you go into the games to get a good partnership going.

“It’s pretty new for me obviously being in this environment. I’m enjoying playing with him and hopefully we can have a good last couple of sessions and go into Australia really confident that we can do a job.

“It was nerve-wracking for me putting on an England shirt for the first time but it was great to get off to a winning start.

“I thought as a team we probably could have played a bit better but we got the job done, we got the two points, and we’ll be better this week against a tough Australian side.”

England are waiting on the fitness of newly-appointed captain Sean O’Loughlin, who was in the Great Britain team that won in Sydney in 2006, while Australia – already shorn of a dozen established internationals – still have a question mark over half-back Daly Cherry-Evans, while Sheens himself has been quarantined after coming down with flu-like symptoms.

If McNamara can restore the inspirational O’Loughlin to an already impressive-looking pack, it will significantly improve England’s chances of reaching a third Four Nations final, their first in the southern hemisphere.

Smith added: “We’re looking forward to tomorrow. It’s looking really good.

“There’s no bigger opportunity to beat the Aussies in their own backyard.

“It’s going to be a great day and hopefully we can perform and do everyone proud.”