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In the words of skipper the England captain, England were handed a harsh "reality check" as the Kangaroos clinched the Rugby League Ashes.

The Kangaroos' 14-4 victory at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday gave them a commanding series edge, making next week's sold-out third Test a meaningless fixture.

The national squad had come into the series harbouring hopes of sending Australia to their initial series loss since over five decades ago.

Over the last 24 months, they had enjoyed a 3-0 series win over the Tongan side and a success over the Samoan team. But as the Rugby League Ashes resumed after a 22-year absence, England were failed to take the next step against the reigning title holders.

"We take full responsibility. There were enough sessions to perform correctly on the field, and I don't think we've quite done that," the captain told.

"Australia deserve praise. They were good defensively. But we've got plenty to address. It seems not as prepared as we expected we were going into this series.

"So it's a good wake-up call for us, and [there is] loads to develop."

The Kangaroos 'Show Up and Prove Merciless'

After being soundly beaten in an mistake-ridden performance at the national stadium, Wane side's were much improved on the weekend back in the core regions of the North.

In a rousing first half, England forced mistakes from the Kangaroos and had dominant territory and possession, but importantly did not convert opportunities on the scoreboard.

Notably, England have now managed just one try over the series so far, with St Helens hooker the forward barging over late on in the setback in London.

Conversely, the Kangaroos have accumulated half a dozen so far - and when blunders began to affect the England's play just after the half-time, it was a case of inevitability, they were going to be heavily penalized.

Initially Cameron Munster crossed, and then so too did Hudson Young. From being level at 4-4, England were down by double digits.

"Satisfied for the bulk of the game. I thought for most of the match we were good," said Wane.

"The switch off for 10 minutes after half-time hurt us immensely. Munster's try was avoidable and should not be scored in a Test match.

"The team is heartbroken. Extremely pleased the squad had a fight but very frustrated with that second-half lapse, which proved costly dearly."

Although the next World Cup in Oceania is just under a year from now, the team's primary concern will be on attempting to salvage honor, preventing a series whitewash and eliminating the issues that frustrated Wane.

"I hoped to see additional intensity directed toward Australia. I wanted us to build pressure in the game - we fell short last week," added the 61-year-old.

"We did this week. It's just a bit of detail in our offensive play where we could have put them under greater stress. We need to stop each of [tries] more effectively.

"Credit to Australia - that is no detriment to them. They arrive and are clinical when they get a chance, and we weren't, but defensively we can and should do better.

"The Australians will be focused to win all three Tests and we need to be just as focused to make it a competitive series. I've told that to the squad. It has to be our main aim. It's going to be a tough week but the side that wants it the greatest will get the win next week."

Competitive Edge Needs to Improve in Domestic Competition

The English side have participated in a similar number of Test matches to Australia since the last World Cup in 2022.

Yet Wane believes that the caliber of the NRL - and level of the State of Origin matches between NSW and Queensland - offer a more effective foundation for performing at the top of the international game than what is available in the Europe.

Wane added that the packed domestic league calendar left little opportunity for him to coach his players during the season, which will only raise additional concerns around how the national team can bridge the gap to Australia before heading to Oceania in 2026.

"They play a large number of Test matches in their league," Wane stated.

"We play 10-15 a year. It's crucial really intense games to enhance the competition and boost our chances of winning these high-stakes fixtures.

"I couldn't even practice with the squad. There was no chance to got on the field in the season and despite having the total cooperation of everyone in Super League.

"I understand in the shoes of the head coaches that must to win games. The league is that congested. It's a pity but it's not the reason we got beaten today."