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According to captain George Williams, England were handed a stark "reality check" as the Kangaroos clinched the Rugby League Ashes.

The Kangaroos' 14-4 triumph at the stadium in Liverpool on Saturday gave them a commanding series edge, making next week's sold-out third Test a dead rubber.

Shaun Wane's side had entered the series holding aspirations of sending the Kangaroos to their initial series loss since the 1970s.

In the past two years, they had enjoyed a 3-0 series win over the Tongan side and a success over Samoa. But as the Rugby League Ashes resumed after a two-decade hiatus, the English were unable to advance further against the world champions.

"We're not making excuses. We've had enough preparations to execute properly on the field, and I don't think we've quite done that," Williams commented.

"Credit to Australia. They proved good in defense. But there's a lot to work on. We're probably not as prepared as we expected we were entering this series.

"So it's a valuable wake-up call for us, and we have plenty to improve on."

The Kangaroos 'Arrive and Prove Clinical'

Having been heavily outplayed in an error-strewn display at Wembley, England's were significantly better on Saturday back in the traditional strongholds of England's north.

In an inspiring first half, the home side caused turnovers from the Kangaroos and had superior positioning and possession, but importantly did not capitalize on the scoreboard.

Notably, England have now managed just one score over 160 minutes, with St Helens hooker the forward powering through late on in the setback in the capital.

Conversely, Australia have accumulated half a dozen so far - and when errors began to affect the hosts' play just after the interval, it was a case of when, not if, they were going to be severely punished.

First Cameron Munster scored, and then so too did Hudson Young. From being tied at 4-4, the home side were down by double digits.

"Satisfied for the majority of the game. I thought for 70 minutes we were competitive," said Wane.

"The lapse for a brief period after half-time cost us immensely. The first try was soft and should never happen in a Test match.

"We're deeply disappointed. So proud the squad had a go but so disappointed with that after half-time, which cost us heavily."

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

"I hoped to see more directed toward the opposition. My aim was us to maintain momentum in the game - we didn't do that last week," added the 61-year-old.

"We did this week. The issue is a bit of detail in our offensive play where we could have applied under more pressure. It's essential to stop each of [tries] better.

"Fair play to Australia - that is not a criticism to them. They turn up and are clinical when they capitalize, and we failed to be, but defensively we must do better.

"They will be determined to win 3-0 and we need to be obsessed to make it a competitive series. I've told that to the squad. This must become our main aim. It will be a tough week but the side that wants it the most will emerge victorious next week."

Intensity Must to Improve in Super League

The English side have participated in a similar number of international fixtures to Australia since the previous global tournament in 2022.

Yet Wane argues that the caliber of the NRL - and level of the domestic rivalry matches between New South Wales and Queensland - deliver a much better preparation for performing at the top of the international game than what is available in the Europe.

The England coach commented that the packed Super League fixture schedule left little opportunity for him to coach his team during the campaign, which will only raise further questions around how the national team can bridge the gap to the Kangaroos before heading to the Southern Hemisphere in the next World Cup.

"They participate in a lot of internationals in their league," Wane stated.

"England have ten to fifteen a year. It's crucial highly competitive games to boost the competition and increase our prospects of winning these types of matches.

"I couldn't even practice with the players. There was no chance to got on the field in the campaign and despite having the total cooperation of all clubs in the domestic competition.

"I understand in the position of the club managers that must to win games. The competition is that tight. It's a pity but that's not the cause we got beaten today."