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In the words of skipper the England captain, England were handed a harsh "sobering lesson" as the Kangaroos clinched the prestigious series.

Australia's 14-4 triumph at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium on the weekend gave them a 2-0 series lead, making next week's final match in Leeds a academic contest.

Shaun Wane's side had come into the series harbouring hopes of inflicting the Kangaroos to their maiden Ashes setback since the 1970s.

Over the last 24 months, they had enjoyed a dominant victory over the Tongan side and a success over the Samoan team. But as the prestigious competition resumed after a long break, England were failed to make the leap against the top-ranked team.

"We're not making excuses. We've had enough preparations to perform correctly on the pitch, and I don't think we've quite done that," Williams stated.

"Full marks to the Kangaroos. They were good defensively. But we've got plenty to work on. It seems not as good as we expected we were entering this series.

"So it's a necessary lesson for us, and we have plenty to develop."

The Kangaroos 'Turn Up and Prove Merciless'

Having been soundly beaten in an mistake-ridden performance at the national stadium, Wane side's were significantly better on the weekend back in the rugby league heartlands of the North.

In a rousing first half, the home side forced mistakes from the Kangaroos and had superior positioning and ball control, but unfortunately did not convert opportunities on the scoreboard.

Notably, the English team have now managed just a single touchdown over 160 minutes, with player Daryl Clark scoring late on in the setback in London.

Conversely, the Kangaroos have scored half a dozen so far - and when errors began to affect the hosts' play just after the break, it was a case of certainty, they were going to be made to pay.

Initially Cameron Munster went over, and then so too did the forward. From being tied at 4-4, the home side were trailing by 10.

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

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

"We're devastated. So proud the players had a go but so disappointed with that second-half lapse, which proved costly significantly."

Although the next World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea is just under a year from now, the team's short-term goal will be on attempting to salvage honor, preventing a 3-0 sweep and eliminating the issues that frustrated the coach.

"I wanted to see additional intensity thrown at Australia. My aim was us to maintain momentum in the game - we fell short last week," added the 61-year-old.

"We did this week. It's just a minor refinements in our offensive play where we could have put them under greater stress. It's essential to defend both [tries] better.

"Fair play to the Kangaroos - that is no slight to them. They arrive and are ruthless when they capitalize, and we weren't, but defensively we can and should do enhance.

"The Australians will be determined to win all three Tests and we need to be equally determined to make it a respectable scoreline. I've told that to the players. This must become our main aim. It's going to be a tough week but whoever desires it the most will emerge victorious next week."

Competitive Edge Needs to Increase in Domestic Competition

The English side have played a similar number of international fixtures to the Kangaroos since the last World Cup in recent years.

However Wane argues that the caliber of the Australian league - and level of the State of Origin matches between NSW and Queensland - deliver a much better preparation for competing at the highest level of the international game than what is on offer in the Europe.

Wane added that the packed Super League fixture list allowed no time for him to work with his squad during the season, which will only pose additional concerns around how England can bridge the gap to Australia before heading to the Southern Hemisphere in 2026.

"The Australians play a lot of internationals in their competition," he stated.

"England play ten to fifteen a year. We need really intense games to enhance the domestic league and increase our prospects of succeeding in these sorts of games.

"I couldn't even train with the players. There was no chance to got on the field in the campaign and despite having the complete support of all clubs in Super League.

"I have also been in the boots of the head coaches that must to win games. The league is that tight. It's a pity but that's not the cause we got beaten today."