SHAUN WANE is set to be named as England’s new rugby league coach.

But he could have just four games to get them into shape for a tilt at next year’s World Cup on home soil.

Shane Wane is set to become England's new rugby league boss Credit: Rex Features

The ex-Wigan boss is believed to have got the nod over Wayne Bennett, who flopped bossing the returning Great Britain Lions.

Rugby Football League chiefs held a full review into that and weighed up whether to give the legendary Australian a new deal until 2021, which is he what wanted.

But SunSport understands Bennett will be replaced by Wane. And an announcement is due next week.

Wane, who has worked as a high performance coach for the Scottish Rugby Union, has been out of the sport since 2018.

The Englishman, who played twice for Great Britain in the mid-1980s, is known as a great man-manager and motivator.

He guided his hometown team Warriors to three Super League titles, a Challenge Cup and the World Club Challenge in 2017.

Wane won plenty of trophies with the Wigan Warriors Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd

England are set to return to the international picture this year after Great Britain’s awful tour, with defeats to Tonga, New Zealand twice and, most embarrassingly, Papua New Guinea.

That, along with a failure to grasp the difference between the Lions — brought back after 12 years — and England, is thought to have done for Bennett.

Wane is believed to have put his name forward while Castleford’s Daryl Powell and Salford’s Ian Watson were also in the frame.

However, a mid-season Test against Samoa on June 20 in Australia, which Bennett campaigned for so strongly, is up in the air.

England and Samoa were drawn together in the same World Cup group. The Samoans, likely to have Sonny Bill Williams in their side, start the tournament against the hosts at Newcastle’s St James’ Park on October 23.

Three Tests against world champs Australia are set in stone — at Bolton Wanderers FC on October 31, Leeds’ Elland Road on November 7 and Tottenham’s new stadium on November 14.

A mid-season Test next year is also likely to take place.

Wane is likely to oversee a changing of the guard as several players, including skipper Sean O’Loughlin and prop James Graham, could retire soon.

In the World Cup, England face group games with Greece at Bolton and France at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane.

They could also play at Anfield and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.