Origin bonds set aside when Wheelaroos face England

Jack Brown has been credited as the man who turned around Queensland’s fortunes in the Wheelchair State of Origin.

But the Queenslanders will now be gunning for Brown, with the Englishman to take to the court against the Australian Wheelaroos in their opening Rugby League World Cup pool match tomorrow, Friday November 4, at 5.30am AEST.

The able-bodied athlete first debuted for England in 2005 and is one of the country’s top wheelchair rugby league players.

He has helped develop the game in Australia since moving to Queensland and took on the reins as the state’s Origin coach, guiding the Wheelchair Maroons to back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.

Queensland’s players within the Wheelaroos squad know they have learnt a lot from the experienced Brown – who won the 2008 Wheelchair World Cup with England – but are ready to take it to him on the court.

Queensland co-captain Shaun Harre won’t play for Australia in the first pool match, but is eagerly awaiting the “friendly fire” between his state coach and his teammates.

“They’ll be looking for him and won’t take it easy on him,” Harre said of the clash between the Queensland-based Wheelaroos and Brown.

“I have played against (Brown) locally in the SEQ competitions and I was always up for the challenge. It was always better for me to verse the best because you want to beat them.

“He then moved up to Townsville this year and he’s been training with our players up there. But the talk around that is they don’t take it very easy on him at all.”

Zac Schumacher, Queensland's other co-captain, is one of those Townsville players who has been training with Brown.

He will take to the court tomorrow morning and knows a massive challenge lies ahead in shutting down his coach.

“Playing against Jack and the England team is going to a tough match-up,” Schumacher said.

“Knowing how Jack sees the game and his experience, it will be hard to handle.

“From training with him in Townsville since May, we know his speed and strengths and if we keep a strong defensive line it will hopefully limit his impact.”

A host of other Queenslanders will take to the court for Australia tomorrow, including Bayley McKenna, Peter Arbuckle, James Hill and Adam Tannock.

Before Brown came onboard with the Queensland Wheelchair side, they had lost all seven meetings with NSW.

Then under Brown’s tutelage, they won the 2021 series – which was postponed to January 2022 due to COVID – and the 2022 series in July.

Harre said the Australian team are well aware of the challenge they face tomorrow, because of the impact Brown has had on the Queenslanders.

“Our Queensland team, we’d played with spirit and heart in the past but we didn’t have that winning edge,” Harre said.

“Jack Brown becoming our coach, he instilled a lot of values and guidance from stuff he’d learnt from England.

“It took us to the next level and we’ve been able to beat NSW since.

“He’ll definitely be one to watch.”