Hull KR's premiership winning mentor Willie Peters has joined his Vegas counterpart, Brad Arthur of Leeds, in throwing his hat into the ring to take England to the World Cup.
Peters, the former South Sydney and St George Illawarra halfback, was an assistant to Kangaroos mentor Kevin Walters in last year's Ashes Series but said he would be prepared to switch allegiances to coach England.
“Yep, look I’d certainly have a conversation - that’s for sure,” Peters said after the second-string Robins were beaten 34-6 by Wakefield at Sewell Group Craven Park on Sunday.
“I’d be interested in having a conversation and seeing where it goes from there.”
Despite England's 3-0 Ashes Series loss, Peters said there was a lot of appeal about the post, which has been vacant since Shaun Wane stepped down earlier this month.
"It’s a prestigious job, isn’t it," Peters said. “To be head coach of England, for any coach - whether you’re a young coach or an experienced coach - it’s an opportunity that I’m sure most people would want and I’m no different.
“I’ve been over here for … this is my fourth year (of coaching), I’ve played over here (for Wigan), I know the game over here really well.
“So certainly, it’s an opportunity that if it arose … as I say, I’d certainly like to have a conversation around it. We’ll see how we go from there.”
Since Wane's departure, a host of names have been linked to the England job for RLWC26, including the likes of Sam Burgess, Michael Maguire, Paul Rowley and Brian McDermott.
Arthur confirmed his interest in coaching England after the Rhinos pre-season match against Bradford Bulls on the weekend, while Peters, who he will go head-to-head with at Allegiant Stadium on February 28, is also a contender.
Peters was part of the Australian coaching staff that plotted England's downfall during the Ashes Series, but he said it was too early to say whether this might count in his favour.
“I don’t want to go that far,” he said. “I don’t know - as I say, if conversations did happen - where it goes from there. I’ll look at it.
"I’m just being honest and answering the question: would I be interested? Certainly interested in having a discussion, that’s for sure."
Meanwhile, Peters said North Queensland signing Karl Lawton was one of the players who helped their chances of travelling to Vegas in a game which his senior players opted to skip.
Peters gave his players a choice between sitting out of the Wakefield clash or playing but being rested in other games between now and the World Club Challenge against Brisbane on February 19.
Despite most of his champion side watching from the grandstand, Peters said, “there’ll be some guys there tonight for sure” who make the trip to Nevada and push for WCC inclusion.
“It’s too early for Vegas - we’ve got the Challenge Cup in a couple of weeks and then round one,” he said. “But Jordan Dezaria (is one), Karl Lawton….
“Karl Lawton's an under-rated player anyway, he held us together that first half against a really good team. Against a really good team, that could have blown out more than what it did.
"I thought he did some good things, I thought Bill Leyland - as the game went on - did some good things. Those sort of guys will certainly be in consideration for sure.”
NRL stars keen to build on Vegas success
Forward Tom Amone broke his hand during a training camp in Tenerife but would be fit for the clash with Brisbane at MKM Stadium, Peters said, but would miss round one against York on February 12.
Another forward, Sam Luckley, has a knee injury and his ETA is around the start of the season proper.
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