The waiting is over for Shaun Wane, who will finally get the chance to coach internationally on the main stage when the 2021 World Cup kicks off in Newcastle on Saturday.

The treble Grand Final-winning Wigan boss has endured a frustrating time since his appointment, initially on a two-year deal, as the successor to Australian Wayne Bennett in February 2020.

A month later the Covid-19 pandemic struck which put paid to the Ashes Series in the autumn of that year and forced the postponement of the World Cup.

Wane, whose contract was extended by 12 months to take in the delayed tournament, has had contests against the Combined Nations All Stars and matches against France and Fiji but admits the serious business begins now, starting with the opening game against star-studded Samoa.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 10: (Back Row L-R) Ashton Golding of Jamaica, Dale Ferguson of Scotland, James Tedesco of Australia, Sam Tomkins of England, Junior Paulo of Samoa, Kevin Naiqama of Fiji, Nathan Brown of Italy, George King of Ireland (Front Row L-R) Elliot Kear of Wales, Jason Taumalolo of Tonga, Benjamin Garcia of France, Jessa Bromwich of New Zealand, Mitchell Moses of Lebanon, Jordan Meads of Greece, Rhyse Martin of Papua New Guinea and Brad Takairangi of Cook Islands pose for a photograph during the Rugby League World Cup 2021 Tournament Launch events at the Science and Industry Museum on October 10, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images for RLWC2021)

“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “I’ve been bored for the last two years.

“I am desperate for this tournament but my job as head coach is to make the complicated very simple. I need to prioritise what’s going to help us get a win against Samoa.

“We performed okay against Fiji but this is a different challenge this weekend against a really good Samoan team with six players from the NRL winners.

“We need to be good to win but they need to be good as well. It’s going to be full-on and I’m very confident that my players are going to deliver.

“They’ve got big athletes, man for man they’re 10-15 kilos heavier than us.

“We’re a different breed, we’re not as big but we’re very athletic and we have things in our game that we believe can trouble Samoa.”

Ahead of the game, here’s all you need to know to keep up with the action...

What time is kick-off?

England v Samoa will kick off at 2:30pm at St James’ Park in Newcastle on Saturday, October 15.

Is it on TV?

BBC have won broadcast rights for the tournament. Coverage of England’s game starts at 1:15pm on BBC One.

Is there a stream?

A live stream will be available on BBC iPlayer. The service can be used on desktop, game consoles, mobiles and tablets.

How can I watch the Rugby League World Cup? TV channel and streaming details for England v Samoa