Different band, but song remains the same for Hanley

From dealing with injuries and suspensions to having to ask players to change their plans for a weekend away, Ellery Hanley has faced some unexpected challenges in his first head coach appointment for 14 years.

But for the man who will take charge of the Combined Nations All Stars against England on Saturday and is near universally regarded as one of the greatest ever to play the game of rugby league, there are some things which never change.

Hanley has not served in a head coach position since guiding Doncaster to promotion from League One in his sole season in charge in 2008 yet has maintained close contact with the sport, not least of all through his role as chairman of the Man of Steel judging panel.

And while there are some facets of rugby league which have evolved in the intervening years, the former Great Britain and St Helens boss knows the basics stay the same ahead of this weekend's international, live on Sky Sports.

"The game has evolved, yes, but the format of the game and the framework has stayed exactly the same," Hanley, who guided Saints to Super League Grand Final glory in 1999, said.

"You still have to defend, you still have to make your first-up tackle and control the ruck area, you have to play the ball at plus-one breakneck speed and with a tidy play-the-ball as well. Your skills you have to bring to the game have to be spot on and you have to have a basis of fitness as well.

"I'll give you a simple, classic example of the game: Both sides of the ruck have to move up - you know you'll get found out if you don't, it's as simple as that.

"If your discipline isn't good, you'd get penalised for that. All of the really big areas, nothing has changed for me."

Saturday's match at the Halliwell Jones