Slater Out As Rugby League Returns to Wembley | Thebigtip

Australia’s triumphant return to Wembley came at a cost on the weekend with the world’s greatest player, Billy Slater, snapping his collarbone in the Aussie’s 36-20 victory over England.

Slater’s Four Nations tournement came to an abrupt end when he tried to shoulder a flying Ryan Hall over the touchline as Hall dived for the corner. Somehow Hall planted the ball over the tryline and the damage had been done.

It was a wonderful test match between two of rugby league’s oldest rivals with the English showing that big things are just around the corner.

English coach Steve Macnamara believes Australian coach Tim Sheens intimidated referee Henry Perenara in the lead up to the big game.

Perenara failed to send big Tony Williams from the field for a vicious high shot and refused to go to the video referee when it looked certain Tom Briscoe had scored.

"It was a wrong decision, poor decision, as simple as that," McNamara said.

"As I believe was the decision not to send off Tony Williams. That was a dead-set red card. No two ways about that. We would never ever use the officials as a reason why we never won that match this week.

"But the unfair influence at the start of the week by Tim Sheens and the rest of his staff - the pressure that referee must have been put under - I think is wrong.

"For me it is a straight send-off as he has hit him right across the top of the head and it is a sending-off offence.

"We had Adrian Morley sent off a few years ago about 16 seconds in, there are a lot of examples. Shaun Edwards quite a few years back on this same ground."

New Zealand have set up a huge showdown next week with England with the winner to face Australia in the Final after the Kiwi’s defeated Wales 36-0 in game one of the Wembley double header.

Sam McKendry is out of the tournement with a broken jaw while Fui Fui Moi Moi will struggle to be fit with an ankle problem.

Meanwhile the 2013 World Cup in the United Kingdom has been finalised with the Italians preparing for their first ever World Cup appearance.

Italy will make history when they play Tonga in their first match. That will be followed by matches against Scotland and Wales.

The USA Tomahawks have also qualified for the World Cup and will play games against Wales, Cook Islands and Scotland.