"Britain's dreadful performance left me humiliated and embarrassed," said Bamford. "Waite must do the decent thing and go.

"We were very poor in Sydney. The tactics were all wrong and Waite has no excuses.

"He has to go. The way we played angered and annoyed me. It's proved we're not as good as we've been led to believe and I don't know where we go from here."

Bamford felt the decision to pick versatile players for certain positions rather than specialists backfired badly.

"We are trying to play Australia at their own game and sacrificing natural ability. It's criminal what we are doing," he said.

"I'm baffled why Waite played Paul Sculthorpe, one of the best back rowers around, at stand-off.

"We never seem to learn. Defeat confirms my view that the domestic game is not as good as it's hyped up to be."