England head coach Steve McNamara insists his three-week stay in Australia was not used as a 'shopping trip' to find players with British passports.
McNamara met his six Australia-based England internationals during his time Down Under. The former Bradford boss handed international debuts to NRL-based pair Jack Reed and Chris Heighington during last year's Four Nations Series.Reports have suggested that Tongan Feleti Mateo, who has an Oxford-born mother, could be his next recruit, though McNamara is adamant he wants to retain an "English identity".
"There was a perception that I was down there on a 'shopping trip' for players with British passports, a situation which couldn't be further from the truth," he said.
"Our stance is, and always has been, that we will play within the international rules. That sometimes causes controversy, as we saw with the selection of Jason Tamou for today's Test against the Kiwis.
"But my trip wasn't about recruitment - I'm not going to target players just because they qualify to play for England.
"It's essential we maintain our English identity and that everyone who plays for England is selected to do so for the right reasons."
McNamara met with Gareth Ellis, who will be returning to Super League next year with Hull, Sam Burgess, James Graham, Heighington, Reed and Gareth Widdop, as well as Luke and George Burgess, during his visit.
"It was a very rewarding trip and an extremely useful exercise, not least because it provided me with an opportunity to talk through our plans for England on a face-to-face basis," he added.
"We had already had one ETS (Elite Training Squad) camp this year and have another coming up soon and it's important that the boys playing in the NRL are kept abreast of what we're doing.
"We have a great unity of purpose within the England squad and it was good to see that that sense of belonging has continued with the players in the NRL.
"They may be 12,000 miles away but it's certainly not a case of out of sight, out of mind. Their passion for England and belief in what we are doing is clearly still burning strong and there's a fantastic vibe."