England are on a four-game winning streak and have the first two Tests in a three Test series with New Zealand.

Wayne Bennett's side also defeated the Kiwis in Denver in June.

Great Britain is expected to tour down under next year, but no matches with the Kangaroos are currently scheduled.

Schofield, who represented his country 49 times, said the green and gold are running scared of England and should lose their number one world ranking if they won't play Bennett's men in 2019.

Meninga hit back and told The Daily Telegraph: "Schofield is the mouth from the north.

"People don't even talk to him up there. He was here last year with a touring party, he was a shocker, wasn't he?

"We won't be running scared, put it that way. We have never been scared of the Poms over a three-match series."

The Kangaroos beat England 6-0 in Brisbane last year in the 2017 World Cup final. They defeated England 18-4 in Melbourne in their World Cup group opener.

Australia have not lost to England or Great Britain since 2006 in their past 12 encounters.