Australia have won another Ashes series but are hellbent on a 3-0 whitewash with Kevin Walters’ job on the line.
Can England save face in the dead rubber? And can a couple of potential changes spark a
Read on for all of the talking points ahead of the third Ashes Test!
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GOLDEN BOOT NOMINEES
Five Kangaroos players are in the running for the 2025 Golden Boot after 19 nominees were announced this week.
Reece Walsh, Reuben Cotter, Angus Crichton, Harry Grant and Cam Munster have been nominated for the award, which is given to the player of the year in international matches.
One of those five could earn the award with a strong performance against England in the third Test, but the two Aussies who are most likely after two international fixtures are Walsh and Crichton.
Walsh was at his dazzling best in the opening Ashes test. He was solid without being flash in the middle fixture.
Crichton meanwhile has been strong in both games and has probably been the forward of the series so far.
Starting in the second row, the Roosters star has averaged five tackle busts, 118 running metres, two offloads and 31 tackles a game.
If the award is won by an Australian, it would be the second straight year that’s occurred after Isaah Yeo picked it up in 2024.
While a 3-0 series win will strengthen an Australian’s chance of winning the award, there are some in form names in the nominee list.
Dylan Brown, Matt Timoko and Casey McLean are in hot form for the Kiwis while Samoa’s Jeremiah Nanai and Payne Haas would be worthy winners as well.
New Zealand play Samoa in Sydney on Sunday in the Pacific Cup final.
The 2025 Golden Boot will be announced next month.
LEGEND’S BRUTAL ENGLAND SWIPE
They’ve managed to keep the scoreline relatively close in both games, but rugby league great Greg Alexander hasn’t been impressed by what he’s seen from England this Ashes series.
In fact, he believes on current form, England wouldn’t beat a handful of NRL sides.
Speaking on his SEN breakfast radio show, Alexander responded to a hypothetical put forward by Maroons and Broncos great Corey Parker.
“We are going to win three-nil and we were always going to win three-nil,” Parker confidently exclaimed before asking, “If you played the Broncos, Panthers, Canberra, the Melbourne Storm … would they beat the English side?”
“Please, they’d (NRL clubs) beat them comfortably. Yes,” Alexander responded quickly.
It’s a damning assessment from Alexander, but given England’s complete lack of creativity
and potency in attack, is it that outlandish a statement? Probably not.
England haven’t been embarrassed because defensively, they’ve been excellent, but with ball in hand, they’ve offered nothing across the first two Tests, with former English captain Josh Hodgson labelling it as “hard to watch”.
A similar sentiment was shared by former Kangaroos prop Willie Mason.
Speaking on the Back 10 podcast, Mason, who rarely pulls punches, called England’s attack “pedestrian”.
“You have a crack … I just think your attack is very pedestrian, it’s block through block, out the back, out the back and with the Australian defences they’re just too good,” Mason said.
“You had to hit a straight line and you didn’t do that at all. Our defences are too good, you’ve got to try something else.
“They just don’t have that danger.”
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WILL 3-0 WHITEWASH BE ENOUGH FOR KEVVIE TO NAB WORLD CUP GIG?
It’s been the burning question for the bulk of this Ashes series.
Kevin Walters signed a three-match contract to lead the Kangaroos just for this Ashes series but beyond Sunday morning’s Test match, his future as national coach is uncertain.
Has he done enough to keep the job for next year’s World Cup?
“Who else are we picking? He’s just won an Ashes series,” Greg Alexander said on Fox League’s Ashes AM.
Walters certainly has to the favourite at this point in time given the Kangaroos are on the verge of another Ashes whitewash.
While they’ve hardly been convincing, allowing just one try in two Test matches should count for something although that probably says a lot about the talent gulf between the two sides as well.
Walters is reportedly keen to hold onto the job for the World Cup. That is evidenced by his selections for the third Test.
Barring the return of captain Isaah Yeo from injury, Australia will trot out the same 17 for the dead rubber, meaning only 18 of the 24 players in the squad will have been used on this tour.
Ruthless, sure. Walters is obviously keen for a whitewash and to consolidate the coaching gig for the World Cup.
Given they’ve stuck with the same side, there is now an expectation the Kangaroos win with the ears pricked this weekend against an England side who have chopped and changed personnel.
If Australia are able to do just that and win the dead rubber with ease, that should be enough for Walters to win the job.
However, a loss or another scrappy win against inferior opposition may cause the ARL Commission to take their time looking into other candidates.
Kangaroos assistant Gorden Tallis and head coach Kevin Walters.Source: Supplied
SHOULD KANGAROOS HAVE TURNED TO RESERVES?
In professional sport, particularly at representative level, nothing is given.
That’s why it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that Australia have made just one change to their team across the three match series.
That switch was a forced one as well. Had Isaah Yeo not suffered a head knock in the opening Test, there’s every chance Kevin Walters would’ve rolled with the same 17.
It means that six players from the touring squad won’t represent their country this series, those being Mitch Moses, Ethan Strange, Jacob Preston, Dylan Edwards, Blayke Brailey and Bradman Best.
Outside reaction to Walters’ decision has been mixed.
Former Broncos star Corey Parker believes Walters pulled the wrong rein not giving some of the reserves an opportunity.
“I thought it was a great opportunity – not because they were banging the door down – but because they’ve been over there on tour,” Parker said.
“You don’t just give away an Australian jersey, but there are some individuals who I believe should be under pressure (to retain their spots).
“These guys like Brailey, Best and Strange have been over there in England for nothing.”
However, the opinions of those that matter – the coaching staff and the players on tour – has been the same.
“I completely understand it,” Moses told the SMH.
“I feel like if I was in that position I wouldn’t want to give up my spot either.
“You have to put the team first and the country first. I think that’s what we’ve done well as emus. We’ve prepared the boys as well as we could.
“Hopefully the boys can finish them off 3-0.”
Skipper Isaah Yeo called it “a bit of a reward for the guys who have been there”.
“You never want to give away your jersey, but on the flip side is you’d love to give the boys who haven’t played an opportunity because they’ve been fantastic for us.
“I think there was a fair bit of swinging both ways but in the end we’re all in on this.
“We want to try and make it 3-0, that’s really important for this group.”
WILL CHANGES SPARK ENGLAND’S ATTACK?
Unlike Australia, it appears England will utilise all 24 players of their squad over the course of this series after coach Shaun Wane made two changes to his line-up for the final Test.
One of those is winger Dom Young, although that is a forced change. Young suffered a foot injury and has been replaced by Hull KR winger Joe Burgess.
The other switch is also in the backline with Harry Newman taking the place of the Jake Wardle, who has been playing through injury in the first two Tests.
England coach Shaun Wane has also confirmed exciting playmaker Mikey Lewis will see a uptick in minutes.
Lewis, this year’s Super League grand final man of the match, didn’t play in the opening Test and only had limited minutes off the bench.
He’s a player who adds plenty of x-factor, which this England side is in dire need of.
As Wane noted, Lewis looked lively in his stint off the bench in the second Test.
“I imagine Mikey is going to have more minutes,” Wane said.
“There was a lot of talk about bringing him earlier in game two. When you look at what he did, I won’t hesitate this week to bring him on earlier.”
England have scored just ten points in two games and only the one try.
Lewis will at least give the Australian defensive line something extra to think about, especially close to the line.
Mikey Lewis is expected to play significant minutes in the final Test.Source: Getty Images