2025 Ashes Tour

[Perth Red]

RL drawing big crowds for international tournaments in four different countries and getting great TV ratings in Australia, England and presumably NZ, PNG, Samoa & Tonga. Kangaroos consistently out rating the Wallabies. We need to have more belief in the international game.

Been a tremendous International season so far. There's been a real buzz about the Ashes despite the results. Looks like the games in Oz and NZ have also done well. Onwards and upwards! Be great if we can align the NRL and SL seasons with less games and have a longer Int window so we can get 5-6 games in for each nation. We need more exposure and opportunity to keep growing the interest and fanbase of our Int sides.

 

[Perth Red]

The 2000s team had a couple of wins and the 2010s team was playing an immortal-tier Australia.

I think the closer result is more a reflection of Australia being worse than England being better. The current England team lacks a real forward leader/enforcer and despite a pretty hot backline on paper so far they haven't delivered a try.

People keep saying that but a spine of Walsh, Munster, Cleary, Grant and Yeo are hardly a weak line up! I dont think Australia have overly performed but thats often the case, these players get very little time to learn each others games.

 

[Perth Red]

Again, you're being very reductive in your suggestion that the NRL has just sat back and all these polynesian players have just fallen into their laps.

The pacific nations are strong not only because of the Australian based players but because of the ones in NZ. The NRL had the foresight to put in a NZ team years ago that has paid dividends in developing young polynesian kids into quality RL players. Id not call that being gifted anything.

The RFL has had a real opportunity over many many years to establish a foothold in France, Scotland and Wales and they have squandered every one of them. Thats got zero to do with migration of any particular ethnic group

TBF the Polynesian/Māori body type is the most suited to RL in the world. There's a reason they are dominating the NRL player market despite being a much lower % of population. If French people were all built like Islanders then Im sure you'd see a much stronger French team!

 

[Perth Red]

Despite the result, loved the experience at Everton. I don’t mind a grind. I know, I’m old. Think picking Headingley was a mistake. I know quite a few who missed out on Everton, couldn’t get to London & missed out also on Headingley. Although I don’t like Elland Road, think they would have sold near to capacity. I think they underestimated the pull of a Kangeroos tour. Look at crowd for WC semi v Kiwis few years back. By the way, one the finest games of any sport I’ve had luck to witness in the flesh. The sporting public out there want it. Just look at attendances and tv viewing figures. As of the games themselves, England have been very poor in attack no doubt, but look at some of blow out scores in origin, etc. We’re not a million miles off but need more exposure to Southern Hemisphere teams.

We are ltd in 30k stadia in Yorkshire. There's really only MKM at Hull other than Headingly in RL heartland and the crowds for internationals have been pretty poor in recent years sadly so I can see why RFL didnt want to chance it there. Hopefully Elland Rd gets redeveloped and gives Yorkshire a more suitable large game venue.

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

Again, you're being very reductive in your suggestion that the NRL has just sat back and all these polynesian players have just fallen into their laps.

The pacific nations are strong not only because of the Australian based players but because of the ones in NZ. The NRL had the foresight to put in a NZ team years ago that has paid dividends in developing young polynesian kids into quality RL players. Id not call that being gifted anything.

The RFL has had a real opportunity over many many years to establish a foothold in France, Scotland and Wales and they have squandered every one of them. Thats got zero to do with migration of any particular ethnic group

And again, you're still lunging away at an argument that was never made.

Pasifika-heritage juniors develop through NRL systems in the same way as juniors from other cultural backgrounds. With very few exceptions, the primary reason those players are in those systems is that their parents or grandparents chose to migrate from the islands to NZ and/or Oz. There is no remotely similar demographic phenomenon available for exploitation in the Northern Hemisphere.

 

[Perth Red]

And again, you're still lunging away at an argument that was never made.

Pasifika-heritage juniors develop through NRL systems in the same way as juniors from other cultural backgrounds. With very few exceptions, the primary reason those players are in those systems is that their parents or grandparents chose to migrate from the islands to NZ and/or Oz. There is no remotely similar demographic phenomenon available for exploitation in the Northern Hemisphere.

Did any of the Tonga or Samoa squad play Jnr RL in the islands? Where any of them born there? I do agree NRL got lucky with migration, its done virtually nothing to develop players actually in the Pacific, yet.

 

[King hit]

When do the teams for the 3rd test get announced?

 

[Taking The Two]

When do the teams for the 3rd test get announced?

Australia announced their team on the Tuesday for the first and second tests. England, as they do in Super League, announced their team 48 hours before kick-off, so on Thursday. I assume that Australia are following suit with England, given they haven’t announced their squad yet.

I would expect them to be announced tomorrow around 12-2pm (UK Time).

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

Teams are out now, Kevvys going for the whitewash.

 

[adamkungl]

People keep saying that but a spine of Walsh, Munster, Cleary, Grant and Yeo are hardly a weak line up! I dont think Australia have overly performed but thats often the case, these players get very little time to learn each others games.

You'll never find a weak Australian lineup but it doesn't hold a candle to Slater, Lockyer/Cronk, Thurston, Smith, Inglis

 

[Captain Apollo]

When do the teams for the 3rd test get announced?

I can't find anything on the NRL's site, but I found this just now on Fox Sports website posted about 30 minutes ago -

Brutal call on six players in Kangaroos team for final Ashes Test as Kev gets ruthless

Brutal call on six players in Kangaroos team for final Ashes Test as Kev gets ruthless

www.foxsports.com.au

It lists the team as -

1. Reece Walsh. 2. Mark Nawaqanitawase, 3. Kotoni Staggs, 4. Gehamat Shibasaki, 5. Josh Addo-Carr, 6. Cameron Munster, 7. Nathan Cleary, 8. Pat Carrigan, 9. Harry Grant, 10. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, 11. Angus Crichton, 12. Hudson Young, 13. Isaah Yeo (c), 14. Tom Dearden, 15. Lindsay Collins, 16. Reuben Cotter, 17. Keaon Koloamatangi.

 

[Captain Apollo]

NRL's website now has the official team announcement -

Kangaroos team for Third Ashes Test

Australia’s Head Coach Kevin Walters has named the Kangaroos team to play England in the Third Test of the Ashes series at AMT Headingley Stadium this Saturday.

www.nrl.com

It's almost exactly as that listed in the Fox Sports article, except they have also -

18. Bradman Best; 19. Lindsay Smith; 20. Mitchell Moses .

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Harsh on the rest of the squad players.
We’d win with any combination of the touring players, why not give them a run.

 

[King hit]

Yeo being back is the real positive. Feel his presence will bring a more composed performance. We got caught up in Englands niggling to much in the second test.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Harsh on the rest of the squad players.
We’d win with any combination of the touring players, why not give them a run.

Why? It's not a participation team where everyone gets a run. It's a Test match. You put your best team out there.

If they had non-test matches as part of tour, that's when your "emus" would get a run and make a case for selection in the text team.

Otherwise, considering there's a World Cup in 2026, you need your core players to establish a bit of chemistry from playing together. England may not be a strong side, but you couldn't say that about NZ, Samoa nor Tonga that any combination of NRL players in an Australian jersey would beat them.

 

[MRN]

A nice graphic of the team announcement

 

[mozza91]

Was hoping Best would get a run in the centres. Would like to see Strange get a game too.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

TBF the Polynesian/Māori body type is the most suited to RL in the world. There's a reason they are dominating the NRL player market despite being a much lower % of population. If French people were all built like Islanders then Im sure you'd see a much stronger French team!

And if my grandmother had wheels she'd be a bike

France has a massive African population and you can't tell me those fellas don't make great Rugby athletes. Frances issues have nothing to do with any absurd notion of having the wrong genetics, it's everything to do with the RFL dropping the ball

Are you gonna blame the English teams lack of success on their being no Islanders in their team?

 

[Matua]

Did any of the Tonga or Samoa squad play Jnr RL in the islands? Where any of them born there? I do agree NRL got lucky with migration, its done virtually nothing to develop players actually in the Pacific, yet.

For the Tongan born Tongans Katoa was a rugby player when he arrived in NZ for high school. Leka was a league junior ... but in NZ. For Samoa I think there only Samoan born are RTS and Mariota who both came to NZ and learnt their league here. So, don't think any played Jnr RL in the islands, I'm happy to be corrected by a PI poster though.

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

There is no remotely similar demographic phenomenon available for exploitation in the Northern Hemisphere.

It`s not our fault that you didn`t get your large population of `Southern Asians` playing Rugby League.