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📻 IMPORTANT AUCKLAND UPDATE 📻
English view: The Kangaroo that has 'caught the imagination' ahead of Ashes
Nicholas Quinlan • October 24th, 2025 6:09 pm
BBC Rugby League Commentator Matt Newsum has given his thoughts ahead of the First Ashes Test between Australia and England on Sunday morning.
It’s been 22 years since Australia last contested the Ashes, with the series building plenty of momentum over in the British Isles.
In the build-up to the match, there has been plenty of speculation about how the England team will look.
One of the main selection calls surrounding the English team is whether captain George Williams will be selected in the starting line-up.
It hasn’t been the best season for the former Raiders player after having struggled with injury during the season.
And while Newsum admits that his form has not been the best, his experience at the international level should hold him in good standing for the series.
“It’s been a tough year for him, tough year for Warrington, he had the ankle injury which took a while to come back from,” he said on SEN 1170’s Breakfast with Vossy and Brandy.
“And to be fair, he accelerated his return so he could play at Wembley in the Challenge Cup, and I just wonder…that was a big gamble that maybe took a bit longer to get over.
“And he was in a team (where) the confidence eroded throughout the campaign.
“If you’re going off form, would he be in that team? Probably not.
“But one thing that he does have at the international level in recent times, he’s stood up.
“He understands the game and certainly understands the rigours of NRL and what Test football looks like.”
While there has been plenty of fascination with the home team, the return of the Kangaroos to England has helped drive most of the interest in this series.
And there’s been one Australian player in particular who has captured the imagination ahead of the series beginning.
“It’s not quite the Beatles with screaming girls,” Newsum elaborated.
“But they’re an awful lot of English fans who, when the Aussie squad was named this weekend and it was important Reece Walsh was in…you could almost hear the stampede to the ticket office because some people had been hedging their bets (in seeing him).
“He has genuinely caught the imagination. I think there is genuine excitement in seeing what he can do.
“The thought of him crossing that turf and causing havoc is both mouth watering and nightmare-inducing for an Englishman.
“Because we want to see your best talent come through, but there’s also that bit at the back of your mind like, he can cause England so many problems.”
The Rugby League Ashes get underway early Sunday morning at Wembley Stadium.
That will begin at 12:30am AEDT.
And to listen to the full chat with Newsum, press the play button below.
