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Star players withdraw from Kangaroos squad; shock announcements named
Sam Kosack • October 7th, 2025 7:13 pm
Xavier Coates and Zac Lomax have reportedly withdrawn from Australia's squad to play England, with Bradman Best and Josh Addo-Carr called into the Kangaroos team.
Coates was reportedly battling an ankle injury suffered during the Storm’s grand final, while Zac Lomax has also been forced out with a hip injury.
Bradman Best has been reportedly called in to make his Kangaroos debut, having been originally tipped to make the squad, only to be left out for Gehamat Shibasaki.
Lomax has been linked to the rebel rugby union competition R360; however, it is not believed his withdrawal is related.
At the announcement of the Ashes squad on Monday, coach Kevin Walters said he had no concern around picking Lomax despite his rumoured R360 connection looming as a distraction for the tour.
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"We’ve got the full support of the Commission on the selection of the side,” Walters said.
"We’re focusing on these three Tests. What happens next year or in two years’ time is out of our control. What we can control is the selection of this team for the Ashes series.
"I wouldn’t have thought so (that it’d be a distraction in camp) having spoken to Zac himself. He’s got a good mindset around the tour, and he’s been training extremely hard and focusing on the tour to get himself fit and ready for selection.
"I’ve had several conversations with him so he’s right to go. I didn’t talk to him about the rugby stuff."
Addo-Carr has earned a recall to the national side for the first time since 2022 after a standout season for the Eels.
"That was definitely one of my goals (from the start of the year) to try and get back in there, the Kangaroo squad," Addo-Carr said back in August.
"Origin as well, that was something I wanted to try and get back to.
"Hopefully, I do get that call-up. I definitely won't let the country down or my teammates down."
