England’s NRL ace out of Ashes Test with broken foot
Ian Chadband |
England’s NRL flyer Dom Young will miss the final Ashes Test at Leeds after it was revealed he broke his foot in the second-Test aerial clash with Kangaroos superstar Reece Walsh.
The hosts, desperate to avoid a 3-0 whitewash at Headingley after Australia wrapped up the series win with victories at Wembley and Everton, have brought in Harry Newman and Joe Burgess for Saturday’s ‘dead’ rubber.
Burgess, who had a brief spell in Sydney with the Roosters and the Rabbitohs, will replace the 24-year-old Newcastle Knights winger Young, who limped out of England’s 14-4 defeat at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday after his mid-air collision with Walsh late in the game as the pair challenged for a high kick.
Walsh’s challenge was deemed worthy of 10 minutes in the sin bin, while Young soldiered on briefly before being helped off the field by support staff.
England coach Shaun Wane initially reported Young should be fit for the third Test, but revealed on Thursday as he unveiled his England team: “Dom Young has a broken bone, so he’s out and in a boot.”
Walsh, though, escaped any further punishment after the incident was examined by the match review panel and has been cleared to spearhead Australia’s bid for a clean sweep.
Burgess, who at 31 played a huge part in Super League champions Hull KR’s treble-winning season, will be playing his first Test for a decade. “I’m looking forward to seeing Joe Burgess, he’s earned it,” said Wane.
Newman comes in for Wigan centre Jake Wardle, who’s suffering from injury, meaning Leeds could have three of their home favourites in action, with fellow Rhinos Kallum Watkins and Mikolaj Oledzki keeping their places.
In another blow for England, North Queensland’s John Bateman misses out again with an ankle injury, so the NRL contingent in the home side will be four-strong – AJ Brimson, Herbie Farnworth, Kai Pearce-Paul and Morgan Smithies, as well as St Helens’ Dolphins-bound Morgan Knowles.
Wane is determined England avoid a repeat of the last series played in England 22 years ago when Darren Lockyer’s Kangaroos edged the hosts, then playing as Great Britain, in all three, tightly contested Tests.
“We’re just obsessed about making sure it’s not 3-0 this week,” said Wane.
“We don’t want to be the team that lost a Test series 3-0. There’s a lot of pride in it.
“We did a lot of good things last week but ultimately, we need to be even better if we want to get a win this weekend.”
England squad:
AJ Brimson (Gold Coast Titans), Joe Burgess (Hull KR), Daryl Clark (St Helens), Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins), Tom Johnstone (Wakefield Trinity), Morgan Knowles (St Helens), Matty Lees (St Helens), Mikey Lewis (Hull KR), Jez Litten (Hull KR), Mike McMeeken (Wakefield Trinity), Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos), Mikolaj Oledzki (Leeds Rhinos), Kai Pearce-Paul (Newcastle Knights), Harry Smith (Wigan Warriors), Morgan Smithies (Canberra Raiders), Owen Trout (Leigh Leopards), Alex Walmsley (St Helens), Kallum Watkins (Leeds Rhinos), George Williams (Warrington Wolves).
AAP
