Walsh and Nawaqanitawase in Australia squad for England tour

Reece Walsh’s victory in the third-test Ashes series in England, which kicks off later this month, caps a remarkable season.

The 23-year-old full-back, who helped the Brisbane Broncos win Sunday’s NRL Grand Final, is one of seven new faces in the 24-member squad under head coach Kevin Walters.

Mark Nawaqanitawase, a convert to rugby union and a former World Cup player, will join the Wallabies as a dual-code international in the coming years.

Nawaqanitawase, 25, was given a spot following his outstanding debut for the NRL with Sydney Roosters, where he was the competition’s top try-scorer.

Gehamat Shibasaki, who was playing for the Broncos against Melbourne Storm on Sunday and winning their first NRL title since 19 years, has also been named for Australia’s first team.

The list of new call-ups includes Ethan Strange, Keaon Koloamatangi, Jacob Preston, and Blayke Brailey.

Isaah Yeo, a team-mate of the Penrith Panthers, will assist Nathan Cleary in selecting the Australian squad that will include a number of famous players.

At Wembley on October 25 and Wembley on November 1 and 1 November, at Everton Hill Dickinson Stadium in England, at AMT Headingley on November 8. All three games will be broadcast live on BBC One at 14:30.

Walters observed that “there is a mix of experience and youth, and all of them have the desire to represent their country on this occasion.” I’m looking forward to coaching this squad.

The Broncos came back from 10 points down at halftime to win 26-22. Walsh put on an extraordinary performance in the Grand Final.

When he was outnumbered two to one in the final seconds, he scored a memorable try, beating five opponents to score under the posts. He also made three assists and made a dramatic try-saving tackle on Ryan Papenhuyzen.

Ben Hunt, a Broncos teammate, praised him as an “absolu freak.”

Reece Walsh will have a strange combination of fear and joy in the British rugby league public after watching him play in Sunday’s NRL Grand Final. The public was already aware that he would be selected for Australia’s squad to face England in the hours leading up to the announcement.

Walsh gave a freakish display of defensive desperation and heart on the big stage as the Brisbane Broncos won. If England doesn’t get to grips with him, he will win the series, assuming he replaces Penrith’s equally talented Dylan Edwards.

Unsettlingly, the England squad’s superstars are not the only ones chosen, according to Shaun Wane. In 2025, Roosters winger Mark Nawaqanitawase won the NRL rookie of the year award for his impressive tries on the wing and backlog of eye-opening tries.

Other stars have also received praise for their performances, including former team members Cam Munster, Nathan Cleary, and captain Isaah Yeo, along with Canberra’s Ethan Strange and Walsh’s Broncos team-mate Gehamat Shibasaki.

Some battle-tested forwards are heading north this fall: Man Mountain Keaon Koloamatangi, who toured with Tonga in 2023, returns with green and gold, and Patrick Carrigan, Lindsay Collins, and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, who bring Harry Grant’s strength and presence to the hooker to playoff.