Walters’ enthusiasm fuels Ashes anticipation

Being awakened in the wee hours of the morning to watch Australia’s rugby league team compete on some remote field in England was special for a young Kevin Walters.

That Queenslandian boy from Ipswich, who had just fallen asleep, first became aware of the rivalry as they ran, passed, tackled, and kicked against the vicious “Poms” in the rich color of the green and gold shirts on the screen.

Walters would later live out those childhood fantasies and play as a Kangaroos tourist in “Old Dart” as a player along with brothers Kerrod and Steve.

He will now take over as Australia’s head coach after replacing Mal Meninga, who was their former Test teammate. He had a strong desire for this position.

Additionally, there is an Ashes series included. Perfect for a novice rugby league player.

We are taking the Kangaroos to England for an Ashes match, according to Walters, who told BBC Sport, “it is a world game.”

Given his superstar status and enthusiasm for international rugby league, Meninga’s departure in June to take up the head coaching position with new franchise Perth Bears was a blow in Ashes terms.

Meninga had been in charge since 2016, had won two World Cups, and needed a different challenge, according to the article, suggesting that club rugby league had a stronger pull than the international game.

Walters’ return gives Australia a face that recognizes the advantages of a global game and the “unique” experience of playing in England since.

Australia take on England in three Test matches on one Saturday, starting at Wembley on October 25; the second at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium on November 1; and the third at AMT Headingley on November 8; all 14: 30 kick-offs are broadcast live on the BBC in the UK.

Walters is confident that the series will have a lasting impact on Australian fans because they haven’t seen their team face England since 2017 and haven’t traveled exclusively for an Ashes series since 2003.

“Australians are very interested in the games over there, and I’ve spoken to a few of our top Kangaroos players in the squad, and they’re so excited about the opportunity to travel to England,” Walters continued.

“Many of them haven’t traveled to England,” he said. Some of them have played in England, but they haven’t yet faced England. I’m looking forward to those guys getting the chance to experience something that is very special, and I’m very excited about it.

Walters will still have riches to mine for his 22-strong squad despite the controversy surrounding players who have chosen to avoid bringing themselves to Australia and opting to choose heritage nations, as powerful prop Payne Haas has done with Samoa.

The Queenslander has also highlighted outsider contenders like Ethan Strange at his former club Canberra while established internationals like Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Latrell Mitchell, James Tedesco, and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui are in the frame.

Walters anticipates that an intense NRL play-off series will prepare his players for the demands of a tour against an England team that have defeated Tonga and Samoa in previous series.

It’s caused our players to play in a fierce competitive environment, Walters claimed.

There will be some exciting battles in the coming weeks before the NRL finals, where Queensland and New South Wales come together as one for Australia. Our main players will actually speak up that way.

Shaun Wane, Walters’ opposite number, is boosted by the number of English players who are active in the NRL, which also gives him a chance to follow closely the development of stars like Herbie Farnworth, Victor Radley, and Dom Young.

He and his team, which will include Gorden Tallis, a former Kangaroos legend, have been playing Super League from the beginning.

And while Wane’s recent squad initially had some familiar faces, they have quickly learned to value the range of talent.

Walters’ ability to learn information has grown as a result of additional Australian coaches at Hull FC, including John Cartwright and Brad Arthur, who both had caught the eye at Hull KR under Willie Peters.

Walters recalled some agonizing afternoons spent at Wembley as a tourist and said, “We’re very respectful of the English and their abilities, especially in England.”

When you play over there, you two seem to gain another leg. It’s challenging to play and win there.

However, Walters’ distinguished Kangaroos career produced far more happy days than sad ones.