AJ Brimson highlights potential England Ashes advantage after Grand Final observation

AJ Brimson believes England could have an advantage in the Ashes series if Saturday’s Grand Final was anything to go by.

Brimson was in attendance at Old Trafford last weekend as Hull KR beat Wigan Warriors to complete the treble and become just the fifth team to get their hands on the Super League trophy. However, the Gold Coast Titans man, who was one of 24 men named in Shaun Wane’s England squad on Monday, couldn’t help but notice subtle differences in the way the game is refereed in the UK.

The major difference, which has been brought up regularly by those coming over from the NRL, was the ruck speed and the amount of leeway given to players to slow things down.

On several occasions Brimson expected play to be brought to a halt for a penalty only to see Liam Moore allow play to continue despite clear attempts to slow down play.

Referee arrangements for the Ashes are yet to be confirmed, but if any of the Tests are refereed in a similar style, the playmaker believes that will suit Shaun Wane’s side.

“I did go to the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford on Saturday. It was good to watch, the atmosphere is crazy,” Brimson told the English press pack earlier this week.

“It is a different game, not so much in style but it is a different game, it’s interesting to come over here and watch it live.

“It is hard to pinpoint exactly why it is different, I think just watching the matches, it is quite hard to pinpoint. In terms of the Grand Final there was a few times the ref let the game go when they might have been slowing the ruck down, which I’m all for letting the game, but there was a lot of times where I was thinking there’d be a penalty for slowing the ruck and it wasn’t. Little things like that.

“It was good, there was some push and shoves and there was an ugly tackle and there ended up being a sin bin but it was good to let it flow.

“Even with the pushing and shoving, the ref handled it well and said get back to things. It’ll suit us if it is reffed that way.”

AJ Brimson on his England dream

Brimson arrives in the England set up in arguably the form of his career, having won the Titans’ player of the year award after scoring 12 tries in 23 games under Des Hasler this year.

And, given his versatility, adding depth at full-back, stand-off and centre, he was a straightforward pick for Wane once he’d put his hand up to switch allegiances and play for England. Brimson qualifies through his English-born mother, but had to go through an International Rugby League tribunal to be deemed eligible having represented Australia in the 2019 World Cup Nines.

However, the opportunity to pull on the white jersey is one that he’s dreamed of for a long time.

“I was trying back in 2022 but I was told I was ineligible back then,” he said. “I thought I’d randomly try my luck again at the start of this year.

“I expressed my interest again and we got onto behind the scenes kind of stuff to make it all happen and there was a lot of hurdles to jump through but we got there in the end.

“There was a few back and forths, a long road jumping through hoops, but my manager handled most of them things.

“I have always loved England and the England jersey, even in football as well. It is just something that I’ve always wanted to do.”