Five potential changes England boss Shaun Wane will be considering for third Ashes Test

England take on Australia at Headingley on Saturday in the third and final Test of the Ashes series.

The Kangaroos have secured the series win having won at Wembley and Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium already this autumn. As such, they travel to West Yorkshire knowing that another win will secure a 3-0 series whitewash and they’ll be doing all they can to pile the misery on their hosts.

England have underwhelmed over the last two weeks it’s fair to say but a whitewash would leave an extremely bitter taste in the mouths of Shaun Wane and co. They’ll be determined to register a win and bloody the nose of the Aussies this weekend then, and it seems as though changes are in the offing.

Wane has used all but two players in his 24-man squad, with Joe Burgess and Harry Newman being the only players not to get minutes so far. They could be set to come in this weekend but Wane has decisions to make in the halves and in the pack, too, with some key men underwhelming against the Aussies.

Here, we look at the changes Wane will be mulling over this week.

Mikey Lewis for George Williams

Williams is Wane’s captain but that shouldn’t be enough to make him undroppable. The stand-off produced a subpar showing in the second Test with mistakes being made on both sides of the ball.

Warrington Wolves man struggled to create anything noteworthy at all for the hosts, despite having plenty of field position and good ball opportunities. England huffed and puffed but they failed to convert pressure into points with their attack being predictable, one dimensional and easy to stifle.

What angered England fans even more though was the fact that Mikey Lewis sat on the bench until the final 10 minutes of the game. Lewis is arguably the most creative player in Wane’s squad and there is an argument to say he would have done more with the territory England had in the second Test.

So, with the series already gone, Wane must be considering rolling the dice and starting Lewis over a captain who has flattered to deceive in the Ashes.

Joe Burgess for Tom Johnstone

Speaking after the second Test, Wane confirmed that Dom Young would be fit enough to take on the Aussies this week. As such, Tom Johnstone looks set to be the winger to make way for Joe Burgess.

Johnstone struggled in Merseyside and with Wane keen to get every member of his squad a game, this one seems to make a lot of sense. Burgess will be keen to prove a point, too, after failing to force his way into Wane’s thinking so far, despite winning the treble with Hull KR.

Harry Newman for Jake Wardle

Again, this one makes a lot of sense. Newman is yet to feature this autumn and as the series arrives at his home ground, it’s fair to say theLeeds Rhinos man will be desperate to start.

Jake Wardle failed to make any sort of positive impact on the game at Hill Dickinson and while he is regarded as the best centre in Super League, he’s another who has simply failed to deliver in the series.

Newman has the opportunity to plant his flag and make his case ahead of next year’s World Cup then.

Morgan Smithies to start

Smithies was one of England’s best in Merseyside with the Canberra Raiders man showing Wane the error he made in leaving him out of the first Test at Wembley. The forward showed Australia no respect and took the game to them after stepping off the bench.

England fans will rightly want to see more of him this week then and while Morgan Knowles played relatively well, loose-forward might just be the most natural spot for him.

Owen Trout in

Trout’s game time was limited in the first Test and he served as 18th man in the second, meaning he’s due an extended run out at Headingley against the Aussies. In terms of who he replaces, the obvious choice is Alex Walmsley, who has struggled for traction over the course of the series.

Mike McMeeken and Matty Lees were arguably England’s best in the second Test while Mikolaj Oledzki only had a short spell on the field in Liverpool.

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