Jobs on the line, Mikey Lewis, Headingley shunned and England v Australia third Test talking points

England will arrive at Headingley on Saturday knowing nothing less than a win will do against the world’s number one side.

The Kangaroos have already wrapped up the series win having won in London and Liverpool over the last couple of weeks, but England still have the chance to bloody the nose of the Aussies and stop them from returning down under with a 3-0 whitewash win.

That’s all England have to play for in West Yorkshire and Wane will have picked a side that he will be believe is capable of beating Australia.

Ahead of the clash tomorrow then, we’ve taken a look at some of the major pre-match talking points.

Job on the line?

The future of Shaun Wane is without a doubt the biggest talking point heading into the final Test of the Ashes series. Wane was expected to be the man leading England into the 2026 World Cup after series wins over Tonga and Samoa over the last couple of years, but the manner of the series defeat has raised questions around his suitability to the job moving forward.

England were better last week than they were at Wembley, but they lacked any real nous or attacking shape with the ball in hand and some of Wane’s selection decisions across the series so far have raised eyebrows to say the least. Mikey Lewis being given just 10 minutes at Hill Dickinson Stadium was the latest call to attract criticism, while the decision not to call up Jake Connor at all continues to be spoken about.

And, it’s fair to say that another poor showing at Headingley, would go down like a lead balloon. Does Wane need a win in Leeds to keep his job then? It’s a difficult question to answer 12 months out from a World Cup but that’s something the hierarchy will have to consider.

Eyes on Lewis

Lewis was given just over 10 minutes last Saturday after dropping to the bench for the second Test. The Hull KR man is England’s most creative player and while he did struggle for traction at Wembley, he would surely have done more with the territory and opportunities England had at Everton, had he been on the pitch earlier.

Wane spoke after the game to outline his belief that Lewis had enough time to impact the game, but ahead of this week’s contest he has revealed that the 2024 Man of Steel will have more of a role to play.

Whether that’s off the bench or from the start, it seems as though Lewis will have the opportunity to show what he can do.

Walters pressure

Despite winning both games in the series, it seems Kevin Walters finds himself under a bit of pressure, too. The Kangaroos have been superb defensively but they haven’t fired on all cylinders with the ball in hand and performances have attracted some criticism down under.

Walters opted not to switch up his side this week, with Isaah Yeo being the only man to come in and that means that a handful of stars will end the series with playing a single minute, which is another decision that has been slated.

If he is to secure his head coach role for next year’s World Cup then, he needs things to click in the third Test with the Aussie fans looking for a top drawer performance from those in green and gold. Defeat in Leeds and Walters might just find himself out of a job.

Serious About Rugby League has launched a brand new podcast which can be watched in full on our YouTube channel here.

Headingley factor

Headingley was lauded when the series was announced with RL Commercial bigwigs labelling it the best ground in Super League. It’s compact, rowdy and it can be intimidating for a visiting team, which in theory could play into England’s hands.

Of course most England players know Headingley well and three Leeds players have been included in the 19-man squad for this week’s game. But, what has been disappointing from an England perspective is Wane’s side have trained in Wigan this week.

Rather than heading to Yorkshire to train on the Headingley turf and get out into the community, England have stayed away. Conversely, Australia have trained at Headingley, getting themselves used to the conditions, training with a local university side and doing plenty from a community perspective.

World Cup auditions

As mentioned above, Saturday is a chance for Shaun Wane to show that he deserves to keep hold of the England reins for another 12 months at least. However, it’s also an opportunity for the players to stake their claim for a spot in the England squad.

If Wane is to be the man who takes England down under, he will hark back to this Test series and remember certain performances and to use one of Wane’s phrases, it’s a chance for players to put ‘credit in the bank’ with the World Cup in mind.