Australia coach Kevin Walters has been forced to make a double change to his 24-man squad, with two NRL players having to drop out due to injury.
The Kangaroos will travel to England for a three-match tour, as they contest the Ashes series for the first time in over 20 years.
The former Queensland and Brisbane boss only named his side for the tour on Monday, but has already had to make switches, in what is a minor setback to their Ashes preparations.
In a double injury blow, the two players who won’t be participating in the series are outside backs Xavier Coates and Zac Lomax.
Storm winger Coates was part of the NRL Grand Final on Sunday, as his side lost out to Brisbane Broncos, who executed a second-half comeback to win their first Premiership title since 2006. The 24-year-old has picked up an ankle injury, and scans have revealed he is unable to play in the series.
Meanwhile, Parramatta Eels’ goal-kicking winger, Lomax, has picked up a knock to his hip, and after playing the final rounds of the season with the injury, has left the squad in order to recover.
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Walters has been able to bring in more than capable replacements, with renowned NRL winger Josh Addo-Carr making his Kangaroos return for the first time since the 2022 World Cup. The 30-year-old has had an impressive year at the Eels, scoring 19 tries in 22 appearances.
Joining him will be an international rookie, which takes the total number of newbies in the squad to eight. Centre, Bradman Best was thought to be in the Kangaroos squad when an Aussie media outlet ‘leaked’ a squad prior to the official announcement, however those reports were proved wrong on Monday.
However, Best will now get his chance at Kangaroos selection, after being announced as the second replacement in Walters’ squad. He faces tough competition to get in the starting squad, though, with Kotoni Staggs and Gehamat Shibasaki thought to be the first-choice centres.
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