Sydney Roosters star Victor Radley has made a call on whether he will play in the upcoming rugby league Ashes for England.
The Australian-born loose forward has been a regular for England in recent years but he will not play in the upcoming Ashes series, with the NRL man making himself unavailable for selection.
Victor Radley has heavily featured in the headlines lately with the England international caught up in the scandal involving former Roosters teammate Brandon Smith, who is facing charges of insider betting and the supply of a dangerous drug.
Whilst there is no notion of any wrongdoing regarding Victor Radley, text messages have emerged which allegedly show him requesting drugs from Smith.
No legal action has been taken against the England international, however, his club Sydney Roosters, who have a strict policy on drugs, have suspended him without pay for the first ten matches of the NRL season.
It was confirmed that ban would have no impact on his England eligibility but Radley has now made himself unavailable for selection anyway.
Victor Radley opts out of rugby league Ashes selection
It leaves Shaun Wane with one less headache as loose forward is a position where England have great depth with Morgan Knowles, Morgan Smithies and even Elliot Minchella all up for consideration.
It’s unclear if Victor Radley would have been the starting loose forward had he been available for selection anyway but his decision to withdraw makes that irrelevant.
News of Radley’s decision came from the England Rugby League social media account, which posted: “Victor Radley has informed the England Rugby League management that he will not be available for selection for this autumn’s Ashes series.”
Speaking on the decision, Shaun Wane said: “Victor has been an outstanding player for England for the last three years, but we respect his decision. We need 24 players who are fully focused on the historic opportunity of facing Australia in an Ashes series.”
The England boss will name his 24-man squad on the Monday after the Grand Final, October 15th.
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Radley recently opened up on the text message ordeal, admitting that it left him “embarrassed” and that he felt for his family, including his fiancee, who is currently pregnant.
With Radley not set to travel over and play for England, it means NRL representatives may be limited to Morgan Smithies, Matty Nicholson and Dominic Young, whilst the likes of AJ Brimson and Billy Smith have also made themselves available.
🏴 Victor Radley has informed the #EnglandRL management that he will not be available for selection for this autumn’s @ABKbeer Ashes Series pic.twitter.com/cNiDhNr0Ey
— England Rugby League (@England_RL) September 25, 2025
