In an unexpected move, Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters has disclosed that six notable players accompanying the Australian Ashes squad to England will not see any game time during the tour. This announcement comes as Australia fields its first Ashes team in over twenty years.

Walters has decided to stick with the same lineup for the upcoming third and final Test in Leeds on Sunday. Despite this match being inconsequential due to Australia securing a 2-0 series lead with a 14-4 win in Liverpool, the team remains unchanged.

The players Mitchell Moses, Bradman Best, Ethan Strange, Jacob Preston, Dylan Edwards, and Blayke Brailey are scheduled to return home without having played a single match.

Following Australia’s triumph last Sunday, Walters had considered the idea of allowing fringe players to participate in the final Test at Headingley on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) as a form of ‘reward’ for their commitment.

However, choosing to keep his focus on delivering a strong finish, Walters has opted to field what he regards as the best lineup to conclude the series powerfully in Leeds, a renowned rugby league hub.

Mitchell Moses was the Kangaroos halfback in their maiden Pacific Championships triumph in 2024 – but he hasn’t been given a chance to play in England

Newcastle Knights center Bradman Best earned a call-up to the Australian squad despite his NRL team finishing with the wooden spoon

Ethan Strange had a breakout NRL season for the Raiders, winning the Dally M Five-Eighth of the Year award and helping the club to their first minor premiership since 1990

‘The first two Tests demanded immense effort under challenging conditions, and while there’s a desire to acknowledge the extended squad’s excellent performance on this tour, we believe those who’ve led us to victory deserve to play in Leeds,’ Walters explained.

‘The playing group has had a few days off to freshen up and now it’s back to work – we’ve trained well today and we’ve still got the captain’s run to get our ourselves where we need to be for what is a very important Test match for both sides.’

So Panthers lock Yeo is the only change to the second-Test team that had to slog hard to overcome England in Everton.

The inspirational 30-year-old got just a few minutes of action in the first-Test 26-6 win at Wembley before a head-knock with Dom Young sidelined him.

But Yeo’s been welcomed back to lead the side after undergoing all the necessary NRL concussion protocols, with second-Test stand-in Harry Grant handing back the armband.

Yeo comes in for his clubmate Lindsay Smith, who’ll now move back to the extended squad for the final Test.

Walters’ choice may not have gone down too well with those pundits who felt this would have been the perfect chance to experiment with the Ashes wrapped up for the 14th consecutive time.

Instead, the tour stands to be completed without six of the 24-strong touring squad seeing a minute’s action.

Jacob Preston (pictured carrying the ball) has put together three consistent years of football for the Bulldogs, but he’s been left scratching his head in the UK

Dylan Edwards is a six-time Kangaroos representative, but lost the Australian fullback jersey to newly crowned Broncos premiership winner Reece Walsh

Blayke Brailey (left) is one of the NRL’s most improved rakes, and last month claimed the 2025 Dally M Hooker of the Year

Gehamat Shibasaki, who had not had the most impactful series, had seemed vulnerable to being replaced by Best, but the Newcastle centre remains as 18th man.

Another inaugural accolade to be settled on Saturday will be the player-of-the-series award, which is to be named the Fulton-Reilly award after two Ashes icons, the Kangaroos’ Bob Fulton and England’s Malcolm Reilly.

Favourites for the honour include Reece Walsh and Cameron Munster, who won the man-of-the-match awards in the first two Tests, as well as the exceptional Angus Crichton and Harry Grant.

Australia’s team for third Test is as follows:

1. Reece Walsh, 2. Mark Nawaqanitawase, 3. Kotoni Staggs, 4. Gehamat Shibasaki, 5. Josh Addo-Carr, 6. Cameron Munster, 7. Nathan Cleary, 8. Patrick Carrigan, 9. Harry Grant, 10. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, 11. Angus Crichton, 12. Hudson Young, 13. Isaah Yeo (capt) 14. Tom Dearden, 15. Lindsay Collins, 16. Reuben Cotter, 17. Keaon Koloamatangi. 18. Bradman Best.