Kevin Walters drops shock bolter for Aussie side as Latrell Mitchell in timely return

Yahoo

4 days ago

New Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters has dropped the first potential name who could be a surprise inclusion in his 22-man Ashes squad with NRL finals footy around the corner. Walters is already starting to break down certain selections for his Australian side that will take on England in the historic Ashes tour that gets underway at London's Wembley Stadium on October 25.
Walters is waiting to find out to see if Payne Haas, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow are reportedly switching allegiances to Samoa after the NRL season. The new coach said he won't be selecting anyone who doesn't want to wear the green and gold for the squad as he looks to restore pride back into the jersey.
And Walters has revealed he has his eye on Canberra five-eighth Ethan Strange after a stellar season so far. The Raiders playmaker has helped lead the team to top of the table through 22 rounds and has patrolled the left-side of the field for Ricky Stuart's team.
Strange has long been tipped as a future State of Origin star, but it appears he might even get to tour England with the Australian squad sooner rather than later. Strange still lacks experience in the big games having never played finals footy.
The Raiders are currently leading the ladder in 2025 and Strange will have a chance to prove why he is so highly-rated come finals time. And Walters is watching on eagerly having suggested a lot of his decisions could come down to how players, like Strange, perform under pressure.
'Finals football is tough because it's the next level,' Walters said on SEN Radio. 'The deeper you go, the more pressure there is on players and coaches. It exposes players to a good environment to test themselves and when we get to Wembley Stadium where there will be 60, 70 or even 80,000 people. We know how vocal English fans can be and how hostile an environment it is.
"The current halves that we have from NSW and Queensland are elite and they are all available. (Strange) is certainly a player that could force themselves into the touring party. A young player like Strange coming through and having a terrific finals series. That could project him into a 22-man party.'
Walters admitted one of his first jobs will be to get in front of the trio who are reportedly tossing up playing for Samoa, and figuring out if they are up for selection. One player he should be able to select is Latrell Mitchell after Wayne Bennett named the South Sydney Rabbitohs fullback in his latest squad.
Latrell Mitchell nears Rabbitohs return
Mitchell could be back earlier than expected this season after going down injured after Origin. Mitchell has missed the last five weeks with a quad injury, and wasn't expected back until Round 23 at the earliest.
But the superstar fullback was named on the extended bench for the Rabbitohs' clash with the Titans in Round 22. Named in jersey 22, it means Mitchell could be a late inclusion in what would be a boost to Bennett's quest to avoid a first-ever wooden spoon.
The late inclusion of Mitchell could see Jye Gray shift to the halves from fullback, although Mitchell could be utilised in the centres to replace Tallis Duncan. Depending on when Mitchell returns, Walters could have up to four games to get a glimpse of the South Sydney star's form before selecting his squad. Mitchell would be a huge inclusion for the Kangaroos having played all three State of Origin games for NSW in 2025 at centre.