Where are they now? England's side from 2017 World Cup final against Kangaroos

England will meet Australia on the international stage for the first time since the 2017 Rugby League World Cup this weekend as the 2025 Ashes Series begin.

That final at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane took place on Saturday, December 2, 2017 and, of course, ended in a 6-0 win for the Kangaroos.

Boyd Cordner grabbed the only try of the game for Australia, but it could all have been so different had it not been for Josh Dugan’s ankle tap on Kallum Watkins with 14 minutes left on the clock.

Watkins had broken clear and had Elliott Whitehead on his inside for a sure-fire try to level things up, but after Dugan’s match-winning tap, England were left to wonder about what could have been.

Here’s a look at the 17 fielded in that showpiece eight years ago, and where they all are now…

Gareth Widdop

An NRL Grand Final winner with Melbourne Storm back in 2012, Widdop amassed close to 300 career appearances before hanging up his boots at the end of the 2024 campaign following a stint with hometown club Halifax. Soon after, he returned to the field with a switch into union, playing for local outfit Huddersfield RUFC under the tutelage of Danny Brough.

Jermaine McGillvary

Huddersfield icon McGillvary also retired at the end of 2024 having made close to 400 career appearances. In his last season, he helped Wakefield to promotion from the Championship, and is now enjoying family life, with teenage son Isaac having signed for Premier League giants Chelsea earlier this year.

Kallum Watkins

Watkins is still playing now having spent the majority of the 2025 campaign back at Leeds following a move from financially-stricken Salford. Eight years on from the heartbreaking ankle tap on him in this final, he will be involved against the Kangaroos in this autumn’s Ashes Series having earned a call-up from Shaun Wane.

John Bateman

Bateman also forms part of Wane’s squad this autumn having spent 2025 with NRL outfit North Queensland Cowboys, surpassing the milestone of 300 club career appearances earlier this year. Having also represented Great Britain, he will look to add to his haul of 26 England caps in this Ashes Series.

Ryan Hall

Veteran winger Hall is now Super League‘s top try-scorer of all-time having re-joined boyhood club Leeds ahead of the 2025 campaign. He had a short stint over in the NRL with Sydney Roosters soon after this World Cup, but swiftly returned to the UK and enjoyed a few years at Craven Park donning a Hull KR shirt before his Headingley return.

Kevin Brown

Brown‘s playing career saw him represent a plethora of clubs, amassing more than 400 senior appearances as well as picking up ten England caps. The 41-year-old hung up his boots at the end of the 2021 campaign following a stint at Salford, and now works as an agent in the game in addition to frequently appearing on our screens as a pundit.

Luke Gale

This was the last of Gale’s ten appearances for England, and his inclusion in the squad for the 2017 World Cup came on the back of his Man of Steel-winning year with Castleford. Retiring at the end of 2024 having helped Wakefield to promotion alongside McGillvary, he is now part of Daryl Powell’s backroom team at Trinity.

Chris Hill

Hill has just announced his decision to retire at the end of a 2025 campaign which saw him play for both Salford in Super League and Bradford in the Championship. With his 38th birthday coming up next month, the front-rower is regularly heard on radio commentary, and it remains to be seen what the future holds for him in terms of his next permanent role.

James Roby

Considered the Super League G.O.A.T by many, hooker Roby spent his entire career with boyhood club St Helens, playing 551 games as well as his 32 for England and seven for Great Britain. Having formed part of the backroom team under Paul Wellens, the club icon has just seen his departure from Saints announced – and his next move is yet to be confirmed.

James Graham

Graham joined St George Illawarra Dragons after this final, and remained there until midway through 2020 when he returned to Super League to finish his career off back at boyhood club Saints, winning the Grand Final that year for the perfect ending. He’s now one of the main voices in the game Down Under, and we’ll see him this autumn as part of the BBC’s team.

Ben Currie

Eight years on, Currie is still part of Warrington’s forward pack having never played for anyone other than the Wolves at club level, at least not permanently. At 31, he’s now made more than 300 career appearances: with ten caps on his CV for England having previously represented Ireland on the international stage.

Elliott Whitehead

36-year-old Whitehead has just hung his boots up after a sole season back in Super League with Catalans. The veteran forward brought an end to his England career at the end of last year and is set to return to NRL outfit Canberra Raiders in a coaching role ahead of 2026.

Sam Burgess

Burgess captained England in this final as he neared the end of an international career which brought 24 appearances as well as two for Great Britain. Hanging up his boots in 2019 due to a chronic shoulder injury, the legendary forward is now head coach of Super League outfit Warrington, a role he’s held since the beginning of the 2024 campaign.

Alex Walmsley (Interchange)

Walmsley was at the start of his England career in this World Cup, and is the last one from this teamsheet that forms part of Wane’s squad this autumn. Since this final, he’s won a plethora of major honours with Saints, and has surpassed the 300-game milestone in his career, among the best front-rowers in Super League this term.

Tom Burgess (Interchange)

Burgess was in the midst of a 12-year stint with South Sydney Rabbitohs when this World Cup came around, and has 34 caps on his CV in total for England. He returned to the UK ahead of 2025 as he took up a three-year deal with Super League outfit Huddersfield, playing 23 games across all competitions for the Giants this term.

Chris Heighington (Interchange)

New South Wales-born Heighington was eligible to represent England through his father, who hails from County Durham, and first did so on the international fron in 2011. He played eight games in total for England, and ended his career in 2018 after a stint with Newcastle Knights.

The 43-year-old has held a number of coaching roles Down Under since hanging up his boots, and has just been appointed to take charge of an under-17 New South Wales side for their clash against a Warrington side of the same age group.

Jonny Lomax (Interchange)

Lomax’s 378 career games to date at club level have all come for Saints, who he is now the captain of. Another to have represented both England and Great Britain, this is one of his 15 international caps in total. The half-back turned 35 last month, and has one year left on his contract.

Head coach: Wayne Bennett

Iconic coach Bennett has coaches just about everyone and everything in the game, including the Kangaroos themselves! The 75-year-old’s stint at the helm of England and Great Britain ran between 2016 and 2020, and he is now in charge of NRL outfit Souths.

Kangaroos side from 2017 World Cup final

Starting 13: Billy Slater, Dane Gagai, Will Chambers, Josh Dugan, Valentine Holmes, Michael Morgan, Cooper Cronk, Aaron Woods, Cameron Smith, David Klemmer, Boyd Cordner, Matt Gillett, Josh McGuire

Bench: Wade Graham, Jordan McLean, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Tyson Frizell

Head coach: Mal Meninga

Try: Boyd Cordner

Goal: Cameron Smith