Predicted England team for third Ashes Test as George Williams dropped and Herbie Farnworth switched

The Ashes series is over in terms of the outcome, but there is still plenty for England’s players to play for this Saturday at AMT Headingley.

Chief among them is the prospect of avoiding a series whitewash, something which would represent a fair embarrassment given how the games have been played on English soil, as well as the fact that Australia haven’t quite delivered their best in the first two Tests but are still 2-0 up.

So what Shaun Wane does in his final team selection of 2025 is going to be very interesting. You can expect changes – some enforced, some not so.

The first place to look is the spine, and ponder whether Wane will be tempted into changing things around once again. We think he will.

With only pride to play for and this quite possibly now doubling up as the one warm-up game for next year’s Rugby League World Cup, you would assume this is the chance to try a new-look half-back pairing and take the captain out of the firing line.

George Williams hasn’t quite produced his best, though his performances have not quite been as disastrous as some people are making out. But Mikey Lewis and Harry Smith is the national team’s long-term half-back pairing, and it deserves a run-out here.

Expect AJ Brimson to continue at fullback, as he did nothing to merit being dropped, though the opening vacated by Lewis on the bench could hand a chance for Jack Welsby to take the 14 shirt from the bench.

There will be tweaks to the three-quarter line, with Dom Young likely to miss out after coming off with a knock at Everton. Joe Burgess therefore surely gets a recall after ten years in the Test wilderness.

And what of the only other player still to taste action this autumn, Harry Newman? He would surely be given a run on home turf with the series done – and if it were for Jake Wardle, it would enable Herbie Farnworth to go to left centre and Newman to play on the right. Farnworth is arguably the world’s best left centre, after all.

But we wouldn’t expect too much else to change in the pack. That was where England did okay enough in the second Test and though there’s scope to move it around again, you would assume Wane rewards those who held their own at Everton. Therefore, here’s how we think the hosts will go in the final Test.

Predicted England team: AJ Brimson, Joe Burgess, Harry Newman, Herbie Farnworth, Tom Johnstone, Mikey Lewis, Harry Smith, Matty Lees, Jez Litten, Mike McMeeken, Kallum Watkins, Kai Pearce-Paul, Morgan Knowles. Bench: Jack Welsby, Morgan Smithies, Mikolaj Oledzki, Alex Walmsley.

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