LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Just 36 hours after the announcement of the Kangaroos squad for the 2025 Ashes Series against England, coach Kevin Walters has been compelled to make two changes to the team.
According to News Corp, wingers Xavier Coates and Zac Lomax will miss the match against England. They have been replaced by Newcastle Knights' centre Bradman Best and Parramatta Eels' speedster Josh Addo-Carr.
This development follows reports from The Sydney Morning Herald indicating that Coates underwent scans for an ankle injury on Monday, a result of the 2025 NRL Grand Final, while Lomax has been dealing with a hip issue toward the end of the regular season.
Reflecting on his aspirations, Addo-Carr shared in August, "I sat down at the start of the year and wrote down some goals, which was losing weight - I've done that - another one was to make Origin, and the third one was to make the Kangaroos squad."
He added, "You want to represent your family, and when you play for the Kangaroos, it's the pinnacle. It means you're one of the best players in the world in your position, and you're playing with the best in the world. It's such a great honour."