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World Cup auditions and 'credit in the bank': Five things to watch out for as England and Australia resume Ashes rivalry
England and Australia resume their long-simmering rivalry today for the first time in eight years when the Kangaroos return for a rugby league Ashes series at Wembley Stadium.
As Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley put Anglo-Antipodean pride on the line across town on DAZN Pay-Per-View , fans can savour another blockbuster with major ramifications.
With Australia set to host the 2026 Rugby League World Cup in a year, matches in London, Liverpool and Leeds will offer both teams a final assessment of their star quality.
But even beyond that, there's plenty of intrigue on paper as to how these two sides will scope each other out - and what they may stand to learn from their upcoming games.
From coaching mysteries to player decisions, DAZN News looks at the biggest questions that underpin a first Kangaroos tour since 2003 - and how it will shape their future.
Wane and Walters offer contrast of security
Shaun Wane and Kevin Walters arrive for this series with plenty to prove to their critics - but for one man more than the other, this series arguably represents a free hit too.
Originally contracted through the end of the 2025 Rugby League World Cup before it was delayed, there is seemingly no question that the former will lead England next year.
But for the latter, this tour is an audition process where he cannot afford to fluff his lines if he wants to take Australia through to their latest title defence on home soil in 2026.
Walters took a short-term contract to fill the hotseat vacated by Mal Meninga, who stepped down in order to be appointed as coach of the NRL expansion team Perth Bears.
Given the Kangaroos' dominance against both England and Great Britain - they last lost to either in 2006 - anything less than a clean sweep will hurt his prospects for next year.
Can NRL influence bear fruit for hosts?
Almost twenty years ago, it was a rare feat to find an Englishman in the sport's premier competition, let alone a successful one who could sustain a multi-season career there.
You need only look at the teams that lined up for Australia's 52-4 demolition job at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, where England exclusively fielded Super League players.
Now, several of the sport's brightest stars on Kangaroos soil hold blood ties back to the northern hemisphere, with six NRL-based players selected for the host nation's squad.
All eyes will be on Dolphins man Herbie Farnworth, a player who can arguably lay claim to be the best centre in the world on his day, but it is AJ Brimson who offers intrigue.
The Gold Coast Titans utility switched his allegiance to represent his mother's heritage this year, but will likely need to win over domestic fans who regard him as an unknown.
Visitors need to master embarrassment of riches
Even with the talent drain of the past decade, as more and more NRL stars have declared to play for their country of heritage, Australia still has an immense talent pool on hand.
Matt King/Getty Images
Stars like Payne Haas and Murray Taulagi may have defected in recent years, but there's at least a dozen matchwinners on hand, from Nathan Cleary to Harry Grant and more.
The trick for Walters now will be ensuring that he can balance the litany of superstars he has at his disposal and help form a coherent side that can live up to the sum of its parts.
Despite a Clive Churchill Medal-winning performance in this year's NRL Grand Final, it wasn't a dead cert that Brisbane Broncos fullback Reece Walsh would start at Wembley.
He has subsequently dethroned incumbent Dylan Edwards to take the starting berth, but elsewhere, the Kangaroos will still need to be unafraid to make the tough decisions too.
'Credit in the bank' must be cashed in
Walters isn't the only one who needs to make hard calls, with some of Wane's inclusions - and exclusions - raising eyebrows among supporters since his squad was announced.
While Dally M Medal winner James Tedesco is missing for Australia due to his brother's wedding, there's no such reason for Man of Steel victor Jake Connor's England omission.
The Leeds Rhinos star was the standout player in Super League this season, but has found himself excluded entirely amid a busy battle for spots around the half-back positions.
Wane has chafed at questions over his absence, yet at the same time has included names like North Queensland Cowboys back rower John Bateman amid questions over form.
The coach says such players have "credit in the bank" with him, and deserve their spot in his plans - but with just twelve months to a World Cup, they must go above and beyond.
Captains hope to banish club heartbreak
Few rivalries need further fuel to stoke the fire than the Ashes, but both England skipper George Williams and Australia leader Isaah Yeo will need to fight the blaze from the front.
Like Bateman, the former is a seasoned operator who worked under Wane at Wigan Warriors, and has his faith despite his worst domestic season to date with Warrington Wolves.
But after missing the play-offs and with a Challenge Cup Final loss to Hull Kingston Rovers, KR dynamo and Rob Burrow Award winner Mikey Lewis is hot on his heels for his spot.
Ed Sykes/Getty Images
Yeo meanwhile oversaw a horror-show start to Penrith Panthers' latest title defence earlier this year as his side bid for what would have been a fifth successive NRL Premiership.
Ultimately, his team rallied to fall one game short of the Grand Final in a narrow loss to Brisbane - and like Williams, the Ashes offers a chance for a fresh start to finish the year.
Watch Parker vs Wardley live on DAZN
Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley fight on Saturday, October 25, to become the WBO mandatory challenger to Oleksandr Usyk. Watch the fight and undercard live and exclusive on DAZN PPV.