KEVIN Walters admits rugby league has ‘missed an opportunity’ in going 22 years without an Ashes series.
And he will ‘educate’ Australia’s players about what it means by using his own experiences and showing footage of classic Tests.
The Kangaroos head to these shores in October to take on England in a three-match series, for which more than 110,000 tickets have already been sold.
But the fact this will be the first series since 2003 – when Great Britain took them on and the first meeting of any sort since 2017’s World Cup final – just highlights where the 13-a-side code has gone wrong.
And Kangaroos boss Walters, who played in 1992’s tour, could not conceal his frustration that it has taken more than two decades to get it on the calendar again.
He said, two months ahead of matches at Wembley, Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium and Headingley: “The game’s definitely been missing an opportunity.
“These are world class experiences that players get to experience. As a touring party as well, so I’m frustrated by it.
“It was meant to be in Australia, but thankfully it’ll happen on English soil. Not many of our players have even played against England in England.
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“Our most recent trip was 22 years ago, nearly a generation hasn’t experienced what they’re going to experience, but some of our big players I’ve spoken to are really excited.
“A lot of these guys haven’t even seen an England v Australia Test. They were either not born or in nappies.
“So part of my job is to educate players on the history of the Ashes, of England v Australia in England. England are the Australians’ arch-enemies.
“As a coach, you have to be a great storyteller and I feel I can transfer my memories into their heads, also with some vision of different Test matches.”
Walters, who replaced Mal Meninga as the world champions’ coach, has been hit with defections of stars like Payne Haas to Samoa and others to Tonga.
He may even be up against a few familiar accents as the likes of AJ Brimson, Billy Smith, Ethan Strange and Max King, who qualify through ancestry, weigh up joining Sydney-born Victor Radley in Shaun Wane’s squad.
And he is aware of Super League’s finest after watching the competition keenly since landing the job.
But he is not beating himself up at losing talent as he added: “I think it’s great for our world game and I don’t have a problem with it.
“England’s always been strong and they don’t really need assistance, but there are more English-qualified players playing in the NRL than ever.
“I’m aware of a lot of Super League’s players, there’s certainly some big talent there, but also five or six to join them from the NRL.
“We’re very respectful of England and their capabilities, particularly in England – you guys seem to grow another leg there.
“But as a nation and as a country, the Australian Kangaroos have great depth.”