After being considered a bolter for the 2025 Ashes Series against England, Canberra Raiders youngster Ethan Strange is set to miss out on being selected in Australia's 22-man squad.
Only in the third season of his NRL career, Strange has had a remarkable 12 months, which has seen him slowly transform into a star for the Raiders and helped propel them to the Minor Premiership after forming a formidable partnership in the halves with Jamal Fogarty.
Although the Raiders were eliminated in straight sets after losses to the Brisbane Broncos and Cronulla Sharks - Strange missed out on the Sharks match due to illness - the five-eighth was still set to be selected in the national team for Australia at the back end of this year.
However, while coach Kevin Walters confirmed that he was a chance to make the squad, he is now set to miss out on attending the 2025 Ashes Series, per Brent Read on Triple M Breakfast with Beau, Cat and Woodsy.
The rumoured decision comes as Cameron Munster, Mitchell Moses, Nathan Cleary and Tom Dearden remain ahead of him in the pecking order, with at least three being selected in the 22-man squad.
Able to represent all three tier-one nations - Australia, England and New Zealand - on the international stage, Strange recently opened up on his international allegiance and ambitions.
Due to international eligibility rules, a player is unable to appear for two different tier-one countries. If they represent England or New Zealand, it will rule them out of future selection for the Blues.
Speaking to The Canberra Times, Strange confirmed he intends to represent the NSW Blues and Kangaroos over the other two nations.
"Mum was born and raised in England, and grandma was born and raised in New Zealand, so all my family members want me to play for different teams," Strange told The Canberra Times.
"But I've always wanted to play for NSW, so Australia.
"That would be massive (if selected for the Kangaroos). Representing your country or your state is the top thing you can do, so that would be really cool."
