Where Are They Now? The last Great Britain side to play an Ashes Test against Australia

Talks are underway regarding England hosting Australia in a three-match Ashes series in 2025: and it will be 22 years since the last one on British soil.

Australia last went on an Ashes tour around Great Britain and France back in 2003, beating France, England A and Wales in warm-up matches ahead of claiming a 3-0 series win against Great Britain in a three-match Ashes series.

However, the Kangaroos’ tour would be against England rather than Great Britain, after senior officials opted against reverting back to the Lions brand after consideration from the public, something revealed by Love Rugby League earlier this year.

Australia won 22-18, 23-20 and 18-12 in the three Ashes Tests in 2003: but what about the Lions line-up that took to the field in the final game of the series 22 years ago? Here’s a throwback to David Waite’s star-studded 17: and what happened to them next in their careers.

1. Kris Radlinski

Radlinski was a mainstay of the Great Britain side for the best part of a decade, winning 20 caps for the Lions as well as 10 caps for England, representing the latter in the 1995 and 2000 World Cups.

The 48-year-old, who is also of Polish heritage, scored an incredible 183 tries in 322 appearances for his beloved Wigan Warriors between 1993 and 2006. He is now the chief executive of his hometown club.

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2. Brian Carney

The Cork-born winger won 14 caps for the Lions between 2003 and 2006, whilst winning an additional eight caps for Ireland, representing the Wolfhounds at the Rugby League World Cup in 2000.

Carney crossed codes to rugby union with Munster in 2007 and became a dual-code international in 2007 as he represented the Irish in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He is currently a presenter on Sky Sports’ rugby league broadcast coverage.

3. Martin Gleeson

Gleeson was one of the finest centres of the Super League era, having scored 138 tries in 338 career appearances for Swinton, Huddersfield, St Helens, Warrington, Wigan, Hull FC and Salford.

Gleeson made 20 appearances for Great Britain on the international stage between 2002 and 2007, and won a further six caps for England in 2008. He is currently an assistant coach to Sam Burgess at his former club Warrington.

4. Lee Gilmour

A man of many clubs and a many of many talents. Gilmour made more than 500 appearances during his career, playing for Wigan, Bradford, St Helens, Huddersfield, Castleford and Wakefield (loan) between 1997 and 2014.

Gilmour made his international debut for Great Britain in 1999 and then represented Scotland in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. He won 15 caps for the Lions in total. He went into coaching after hanging up his boots but we aren’t sure what he’s doing these days, so if you know, let us know!

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5. Richard Horne

Horne played as a half-back for the majority of his career: and a very good one at that. But he was named on the wing for Great Britain’s final Ashes Test against Australia in 2003 and had the ability to play a number of other positions like fullback and centre during the early stages of his professional career.

Horne was another member of Scotland’s squad for the World Cup in 2000 and he went on to play for Great Britain 12 times. He has been the head coach of Doncaster since 2017.

6. Paul Sculthorpe

Sculthorpe needs very little introduction, does he? The St Helens legend has just been inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame.

The Burnley-born icon was involved with the Great Britain squad for pretty much his entire professional career, winning 26 caps for the Lions between 1996 and 2006, with him retiring in 2008. He is now a speaker and consultant across a variety of fields in the business and sport industry, and also does a bit of punditry work on TV and radio.

7. Paul Deacon

Who can forget the baby-faced assassin? Deacon was one of the finest goal-kickers that Super League has seen and is a genuine Bradford Bulls icon.

The Wigan-born half-back won 10 caps for Great Britain between 2002 and 2007 whilst representing England in the 2000 World Cup.

Deacon has been on the coaching staff at rugby union club Sale Sharks since 2015: and was promoted to the role of head coach in December 2020.

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8. Stuart Fielden

Undoubtedly one of the greatest front-rowers of the Super League era. Fielden made more than 350 appearances for Bradford and Wigan between 1998 and 2012 before finishing his career in 2013 following a season with Huddersfield.

The Halifax-born prop won 25 caps for Great Britain between 2001 and 2006: and was a mainstay for the Lions during that period. He also played 10 games for England.

These days, Fielden works at Headlands School in Bridlington as a welfare leader and officer: and he is also a qualified personal trainer.

9. Terry Newton

Newton is up there in the conversation of Super League’s best-ever hookers. He came through the ranks at Leeds before enjoying six successful seasons at Wigan and four at Bradford and then Wakefield.

Newton won 15 caps for Great Britain between 1998 and 2007 and also played three times for England. He tragically passed away in 2010.

10. Adrian Morley

Again, another player who needs no introduction is Morley, who is one of the best British players to smash it in the NRL.

The Salfordian made more than 550 career appearances for club and country, plying his trade for Leeds, Sydney Roosters, Bradford (loan), Warrington and Salford during his illustrious career.

Morley is one of only nine players in history to win 50 international rugby league caps, having played 30 games for Great Britain and 23 for England.

Morley now works in the construction and business development industry, and does a bit of punditry work on the side.

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11. Jamie Peacock

We sound like a broken record, but Peacock is surely in the conversation to be Super League’s greatest-ever forward. He did his job: ran hard, tackled hard. And he led from the front, too.

The Bradford and Leeds legend won 47 international caps in total for Great Britain and England.

Peacock, a nine-time Super League winner, is now a motivational speaker and delivers keynote speeches for businesses. He also appears as a rugby league pundit on TV and radio.

12. Andy Farrell

Much like some of the aforementioned names in this list, Wigan icon Farrell was pretty much an ever-present for the Great Britain side during his rugby league career, winning 34 caps for the Lions between 1993 and 2003. He also made 11 appearances for England, too.

Farrell, who scored 3,135 points in 370 appearances for Wigan, cross codes to rugby union with Saracens in 2005 and won eight caps for England in union. He has been the head coach of Ireland’s rugby union national team since 2019 and was recently appointed as the head coach of the British and Irish Lions.

13. Mike Forshaw

Forshaw played for five clubs during his professional rugby league career – Wigan, Wakefield, Leeds, Bradford and Warrington, racking up more than 350 career appearances.

Internationally, Wigan-born Forshaw won 14 caps for Great Britain and played three games for England in the 2000 World Cup.

He has been coaching in rugby union since 2013, spending time with Connacht and Sale Sharks as a defence coach: and he has been Wales’ defence coach since 2023.

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Sean Long (sub)

Everyone enjoyed watching Long play, didn’t they? He was just a box of tricks and a genuine maverick of the game. You just didn’t know what he was going to do next.

Long spent time at Wigan, Widnes and Hull throughout his career but it was at St Helens where he really made his mark, scoring 156 tries, kicking 989 goals and 23 drop goals in 343 appearances in the Red V.

The Wigan-born half-back won 14 caps for Great Britain, representing the Lions in the 2004 and 2006 Tri-Nations tournaments.

Since retiring from the game in 2011, Long soon went into coaching and has enjoyed a number of roles in both league and union: and is currently head coach of Oldham RLFC, who he won promotion with to the Championship ahead of 2025.

Barrie McDermott (sub)

McDermott is a legendary figure of Great Britain and Ireland, winning 15 caps for the Lions whilst representing his Irish heritage 13 times, including the 2000 World Cup.

The rampaging front-rower played for Oldham, Wigan and Widnes throughout his career: but his most memorable spell came at Leeds, making almost 300 appearances across a decade with the Rhinos.

McDermott has worked as a pundit and co-commentator on Sky Sports’ rugby league coverage for a number of years now.

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Kevin Sinfield (sub)

Sinfield is a bonafide Leeds legend, scoring 86 tries, kicking 1,792 goals and 39 drop goals in 521 appearances between 1997 and 2015, racking up an impressive – and almost unbeatable – 3,967 points.

And on the international scene, Sinfield won 14 caps for Great Britain and 29 for England.

Sinfield went into the coaching arena following his retirement from playing in 2016 and is currently on Steve Borthwick’s backroom staff at England rugby union, working as a skills and kicking coach.

Gareth Ellis (sub)

Ellis another Englishman who went over to the NRL and absolutely carved up during his four seasons with Wests Tigers.

The Leeds-born forward played more than 450 career games for club and country, having played for Wakefield, Leeds and Hull during his time in Super League.

Ellis, who won 33 caps in total for Great Britain and England, returned to Hull FC earlier this year to work in their performance department.

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Head Coach: David Waite

The Australian, who was of British heritage through his Leicester-born father, only had 11 Test matches in charge of Great Britain between 2001 and 2003, winning four of them.

The former Australia and New South Wales representative also coached Newcastle Knights and St George Illawarra Dragons between 1991 and 2000.

The Australia line-up from Game III of the Ashes in 2003: Darren Lockyer; Anthony Minichiello, Craig Wing, Michael De Vere, Matt Sing; Michael Crocker, Brett Kimmorley; Shane Webcke, Danny Buderus, Robbie Kearns, Steve Simpson, Craig Fitzgibbon, Luke Ricketson. Subs: Petero Civoniceva, Willie Mason, Trent Waterhouse, Darren Smith. Coach: Chris Anderson.

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