Matty Lees: A broken eye socket and his young daughter make for an extraordinary rugby league Ashes

He will try to prevent England from suffering a 3-0 defeat after a comprehensive 26-6 defeat in London was followed by a 14-4 loss last Saturday in a much improved performance at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

England have been tied with world champions Australia on points in the series so far but have failed to convert crucial try-scoring opportunities and had little to answer for when the Kangaroos played to their full potential.

Lees admits England were not perfect – especially at Wembley, when a long-awaited first Ashes encounter in 22 years turned into a damp sneer in a flat atmosphere.

But he says Liverpool’s improvement, as they were in form in Australia after a dominant first half, can be carried over to Leeds.

“This first Test was not lacking in effort, but we lacked clarity in our roles,” he said.

“We fixed that in the second game. We were happier and it showed. We were out there competing. Hopefully we can build on that.”

“We were sore after the second match, even though we were happy with the performance. We can be better in this third Test. We’ve got the fun back.”

Lees says England will be driven by the goal of avoiding a series whitewash and earning a first Test win over Australia since 1995, as well as the idea of ​​next year’s World Cup.

Head coach Shaun Wayne has faced scrutiny regarding his prospects of leading England to that tournament, although when asked what last Saturday’s defeat might mean for his future,, external He said he “couldn’t care less” about the issue – saying he was just focused on winning the final test.

Lees strongly supports the former Wigan boss, saying: “He is the perfect fit for the job. I love every opportunity I get to play under him, he brings out the best in me and is one of the best coaches I have ever worked with.”