Australia Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters says rugby league Ashes needs to continue after defeating England 30

Australia coach Kevin Walters has dismissed suggestions the Kangaroos' whitewash series win over England was "a walk in the park", praising his counterparts following the third Test.

Australia completed the 3-0 series win with a 30-8 triumph in an intense final clash at Headingley, with England sticking with the Aussies for 60 minutes before three tries in the final quarter flattered the scoreline for the tourists.

Walters was emphatic in his post-match press conference about the difficulty of the series, heaping praise on the English side for what they produced in the first Ashes series played in 22 years.

"Some of the Australian press have been saying 'it's like a walk in the park'. Well, come over and walk in the park against the English, and see how you go … These were tough matches," Walters said.

"If you talk to our players, they've got nothing but respect for them and the way they play their football.

"It's a different style of game here, and it's great that our boys can experience that now.

"Because for 20-odd years, the Ashes haven't been played, and now these series need to continue on a regular basis for both countries to get better and develop better as rugby league-playing nations."

Arguably, the greatest difference between the two sides during the series was defence, with Australia giving up just two tries in the three Test matches.

Returning skipper Isaah Yeo said defence was a facet of the game the Kangaroos wanted to pride themselves on, and they did in the third Test as England threatened to score several times during the second half at Headingley, only to be turned away each time.

"Defence has been a big part of our last couple of seasons. We got beaten 30-nil against New Zealand a couple of years ago in the [Pacific] champs, and since then, it's something we've really prided ourselves on," Yeo said.

"In a three-game series, they've thrown their absolute best at us. But you could see we're so ready for this.

"It wasn't perfect by us, but I'm just really proud of the group. I thought everyone defended really well, and we had to do that for long periods. The 30-8 doesn't reflect how hard it was and how well they played."

The other difference was the lack of imagination in the English attack, with the home crown venting their frustration on home coach Shaun Wane, who was told in an unsympathetic chorus, "sacked in the morning, you're getting sacked in the morning".

But Walters jumped to the defence of his beleaguered counterpart.

"I've certainly been surprised by the criticism Shaun has received … that was great Test football." he said.

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