Australia Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga says the revival of rugby league's Ashes provides the perfect opportunity to "make a statement" ahead of next year's World Cup. Following a 22-year hiatus, the Kangaroos will tour England in October and November. Australia and England have not played an international men's rugby league match against each other since the final of the 2017 World Cup, which the Kangaroos won 6-0 at Lang Park. ABC Sport is live blogging every round of the AFLNRL With the next World Cup to be held in Australia in 2026, Meninga said this year's Ashes series was the Kangaroos' chance to remind everyone why they were defending world champions. "I know that even last year when we were in camp for the Pacific Championships, one of the aims of the team was going back on a tour, and a lot of the players who were involved in the World Cup really enjoyed the atmosphere that the crowds in England bought and the stadiums over there," he said. "We also want to make a statement leading into the World Cup in 2026, so it is an important part of the journey for us." Meninga, who has been part of four Kangaroos tours to England and has coached the Kangaroos since 2016, said the 2017 World Cup final between Australia and England was one of the greatest games he had been part of. Both teams were on course to meet in the World Cup final of 2022, but a golden-point semifinal loss to Samoa ended England's hopes of glory. "I thought that game in 2017 was one of the best games I have ever been involved with as a player or a coach, given the quality and the closeness of the game," Meninga said. "The execution and commitment by both teams was extraordinary. We had to work really hard and if we didn't prepare really well for that game England would have won." Meanwhile, England coach Shaun Wane said he hoped the famous Headingley Stadium in Leeds would give his country an advantage if the series went to a decider. Iconic England stadium Wembley will host the first test, before the tour moves to the north of the country. The new Everton Stadium in Liverpool will host the second Test, before moving east to Yorkshire for the final Test at Headingley in Leeds. Headingley has been a happy hunting ground for England in recent years, with a 34-16 win over Samoa in 2024, and a 26-4 triumph in 2023 against Tonga. Should the Ashes be level heading into the third Test, Wane said he would be very pleased to play a decider in Leeds. "We played the second Test against Samoa, third Test against Tonga at Headingley. We were there last Saturday with the Wigan team. The atmosphere … is second to none. The pitch is great," Wane, who is also a managing director for Super League side Wigan, said. "How they looked after my team for that second and third Tests was impeccable. The staff behind the scenes, the detail they go into — it's fantastic. I 100 per cent get it and I'm really happy that third Test is there."