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Victor Radley: ‘I love coming to England. Every year gets better!' This is a test for long title will it truncate I don't know let's see hmm
Israel Dagg • October 30th, 2024 4:22 pm • 16 min read
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There are not many who would be willing to swap Bondi beach for the outskirts of Barnsley in mid-October but for Victor Radley, his annual month-long excursion to England is not so much a chore but rather than the highlight of his year.
The 26-year-old NRL regular raised eyebrows two years ago when he decided to represent his Sheffield-born father and pledge his allegiance to England instead of push for an Australia call-up. Some wondered if it would be a mere one-off, with the chance to play in a World Cup too good to refuse. But for the third straight year, Radley is back in England colours.
It has been mostly pleasure as Radley immerses himself in English culture, catching up with friends and family in the south Yorkshire village of Crane Moor and visiting Hillsborough to watch Sheffield Wednesday. But on Sunday, the focus emphatically shifts to business as England host Samoa in Wigan in the first of two autumn Tests – with revenge firmly on the agenda.
The extra-time defeat to Samoa in the World Cup semi-final in 2022 still stings for anyone of an English persuasion: not least Radley. “The memories of that day aren’t great,” he says. “I threw the intercept, which lost us the game, so it puts a dampener on that experience and tournament for me.
“Even going on holidays after, I barely brought it up and if we’d won that game I’d have mentioned it all the time. I’m sure it’ll get mentioned in the buildup because it’s on everyone’s minds.”
Radley almost missed the autumn internationals with a shoulder injury suffered while playing for the Sydney Roosters but having been cleared, his presence in this squad is vital. England will look to back up last year’s series whitewash against Tonga with a similar outcome on home soil, before things begin to ramp up for the World Cup in 2026. An Ashes tour next year will truly test how prepared a young, exciting England squad is for a shot at glory: with Radley undisputedly at the heart of it.
