Australia seals 3-0 Ashes whitewash with 30-8 win

Australia secured the Rugby League Ashes series with a decisive 30-8 victory over England in the third and final Test at Headingley Stadium in Leeds on Saturday, completing a 3-0 whitewash for the first time in successive campaigns since 1986.

The Kangaroos, already assured of retaining the series after wins of 26-6 in the opener at Wembley and 14-4 at Liverpool's Hill Dickinson Stadium, controlled the match despite not producing their sharpest performance. England showed brief flashes of resistance but faltered through handling errors that directly led to three of Australia's four first-half points, allowing the visitors to build a commanding lead.

The scoring began early when Cameron Munster's wide pass caught England's defense off guard, sending winger Josh Addo-Carr over for the opener in the fifth minute. Nathan Cleary converted and added a penalty soon after, putting Australia 6-0 ahead. The home side suffered a setback when fullback AJ Brimson left the field with a shoulder injury sustained in a tackle, forcing coach Shaun Wane to shift utility Mikey Lewis to the unfamiliar position at the back.

Lewis struggled in the role, misjudging Munster's kick in the 29th minute,...