The first Test against England at Wembley may be just 94 days away but new Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters says his first order of business will be to "take a breath".
Officially unveiled alongside re-appointed Jillaroos coach Jess Skinner on Wednesday, Walters said he'd be heading home to collect himself and take it all in before he starts planning for the historic Ashes tour.
“I haven't been able to do that [take a breath] just yet,” Walters said.
“I guess, the first thing that I'll do is make sure that we get the right staff involved. That'll be the task in the next few days.
“Then, we'll get to the players as well and seeing who's available and who's not. That'll be the first couple of jobs that I need to do.
"I'm really, really proud, first and foremost, to be given the opportunity to coach the Kangaroos.
“I've certainly played as a Kangaroo many times but now to get the opportunity to coach them, it's really exciting and I feel really privileged as well to hold the post.
"I'm just grateful to get the opportunity now and I'm really looking forward to getting my teeth into it, feet under the desk and a really strong focus on certainly the first Test at Wembley first and then we'll go from there."
Walters has taken over from Mal Meninga, who stepped down from the role last month following his appointment to the head coaching role of the Perth Bears.
“We're very fortunate that Mal's a well-planned coach, he's done a lot of the hard work in preparing the itinerary for the Kangaroos, for their training venues, for their hotels,” Walters said.
“So Mal, thanks to you, big fella, you’ve done great work and the NRL (as well). That's virtually all done.
“There's a few little things to be done which any coach coming in would have a say on, but the hard work's been done so that's the beauty (of it).
“The work that Mal's done and his team to set up the schedule has been magnificent.”
Walters, who played 11 Tests for Australia and was part of 1990 and 1994 Kangaroos tours, said he was looking forward to spearheading the return to England, with the support from home fans expected to create a fantastic atmosphere.
“I've been to Wembley and watched Tests there. I've not been picked in the side for the Ashes as well, so this time I'm going there with a great attitude, with a really strong Aussie team to get the job done," Walters said.
“I've got nothing but great memories from Wembley. It's one of the great sporting arenas in the world...
“That's the exciting part of venturing over there and playing at these iconic grounds. It's all part of the excitement of being in an Ashes Series.”
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With seven rounds to go plus a finals series, Walters said there was still a lot of football to be played before any solid selections could be made for the 22-player touring squad.
“I'll make some connections with some of the senior players in that team which everyone is aware of who those guys are," Walters said.
“Some of them I haven't had a lot to do with. I've obviously coached against a lot of them but never worked with them.
"That's the exciting thing for me is working with those players and getting to know them, getting the best out of them when they put that green and gold jersey on.
“We've seen in my experience in the past as a player and coach at different levels is the NRL final series will be very important for a lot of players.
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“It's not the be all and end all playing finals, but the history of recent Kangaroo tours shows that if you're playing well at the back end of the season in those bigger games, it does put you in a really strong position.
“Most of the players who played Origin, their teams are all in contention. You've got the Panthers, the Broncos are playing well. The Bulldogs are playing well. Storm, great side. The Roosters, so all these teams very much in contention to go deep into September which makes it great for us for competition for spots.”
The former Brisbane Broncos coach also acknowledged the diversity of the representative playing pool which has a number of high-profile players eligible for both Australia and other emerging nations as well.
“I just want to explain to those players that are contemplating, I totally understand their situation, but let's get the Kangaroos opportunity in front of them and see where they're at with that,” Walters said. “We move forward from there.
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“One thing about the Australian team is that there's great talent, we know that.
“So if some players elect to play for Pasifika nations or whatever nation, we've got plenty of depth here in Australia.
“Obviously, we want the best players available.
“It's been a terrific State of Origin series. Great talent on show from both states, so I'm sure we'll get a very strong 22 to take on the English in October and November.”
The Ashes Tour will include Test matches at Wembley Stadium (October 25), Everton Stadium (November 1) and Headingley (November 8).
