England prop Alex Walmsley targets 'silver bullet' to close gap on Australia
Alex Walmsley is hoping to help deliver the "silver bullet" that English rugby league has long craved by winning the Ashes.
Shaun Wane's England host Australia this autumn in the first series between the old foes since 2003, the most recent of 13 successive wins for the Kangaroos.
Indeed, 1970 was the last time a team from these shores enjoyed series bragging rights over the Australians.
Walmsley believes a long-overdue victory would do wonders for the game in England.
"I don't think you can underestimate how big it would be for our sport," said the St Helens prop, who is in England's 19-man squad for Saturday's Wembley opener.
"There's such a big gulf between what they have – their product, their finances and money, the enormity of their game over in Australia – to what we have.
"For us to do something that's not been done for 55 years, it's a real opportunity to give our sport that silver bullet, not that we desperately need but that we all want and feel our sport deserves."
Walmsley earned the last of his six England caps four years ago, casting doubt over his international future.
But fresh from his most productive season since 2017 in terms of appearances, the Dewsbury native earned a recall at the age of 35.
"To be honest, I thought my international career was well and truly done and I think other people thought that as well, judging by the reaction to the squad announcement," said Walmsley.
"I told Shaun at the start of the year that I'm an older athlete now, hopefully not too old, but if my body's in a good place, which it is, and I'm playing to my standard, I'd love to have that opportunity again.
"Waney took that on. He said he wouldn't put me in any of the training squads and allowed me to just think about playing. I've only missed one game this year, and that was because of concussion, so I'd like to think I've got back to where I need to be.
"Hopefully, if selected, I'll be able to offer something to the team and be a part of a successful Ashes campaign."
Walmsley is one of only two survivors – along with John Bateman – from England's last meeting with Australia in the 2017 World Cup final.
The towering front-rower is determined to turn the tables on the Kangaroos after enduring an agonising 6-0 defeat that has typified the rivalry in the modern era.
"It was obviously a gutting end to an incredible World Cup," said Walmsley.
"We got so close. As a nation, we've always been so close to them for such a long time.
"There's always such a small margin between the win and the loss. Hopefully this is an opportunity where we make those fine margins turn the other way."