TOM JOHNSTONE is ready to go from screaming fan to England ace at a place close to his heart.
If he does help the national side avoid a whitewash from the Aussies, he may have to emulate his Headingley hero, one of their countrymen.
Johnstone may be synonymous with Wakefield, where he was brought through and where he plays now.
But he is a Leeds lad and used to stand on the terraces cheering on the Rhinos – and his favourite player was Australian, Scott Donald.
“I did have a Leeds season ticket when I was younger,” revealed Johnstone. “I used to go and I used to love it. I’d go with my dad and my granddad, so playing there for England is huge.
“Scott Donald was my winger hero. He was lightning and he could finish off a try – but wingers have changed.
“We’ve got to do the tougher carries as well these days – do more of the ugly stuff.
“The thing is I can’t really think too much about playing at Headingley. I just need to focus on the game and then, you know, after the series, I’ll probably sit back and think of what I’ve done and what I could have done better.
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“Maybe I’ll sit back and reflect after the series, but I just need to put my best foot forward and do everything I can to help us win.”
Johnstone, 30, will have a new wing partner in Joe Burgess as Dom Young broke his foot in the 14-4 second Test loss.
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Leeds’ Harry Newman will also come in for tomorrow’s third Test as Jake Wardle picked up a knock.
But despite a much-improved display from Wembley, he knows it has to be better for longer if Shaun Wane’s men are to avoid ‘embarrassment.’
Johnstone added: “In the second game, we knew we had to be at our best and I think we did that for 70 minutes.
“But against a side that good, it’s got to be 80. Those 10 minutes hurt us because they got two tries and that was the difference really.
“I think the occasion got the better of us at Wembley. It is such a prestigious event and something some of us have dreamt of doing since we were kids.
“Mentally, I think we got ourselves a little bit too worked up, Now it’s all about ‘don’t let it be 3-0.’ We can’t have that.
“We can’t have the word embarrassment. We’re far too good to be beating 3-0. I’d not tasted defeat in an England jersey for a few years, so we can’t have it where they do that to us.”
