Shenton is a former Leeds United season ticket holder and he admitted playing at Elland Road will be the highlight of his career.

Rugby commitments have restricted Shenton's recent trips to watch United, but he revealed: "I try to watch them on TV when I can and it'll be great to play at Elland Road.

"Leeds have obviously got great fans and the stadium's quality. You can get a great atmosphere going there and that's what we're looking for this weekend.

"It is a dream come true to play for England and to play in a Four Nations final at Elland Road really caps that off.

"The only way to better that is to win the game."

Not many outside the camp expect England to do that, but Shenton is happy for Australia to take the favourites tag.

"We know we're underdogs," he said. "People are writing us off, but we're quietly confident we can get out there, stir things up and do a bit of damage.

"It has been good to get into a final in my first Test series, but I won't be happy with just playing in a final – I have got to perform.

"There's nothing worse than not turning up on the day, getting caught up in all the hype. You have got to keep your head down and keep working hard.

"That's what I have been doing. We've been looking at areas I can get better in and that's what I am trying to do."

With the Kangaroos boasting the most feared three-quarter line in world rugby, Shenton and his fellow wide men will have their hands full.

"We've been working hard at training," he said. "We've looked at a lot of footage from the first game against Australia.

"We know what quality they've got. You can't give them too much space or many opportunities, because they will take them.

"They are top-quality executioners at scoring tries and making breaks.

"We know everybody has got to be on top of their game, but if we are, we've got a chance."

England out-scored the Aussies 16-0 in the second half of the group game at Wigan two weeks ago – after trailing 26-0 at half-time.

Shenton sees that final 40 minutes as a "turning point" in England's campaign.

He said: "We showed what we can do when we are mentally focused and ready to go.

"We know we've got to turn up and be really positive and confident. We have the belief we can cause them problems "

Shenton's Tigers team-mates are already back in pre-season training and he reckons victory for England this weekend would give him bragging rights over the club's southern hemisphere imports for the next 12 months.

"They've been saying to me 'good look against Greg Inglis' because they know what he can do," Shenton revealed.

"We have a bit of banter. In the season, when we have games of soccer and cricket at training it's always the Aussies and Kiwis against the English guys.

"If we can win this week it'll be tremendous – it'd be great to shut Goldy (Ryan McGoldrick) up.

"But I am sure he'll be supporting me really, along with the rest of the Cas lads."



Chance to meet stars

LEEDS RHINOS players will be on hand to meet fans buying the club's new replica home shirts, which go on sale at 9am tomorrow.

Matt Diskin and Jamie Jones-Buchanan will be at the club's St John's Centre store from 10am until noon, with Keith Senior and Ali Lauitiiti attending the Headingley Carnegie shop during the same period.

Both shops will open from 11am until 5pm on Sunday to deal with demand for the new kit.