JOHN, we do, that's the bleedin' problem. The talent is there, the money is there, the clubs are there. Just look at Wakey, their academy lads hammered a very good Wigan lot in the GF just over a month ago, that is just one example, look a little deeper, there's loads of talent around.
The national side is an utter joke and has been for god knows how long, we struggle to compete let alone put the two stronger nations under pressure.

And another thing, is Lee Smith really the best we've got to offer at centre for the national team ?
I wouldn't have touched him with a barge-pole after his defection to RU, well maybe I would have if I thought he was good enough !

maguire was absolutely =blue[irubbish[/i.

I think leon Price deserves a shot.

=blue[iEdited by TS[/i

all 26 points came from australia attacking the right side of englands defence lee smith is e at centre felt he and mcguire should of gone off at half time but briscoe went instead

He was boo'd when he was sub'd late in the game & Sinfield came back on.

Id maybe go for Tomkins & Eastmond at half back.

Our forwards are as good if not better than the Aussies. Our backs on the other hand are extreemly poor. Tomkins and Eastmond should be the halfbacks. But excluding Tomkins from Mcguire downwards we are very poor. the best we can offer is Briscoes, Smith, Shenton and Hall? Compared to the Aussies and NZ they are average club players at best.
Im never sure what the big deal is when the Aussies beat us. They produce far more quality players than us, probably due to a lot more people playing the game and better coaching. Whats up with that?

To be fair the international game in league will never amount to much whilst the super league clubs are feeding at the trough, stealing the youngsters and paying big bucks to mediocre Aussies. No promotion and relegation and they still won't take risks.

I wonder how much longer the Aussies will tolerate our mediocrity at international level. Mr lewis' plans are really working eh?

Amazing though how in union it's all about the internationals and twickers and league the club game rules

Australia are so much better because they're leaders, not followers. The sooner we stop copying them line for line, the better. By the time we've implemted any good ideas to 'catch up' they've come up with something else to make them better. Listening to the rugby league public might be a good start.

Australia are so much better because it's all about football, football and football in this country. RL is and always will be a minority sport, 30 years perseverence in London has demonstrated this with poor attendances and almost zero awareness. Kids down there wanna watch Arsenal and Spurs and wanna play soccer at school, and even in the so called hot beds of RL, kids wanna watch and play soccer. Folk bleat on about how promising our youth is cos of the likes of Tomkins and Eastmond - don't get carried away, for every one Eastmond there's 10 better equivalents in Oz ...... sorry, but we can NEVER compete with the Aussies at RL, yesterday's first half in particular rubber stamped this philosophy.

To put it simply....


CLUB BEFORE COUNTRY



Shameful.

Clubs pay players wages, therefore pays mortgages, feeds kids etc. It's easy to criticise but players have to look after number 1. I know there is as much chance of getting injured playing for your club as your country but some players feel it isn't worth the risk.

You misunderstand me.

Some clubs tend not to let some players play for their country because the clubs' eye is firmly on their monetary gain/loss and not the personal preference of the player.

which club has stopped anyone playing in the four nations? Genuine question as I don't know. I don't think clubs stop their players playing end of year tests, maybe mid season tests. Don't actually think a club could stop a player playing if the player wanted to play.

Any of us going to the McGalf on saturday ?

I'm going, hopefully for a few beers prior to the game as well.

Yes mate.. will txt you for a beer if you will be about

stand as much chance of winning as they did last weekend.

OK mate, sure. Where are Whitehall in the afternoon ?
Our young 'un plays Elland 2nd's I think, then he's off straight to Hudds. I'm skipping that bit and just doing the straight to Hudds bit.....




We do actually know that !

i know, just bored during the off season.

England? who are they, should be GB.
England no chance, Tony Smith insists on playing non specialists in the backs, poor squad, not good enough for Super League.

Tom Briscoe, Lee Smith and Danny McGuire have all been dropped for this weekend's game against New Zealand.

IMO, McGuire has been pretty much ineffective and Tomkins and Eastmond have shown him up to be less skillful than he thinks he is. Briscoe doesn't have the defensive capability needed at this level, hence the constant attack down his wing and success in scoring. Lee Smith is also not the player he likes to think he is, either. He gives the impression that he'd like to be a hard man; grinding Billy Slater's face with his forearm whilst lying on top of him is hardly hard-man material.

Replacing Briscoe and Smith will be Fox and Bridge. I'm not entirely sure if this is the right option, but we'll soon see this weekend. Eastmond is getting the start and Wilkin comes in on the bench.

I think we are well over due a good result and so am gonna go for england by 4-6 points.
I know it goes against the grain of the get along thing, but i just have a sneaky feeling.

Come On England.

I was really excited during the week when my 10yr old grandaughter had a letter from the RFL at first I thought they may be asking her for help in runing the place but no .They were informing her she had been chosen to be one of the mascots for the England/Kiwi game.I was hoping she may bring England some luck but now wonder just who she is supporting as she has been asked to wear black.
She is still proud as punch though she is so excited whoever it is.

Teams for today:

England: S Briscoe, Fox, Bridge, Shenton, Hall; Tomkins, Eastmond; Morley, Roby, Graham; Peacock (capt), Ellis, Sinfield.
Replacements: Burgess, Crabtree, Westwood, Wilkin.

New Zealand: Hohaia, Perrett, Foran, Sau, Goodwin; Marshall (capt), Fien Nuuausala , Leuluai , Moimoi , Soliola , Pritchard, Blair .
Substitutes: Luke , Lima , Matulino, Waerea-Hargreaves.


I don't see what Westwood brings to the international team, he's an ordinary player who gives too many penalties away, I'd have benched Carvell instead of him, Burgess is more flexible in the back three. Looks like we're going to try and bash them up the middle with only Wilkin as cover for stand off or centre spots. Sinfield can also cover stand off & hooker, so I expect him to cover Roby at some point and I hope that's where he tries Eastmond to catch them tired in the latter stages of the first half, scooting out of dummy half.

Home mate in cup to keighley town. Will be headin straight over after game.

good game to watch, well done england, played well.