Only two out-and-out centres in squad so Hardaker will inevitably be used to fill in there.

McNamara has all but confirmed in a video interview on England RL website that Tomkins will be playing fullback.

Right decision in my opinion. Hardaker doesnt have NRL experience like Tomkins and when you're representing your country you are a public figure. Hardaker's off-field trouble wont help in in this regard.

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear your opinion as well.

Aw diddums. How did your boys get on last night?

Hardaker has the better all round game. Tomkins can reach greater heights in attack, but is poor defensively.

I have a quote from an interview with Frank Endercott somewhere regarding the time a GB coach decided not to select the last Leeds MOS to start in a series against NZ. He couldn't believe anyone could be that stupid.

No surprise Tbh. Why would the MoS, triple trophy winner, dream teamer and best fb in SL get the nod at FB?.
Theres an out of form incumbent who has struggled with injury, to retain his position in his own team and hasn't played for a month or two (by the time the internationals come) who clearly deserves it more.

So no doubt our back line will have an out of form FB, two centres of which one is carrying an injury the other a FB in form, two wingers and a likely HB pairing of two players who won't ever play together again.

Sounds just what I'd expect from Mcbanana, Tbh.

Think somebody is going fishing

John Bateman, Wigan Warriors
Joe Burgess, Wigan Warriors
Thomas Burgess, South Sydney Rabbitohs
Mike Cooper, St George Illawarra Dragons
Leroy Cudjoe, Huddersfield Giants
Ben Currie, Warrington Wolves
Liam Farrell, Wigan Warriors
Brett Ferres, Huddersfield Giants
Luke Gale, Castleford Tigers
James Graham, Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
Ryan Hall, Leeds Rhinos
Zak Hardaker, Leeds Rhinos
Chris Hill, Warrington Wolves
Josh Hodgson, Canberra Raiders
Jermaine McGillvary, Huddersfield Giants
Sean O’Loughlin (captain), Wigan Warriors
James Roby, St Helens
Matty Smith, Wigan Warriors
Sam Tomkins, New Zealand Warriors
Kallum Watkins, Leeds Rhinos
Ben Westwood, Warrington Wolves
Elliot Whitehead, Catalans Dragons
Gareth Widdop, St George Illawarra Dragons
George Williams, Wigan Warriors

No Walmsley due to injury and Daryl Clark misses out to Roby and Josh Hodgson.

For Leeds obviously Stevie Ward misses out because of injury but Cuthbertson not selected.

Thinly disguised sour grapes/effort to get a little 'revenge' ?

IF tomkins gets selected over Hardaker at FB then McNamara should be sacked as English coach: it would be a ridiculous decision. Tomkins in the halves for me....probably IMO next to Williams. You will have a formdable half back partnership next season if Wigan do the same.

Matty smith? Really shows how inept mcnamara is

God knows how Matty Smith got selected!! (Better than McGuire???) Westwood too is not the player he was ...and what has Ferres done to deserve selection? Def room for Cuthbertson in there as well IMO.

No he hasn't?

Did Cuthbertson make himself available? Which scrum half should be selected ahead of Matty Smith? We're not well off in that position.

I had missed that, what a joke!

Perhaps Flanders may get some input as captain? That might explain it!

Said elsewhere (and it seems I'm not the only one) how the hell has Matty Smith got selected? What exactly has he done to merit selection? Luke Gale has played himself into the squad....he deserves his selection.

I would suggest Matty Smith is not even the best HB at Wigan. Next season they could have Tomkins alongside Williams ....England pairing too if not now then def in the future. They all seem to rate Ryan Hampshire highly for the halves too.

There should be no doubt whatsoever as to who SHOULD be England full back, but sadly, the one person who makes the final decision is a clueless inept . Perfect person for the RFL to put in charge

Still....I'll support Tomkins 100% on the day when he plays.

Tricky one this. I really do think Tomkins is a better player than Hardaker and a better full back. I think Tomkins offers so much more in attack but Hardaker's defence is without question better than Sam's. I do think they should both be accommodated though. Hardaker at FB and Sam at 6. They are both too good to be left out. As much as i rate Cuthbertson i don't want to see him in an England shirt. He is an Aussie. I don't care where his mum's cat was born. Ferres and Smith are joke selections. Smith is being carried by the Wigan team and hopefully will soon find his lever in the lower echelons of SL. He is the reason we cannot progress.

We're in agreement over including Hardaker(FB) AND Tomkins (HB) plus the selections of Ferres and Smith !!! It does appear 2 "top" coaches see something in the latter that most of us seem to have missed !!!! ?

Is cuthbertsons dad a cat?!

Have you heard of a certain Danny Mcguire? He for one should be ahead of Matty Smith

The non-selection of Cuthbertson is an absolute nonsense. There are three specialist props in the 24 man squad, but eight back-rowers and only two centres?

Too many people being selected on reputation (Westwood, Smith, Tomkins). How much SL does McNamara actually watch? Having a coach based 12,000 miles away from most of his players is a shambles.

Ironically, a series defeat to a heavily depleted New Zealand might not be the worst result if it sees the end of this clown as England coach.

I'm a big advocate of the international game and feel the lack of a credible international scene is the only thing that stops our game being the global phenomenon it should be.

However - with the amount of players that have dropped out if the NZ squad, I think this tournament has lost a lot of credibility - and with that in mind, regardless of form or how much our players deserve to be in the squad, I'm quite happy to see as few selected as possible this year... This season has been a long hard slog, and next year is going to be even harder with the changes in the squad and a WCC to contest..... Happy for as many of our squad as possible to have a good long rest....

Could be a major problem selecting smith, nobody can find him at the moment.
He certainly was not at old trafford last night.

Not selecting cuthbertson is bizarre clearly should be in the England team for me. That said if selected think he would pull out. Been playing injured for the last month requiring injections to play. Wouldn't be surprised to see hardaker and Watkins pull out. Both also nursing injuries having injections to play

He selected Tom Burgess, so I'm not sure how much NRL he watches either. Talk about getting by on your surname - Watts, Huby, Singleton and particularly Cuthbertson all miles ahead of him. Probably a few others too.