Firstly I am a Wigan Fan but please dont hold that against me!!! I know Sinfield has been a great club player over the years and played a big part in Leeds success but I d be interested in Leeds fans view of him as an international player. To me I just don't feel he has the pace,cutting edge and X Factor to put his stamp on the game at international level - I cant remember him having a good game against either the Aussies or Kiwis but I am prepared to be enlightened by fans who watch him week in and week out. Maybe I ll be proved wrong this afternoon - hope so!

He's had as good a game against those teams, as any other player in the squad picked as.

A world class player that when playing in a world class team (Leeds), demonstrates just how good he is.

If England play to any quality foundation, then Sinfield will be at the heart of it.

People whose only criteria for a succesful RL player is a that they are a showpony don't understand what organisers and leaders bring to winning teams.

When you look at the quality of Australia and Kiwi half backs, who else would you put at 6 & 7 for England?

Widdop looked garbage when he came on today. But he plays in NRL so people think he must be the answer.

Dont think its Sinfield think Chase should not be in the team Burrows should have played and run at the line as he does for Leeds always gets a lazy defender sucked in to gain pens Chase did nothing. imho

Chase didn't have a bad game. Burrow should be no where near.

Drop Tom Burgess, Mossop, and Widdop.

Move Chase to the bench, Tomkins to the halfs, and bring Hardaker into fullback, and the spine looks better and stronger.

Burrow should deffo be on the bench at least. Chase...

I wold never carry a HB on the bench, a hooker and 3 forwards or 2 forwards and a utility. he played Sinfield in 2 positions against the best team (imo) in the world. its hard to play in 1. SM as got it all wrong imo.

I'd go with McIlorum on the bench in place of Widdop, who I agree is viewed favourably by many simply because he's from the NRL. Showed nothing when he came on but still have some defending him saying he didn't have enough time. Well within the first 20mins Chase and Sinfield had combined for the first try and Sinfield put in the kick for the 2nd (both tries are being dismissed as any halfbacks could've done that) and the agenda line is "Sinfield did nothing today".
Wouldn't have Burrow, not versus the Aussies at least, think they're too good at slowing the PTB down for him to be effective in that manner (especially when our forwards get less than crisp passing from the hooker). Rather have a proper hooker interchange to keep the forwards ticking over nicely and to also not sacrifice defensive strength which would happen with Burrow coming on at dummy half.

Can't understand criticism of the halves today. Sinfield had a very good game and so did Chase. Widdop was a waste of a bench spot IMO.
England could easily have won that game. Some naive refereeing and a few little things such as Charnley's foot in touch and some obviously milked penalties for ball steals (and the sudden noticing of forward passes by the Australian touch judge after he missed 3-4 blatant Australian examples) cost us the match.
A tremendously competitive and high quality game.

Sinfield was as good as Cronk today. Thurston was the best half on display, but that was no surprise, he's a level above any English half and that's hardly Sinfield's fault.

Hill's offload game really bothered the Aussies. Shame Graham and maybe even Crabtree weren't available to add to that instead of Tom Burgess (who didn't look ready) and Mossop (who didn't look good enough). George Burgess looked the real deal, and thought Roby was very good too. No reason he can't play 80.

George Burgess owned them up front. I thought Fifita would have done well off the bench but none of them were anywhere close to George Burgess. I thought Widdop did alright and we played more expansively when he came on but we were already under the pump by then. I saw nothing from Chase to suggest that he is an international half but I don't think Burrow is the answer either.

You thought Widdop did all right, but Chase nothing?

Dear god, Widdop was garbage. Chase did well.

Your right Burrows isnt the answer but he would have done good. the answer is the reigning man of steel but hes ing about with some part time players trying to win the RLWC!!! pfffttt waste of time..

Agree about Tom Burgess and Mossop, they were the only real disappointment. Coughed the ball at critical times in the first half as well which helped the Ausies back in the game.
Hill's offloads really worked well.
I also thought Roby quietly went about out playing Cameron Smith.

I like Tomkins at FB, we didn't get enough possession in the right part of the field to fullly exploit his attacking skills, but I think he should stay at FB. Chase put some massive hits in today, deserves another crack.
Agree about dropping the other three. All that bollocx from Cameron Smith about being happy Widdop wasn't starting is exactly that.

Definitely not Chase and Sinfield. Firstly Sinfield is no half back and not been much good all season anyway.
And Chase never knows what he is doing never mind his team mates.
A good half back pairing today and the Aussies would have been bet.

Tom Burgess and Westwood not knocking on in midfield when we had momentum in the first half.
Westwood and Sam Burgess not giving away head high shots.
Westwood not incorrectly PTB underneath the Aussies posts when we'd got the momentum back after George's try.
Charnley not hustling for the 40/20.

Avoid them and the Aussies get beat. With the halfback pairing we had.

We have some good half backs in SL.
McBanana should hang his head in shame, he was supposed to be selecting on form, not on reputation.

That doesn't really answer the problem though does it?
I don't care if you're Widdop, Brough, Burrow, Smith, Thurston or Cronk.
If your forwards knock on in midfield your halves can't do much,
If your forwards give away head high shots your halves can't do much,
If one of your forwards can't PTB correctly near the opposition goal line your halves can't do much,
If your winger doesn't hustle hard enough for a 40/20 then your halves can't do much........REGARDLESS of who they are.

If we were to beat Australia today then it was going to take 17 guys to do it, that so many on these boards are so obsessed with 2 positions maybe coming up with 'special' stuff is weak and lazy thinking towards the game. Wigan are a perfect example this year of having 'non exciting' halves yet being EFFECTIVE.

My God you REALLY seem to think that the presence on the field of Danny Brough today would have been the difference between England beating the Kangaroos and losing to them

Bang on this.
For me personally i'd have had Ratchford on the bench instead of Widdop and Crabtree/Graham for T.Burgess/Mossop plus after Westwoods stupidity and Ablett with the ridiculous penalty he conceded on Slater if the Coach is Ruthless both will drop out of the 17 for Farrell and O'Loughlin.
One thing to note also in the cold light of day is the Aussie team were at about 65/70% today imo and in the end won fair and square they will only get better the big ?? for England is if they can raise their game for the full 80 in time for a crack at the kiwis.

I thought Sinfield was one of our better players tbh, he doesn't have that ability to attack the line at full pelt like Cronk or Thurston but everyone knew that before the tournament. He's our 7 for the rest of the WC, I just hope he doesn't get moved to hooker again.

Widdop tried to do that when he came on I showed a lot more than Chase.

I thought KS went pretty well, going back to the OP, in an ideal world he isn't the answer for an international half, but there is no one better IMO

Play widdop and we have absolutely zero structure.
Brough - Scottish
Matty smith and myler - surprised smith isn't in the squad, myler could be an international in the future.
McGuire - injured and probably finished at international level.

I just don't see a better option its not just in SL but in the the Nrl there seems to be a real draught in top class halves coming through. ( granted the Aussies are still in a better position than us)

I suppose though that Graham, hardaker and Micky mac limited out options yesterday by going out on the , I would have thought that if not for this Micky would have been on the bench