I'd say that was our best available side, from players selected

I'm guessing it's the quote from Smith himself, referring to the week after this as "the final week". Which would imply the tournament finishes for us then.

Guess he means final week of the group matches?

That's how I read it - obviously not as much of a pessimist as tvoc and Gotcha.

Leon Pryce still not been found then?

I really don't understand Smith. He's saying he always intended to play Tomkins this week. Why not decide your best 6 and 7 and settle with them.

Another baffling quote/selection from the national coach.

The New Zealand round robin fixture would not represent the 'final week' if he expected England to be in the final.

The swapping and changing of the scrumhalf in this fixture is another oddball comment. Hasn't he already done that in the Wales and France fixtures?

Why?

Maybe he sees this tourney as a building exercise for the world cup? Maybe he sees Tompkins as being more suited to test rugby than Myler at this point, but wanted to give Myler a game against France to give him more experience...

If he does I wonder why Lee Smith has been selected?

If this tournament is a training session ahead of the world cup I am glad I haven't wasted any money on tickets.

They should be going all out to win this tournament if they want to restore any credibility in international rugby in this country.

Just needs Peacock in the middle 4 and Sinfield fourth in, rather than the five on the right and middle 3 we defended as before. It's a pattern lots of teams use, so shouldn't be an issue.

It is a bit odd. Particularly as he put Myler in a wide position rather than working the middle last week, too.

I know I may get shot down for posting this, but I hope that in the Autumn internationals England RU aren't using it as a training exercise for the world cup, just as I hope Tony Smith doesn't see this as a training exercise. I want to see my team win all of the time. Whether that is Leeds, England or Great Britain. I know from my own limited experience that I want to play in every match and that includes friendly's I don't want to be rested for a match in a weeks time never mind four years. Smith's team selection is bizarre to say the least but hopefully big game players will step up. Australia seem to be as weak as at anytime I've seen them (not saying they are useless) so this seems as good a time as any to put out a strong team and go for the win. A final for England would hopefully improve support for international rugby league. Unfortunately I can still see us losing with such a poor backline.

So if I went Down Under for the competition next year it'd be a waste of my money?

Ask someone who went down under last year

Should we give Smith the benefit of the doubt and say that he has two young inexperienced halfbacks who he doesn't want to overplay?

No.

I don't understand it either.

Could be a massacre on Saturday.

I don't think it will be as bad as the result that took place exactly one year ago to the day this Saturday.

the world cup is years away. there are plenty of games for him to experiment with before then. i fully agree with gareth, he should be going all out to win this one to give us some credability. even to be really competative is a step forward.
sadly this is another odd decison by tony smith.

The 'master tactician' has once again made some strange decisions. Wonder if once again he will have no game plan to go with it!

Perhaps Smith didn't want the Aussies to know too much about Tomkins. He's still relatively unheard of on the world stage, that could work to his and England's favour.

Or maybe his misguided club loyalties last week really didn't pay off.

i honestly don't think it is that emma. why he seems to do what he does regarding selections i don't know but since 05 he has done it on a regular basis.

with regards to game plans/tactics we rarely had them at leeds in attack. he got the defence brilliantly organised but we seemed to rely on individual skills rather then set moves(04 GF apart).
sadly for GB/england we look like a team of strangers

Then he should'nt be the coach imo he's had 2 games to experiment with selections and positions we are now in the middle of a tournament.
As for the myler comment why would you play him against france "for experience" when you should be giving a new HB pairing as much game time as possible together to read each others games!!
He's sending Mcguire and Tompkins in cold against one of the best teams in the world but as long as mylers got some gametime experience that's ok!!

can't knock what smith did at leeds, but with the squad at his disposal trophies were always on the horizon as his replacement has found.
The blokes a big head who thrives on contraversial selections.
I know of several Leeds players who did not enjoy their rugby under him, he is lucky to have stepped in at wire when they are throwing money about.
give him the bradford job now they are on the decline see if he can turn them around, I think not.