I'm not suggesting it'll be any different for Myler, Eastmond or Tomkins but has Burrow defending in the centres against a monster like Inglis scarred Tony Smith away from selecting him? Especially without Senior inside to match up size wise.

It didn't seem to bother him during the World Cup, and I've seen no changes in Burrow's defensive technique or execution that would make a difference.

The Kiwis that Burrow played well against in 2007 weren't pygmies either IIRC.

Does Smith consider Eastmond a centre or a half back? Either way, the players won't get any smaller for him.

Fair enough.

Inglis will just run over whichever half back is there anyway.

The non-selection of Senior is odd after the season he's had and him putting his hand up for selection. Rookie Hall on the wing outside an inferior partner and a strange halfback, doesn't really bare thinking about.

Inglis is the best player in the world and would destroy any top NRL centre so lets forget about that match up and concentrate on our strengths abd where we can win it. The forwards for a start, and the halves arnet too bad at all. We are solid at FB and the wings arent all bad. Extra protection for the centres and we are in with a shot, plus its November in England dont forget.

I'm surprised at you you actually watch the NRL and yet you are still optimistic about England's chances?

If it was over there we would be fooked



But if we pick the right pack and can keep them pinned down with a decent kicking game we will have a chance. We need to get up on Slater though from the get go and not let him have any room to work.

If we are pinned down kick from behind the line with everyone offside and just give him 10. Then get into him and smash him. Like Bradford did to Wesser in the WCC a few years back.

Dont get me wrong though, it wil be a big ask to win but these kids of ours may surprise a few.

Just to add a bit of evenness to my post though...

Slater
Hayne
Inglis
Hodges
Morris
Lockyer
Thurston

We'll just have to trust the pack doesn't match up to that standard and hope for lousy weather.

Indeed.


IMO the 2 of the best players I have ever seen are in that back line.

Inglis and Hayne. Thier skill level is far superior to anyone at the moment. On form Benji is the only person I have seen get near them this year.

I don't think lockyer and thurston are too shabby either!

Lockyers coming to the end, Thurston is good, but Inglis and Hayne are on another planet IMO.

With a better depth in the forwards, and no real standout centre, any chance of seeing Ellis there?

Quote ="leicester_rhino"With a better depth in the forwards, and no real standout centre, any chance of seeing Ellis there?'" This is League freaks England team. Inbetween his trolling attempts he is interesting... sometimes League Freaks Prefered England Team: 1. Shaun Briscoe 2. Lee Smith 3. Gareth Ellis 4. Michael Shenton 5. Peter Fox 6. Kyle Eastmond 7. Danny McGuire 8. Adrian Morley 9. James Roby 10. Sam Burgess 11. Jamie Peacock 12. Ben Westwood 13. Kevin Sinfield 14. James Graham 15. Eorl Crabtree 16. Sean O’Loughlin 17. Scott Moore www.leaguefreak.com/news.php

Quote ="leicester_rhino"With a better depth in the forwards, and no real standout centre, any chance of seeing Ellis there?'" This is League freaks England team. Inbetween his trolling attempts he is interesting... sometimes League Freaks Prefered England Team: 1. Shaun Briscoe 2. Lee Smith 3. Gareth Ellis 4. Michael Shenton 5. Peter Fox 6. Kyle Eastmond 7. Danny McGuire 8. Adrian Morley 9. James Roby 10. Sam Burgess 11. Jamie Peacock 12. Ben Westwood 13. Kevin Sinfield 14. James Graham 15. Eorl Crabtree 16. Sean O’Loughlin 17. Scott Moore www.leaguefreak.com/news.php

Has Ellis been playing centre in the NRL or has everyone forgotten his displays there for us in emergency capacity last year?

No he hasn't and I wouldn't expect him to play there at International level either.

I think this Australian side are too good to worry about, the best thing England can do is go out, play and not worry about the score if that makes sense!!

I personally think that we should keep people in their best positions, and if we are weak in other areas, then work on how we overcome them.

Our forwards should allow us a decent platform. Our backs may not be that decent, but you can go a long way with decent organisation, and training.

Win the forward battle, be organised in attack and we may have some joy (or less failure). It worked well for the bulls for many years

I thought we looked most dangersous when we flung the ball around. Arm wrestling with the Aussies is a difficult excercise - they do it every week and have proved to be masters of slowing the PTB to a standstill.
Having said that we will need the likes of Burgess and Ellis to rattle a few teeth in defence and we need to make yards. A bit of biff wouldn't be unwelcome either.
The thing we have to do - which we have been consistantly awful at when playing at international level - is kick well. Our kicking game (short attacking and kick chase from defence) has been one of the most dissapointing aspects of GB/England play for my living memory. Leeds arm wrestled Melbourne into submission on the back of a terrific kick chase. We simply can't afford to play the game near our line - we will get butchered. We want the Aussies bringing it out from nea their 10 metre line so Burgess, Ellis, Peacock, "Jammer" and co. can really take pot shots at them.
If we get good field position then we have to have the confidence to offload whenever possible.

I'd just like to point out that between them Burrow, McGuire, Sinfield, and the Sts equivalents created one legitimate

try on Saturday. Burrow may have had 'time on the ball' or whatever but didn't do enough with it IMO.

Whereas Myler and Tomkins didn't priduce any tries in the GF.

He has a point though.

As sad as I am it went through my mind in the car after the game that Malcolm Andrews would have a field day with the lack of created tries in our GF.

1) How the frig does Sykes keep getting in these squads?
2) The backline as a whole looks pretty poor. Shenton (big/quick enough?) and Eastmond (relativley untested at centre) would be my pairing, although I think Grix at Wakey was unlucky not to get in the squad at least.
3) Halfbacks I'd have McGuire at 7 and Tomkins at 6. McGuire really stood up against the Kiwis in the WC and I think Tomkins will trouble whoever he plays against.

At halfback I certainly wouldn't risk both Tomkins and Myler. I'd agree with starting Tomkins and McGuire, as being at halfback will force McGuire to handle the ball more often. My only question would be if/how to use Sinfield. As the primary open-field kicker and goalkicker fine, but what other role would he have with the ball?

My point about our halfbacks - from wherever they may be - wasn't to compare those chosen with those left out, but more to highlight the fact that I don't think we saw the best of the Leeds duo on attack in the GF either, for whatever reason.

Anyway, I'm not really in a position to judge a lot of the newbies - I simply don't understand picking Lee Smith given he's leaving the code altogether and Tony Smith has stated that this squad has been picked with an eye towards the next world cup.

He doesn't though as his point hinges entirely on

Smith is still only 23, who's to say he won't play RL again. He could even be back for the next world cup. So his inclusion isn't that much of a surprise IMO.

I don't get why people think Smith shouldn't be picked, we should go into every tournament best equipped to win said tournament with the best players that are available at that time, Smith is clearly worthy of a place so should be picked, regardless of who he is playing for next year.

Should we have dropped him for the GF because he isn't playing for us next year? I don't see the difference.