I tell you what (IMHO) would be an embarrassment and a sad indictment of the game. A full strength England team smashing the living daylights out of a Wales team in Wales.

It may be dummed down but it might just be an opportunity to allow Wales to play some attractive rugby in front of their home crowd and give the team that England do put out a chance to defend against a team that is willing to throw the ball about a bit.

Yep I was a bit confused too. It would seem a bit strange to play O'Loughlin at centre when, if you want to play a backrower at centre then surely Ellis would be the man for it. And as you say if including Sykes as cover why not include Pryce instead.

Since we no longer have Senior and have a complete lack of quality in the centres I'd have been tempted to give Pryce a go at centre.

Looking at the Welsh squad, this still looks suspiciously like the sort of mis-match you'd get if a mid-table Super League side played one of the better National League 2 sides. I still can't see anything but a heavy, heavy beating for Wales.

I badly want that not to be true, but I'm afraid it probably is.

On a slightly related topic is Ross Divorty any relation of the former Leeds, Halifax, Hull and probably other places, loose forward Gary? Or is that a more common name than I give it credit for?

Son of

Senior said he might reconsider retirement if Smith Gave him a call.

Given Senior's form and given the criminal lack of quality in the threequarters I am very surprised TS didn't pick up the phone.

I hope he doesnt.

Senior with a rest in the off season should be superb again next year.

In the long bar on Saturday night he said he hopes to eclipse 600 games in his career. Good luck to him.

From a selfish (Leeds point of view) I agree.

From an England RL point of view Smith should be begging Keith to play.

That was my viewpoint.

I agree, I was suprised too considering there's no doubt he's been the best English centre this season by a mile and our other options make me wince at the thought of Greg Inglis running at them.

smiths 'planning for the future'......... yet picks smith



as for O'Loughlin, maybe wigan fans should take it as a sign that their world beater isn't going to get a game at 13 come the proper international matches

www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 10,00.html Hull winger Tom Briscoe has been called up to replace Sean O'Loughlin after he cracked a bone in his thumb against Wales. Why call up a winger when a forward has been injured? You never know he may call up Burrow if a prop gets injured.

www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 10,00.html Hull winger Tom Briscoe has been called up to replace Sean O'Loughlin after he cracked a bone in his thumb against Wales. Why call up a winger when a forward has been injured? You never know he may call up Burrow if a prop gets injured.

Further proof Tony Smith hasn't a clue.
Bring back Brian Noble

I think Briscoe did enough to impress in the Wales game and Smith wanted him in the squad. We do have plenty of forwards so I don't think it's any more complicated than that.

You did read the quote from Smith?

Good news re Tom Briscoe who outshone Peter Fox last Saturday.

Briscoe and Hall would be my first choice starting wingers.

O'Loughlin played at centre on Saturday so if that was Tony Smith's intention in the four nations it makes sense calling up an outside back as a replacement.

A potential backline of:
Briscoe
Briscoe, Smith, Shenton, Hall
McGuire, Tomkins

looks as good as it's going to get given the personnel available.

Again, I'd be cautious about making any Judgments based upon Saturday's game.

Briscoe looks the part but he's played 11 games for Hull this year and hasn't acheived anywhere near what Fox has at Sl level - yet.

Oh god. You're right. Oh god.

I don't get that last comment at all. Just what has Fox achieved that is massively greater than what Briscoe has?

I am in no doubt that Briscoe is a superior player and by playing in a CC final I would say Briscoe has more experience of the big occasions aswell.

Fox has appeared in the playoffs.

But he did nothing in them.

Both played against the same enthusiastic opposition and Briscoe looked the better International prospect of the two. I thought that was the whole point of Saturday as some kind of Test trial for the non Leeds and St Helens players.

Myler (one pass apart) showed why he would be a huge risk in the four nations after his period of inactivity.

Fox has been a consistent, regular performer in a top 8 team for the last couple of years whereas Briscoe has barely played at SL level, 11 games this year wasn't it? How many the year before?

It's a little harsh to accuse a 19 year old of a lack of experience. Wasn't Martin Offiah 19 once?

I know you like Fox, but for me he falls into the Ade Gardner box, fast in a straight line but prone to big brainfarts.

It's not like we have great competition for wing spots (Ryan Hall only needs to avoid losing a leg to have a long International career) but of the two England wingers on show on Saturday, I'd say Briscoe was the better performer, and thus has "earned" the right to a shirt in front of Fox.

However we all know that "earned" seems to mean nothing with the squad selection of TS so far...

[size=59(for the record, I'm not comparing Tom Briscoe with Martin Offiah)[/size