Tony Smith has lost the plot and it isnt often I agree with Danny Lockwood but he has cut off his nose to spite his face with his selection policy.

The Sykes call beggars belief so surely must be a two fingured salute to those who dont belive in the Smith "I know best" ego.

The back line looks like a disaster waiting to happen and I wouldnt be surprised to see the Aussies rattle up 50 which would damage any credibility SL currently has.

Briscoe has ability where as Fox has out and out pace, close call but Briscoe gets it for me.

Fox is too error prone and is a disaster waiting to happen.

So how would that make this backline any different from the one that went to the World Cup?

Fox is good but has had a rotten end to the year, if Smith is picking "on form" then Fox is not the man.

I agree on Sykes, I can't see anything that he could offer to help beat NZ or Aus.

Well, here's your team www.englandrl.co.uk/article.php?id=15740 1 Shaun Briscoe (Hull KR) 2 Tom Briscoe (Hull FC) 3 Lee Smith (Leeds Rhinos) 4 Michael Shenton (Castleford Tigers) 5 Ryan Hall (Leeds Rhinos) 6 Danny MCGuire (Leeds Rhinos) 7 Richard Myler (Salford City Reds) 8 Jamie Peacock (Leeds Rhinos, capt ) 9 Scott Moore (Huddersfield Giants) 10 Adrian Morley (Warrington Wolves) 11 Gareth Ellis (Wests Tigers) 12 Sam Burgess (Bradford Bulls) 13 Kevin Sinfield (Leeds Rhinos) Interchange 14 James Graham (St Helens) 15 James Roby (St Helens) 16 Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves) 17 Kyle Eastmond (St Helens)

Well, here's your team www.englandrl.co.uk/article.php?id=15740 1 Shaun Briscoe (Hull KR) 2 Tom Briscoe (Hull FC) 3 Lee Smith (Leeds Rhinos) 4 Michael Shenton (Castleford Tigers) 5 Ryan Hall (Leeds Rhinos) 6 Danny MCGuire (Leeds Rhinos) 7 Richard Myler (Salford City Reds) 8 Jamie Peacock (Leeds Rhinos, capt ) 9 Scott Moore (Huddersfield Giants) 10 Adrian Morley (Warrington Wolves) 11 Gareth Ellis (Wests Tigers) 12 Sam Burgess (Bradford Bulls) 13 Kevin Sinfield (Leeds Rhinos) Interchange 14 James Graham (St Helens) 15 James Roby (St Helens) 16 Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves) 17 Kyle Eastmond (St Helens)

I've always been a believer in awarding caps for the here and now. Briscoe is already Fox's equal in my view and has more potential. I'd pick him over Fox for those two reasons.

Hall and Briscoe would be my choices on the wings.

Quote ="Richie"Well, here's your team www.englandrl.co.uk/article.php?id=15740 1 Shaun Briscoe (Hull KR) 2 Tom Briscoe (Hull FC) 3 Lee Smith (Leeds Rhinos) 4 Michael Shenton (Castleford Tigers) 5 Ryan Hall (Leeds Rhinos) 6 Danny MCGuire (Leeds Rhinos) 7 Richard Myler (Salford City Reds) 8 Jamie Peacock (Leeds Rhinos, capt ) 9 Scott Moore (Huddersfield Giants) 10 Adrian Morley (Warrington Wolves) 11 Gareth Ellis (Wests Tigers) 12 Sam Burgess (Bradford Bulls) 13 Kevin Sinfield (Leeds Rhinos) Interchange 14 James Graham (St Helens) 15 James Roby (St Helens) 16 Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves) 17 Kyle Eastmond (St Helens)'" Only one surprise for me with the selection of Myler at half back (and no Tomkins) I guess Westwood is a lucky boy as well. Let's hope he has benefitted from the run out last Saturday.

Quote ="Richie"Well, here's your team www.englandrl.co.uk/article.php?id=15740 1 Shaun Briscoe (Hull KR) 2 Tom Briscoe (Hull FC) 3 Lee Smith (Leeds Rhinos) 4 Michael Shenton (Castleford Tigers) 5 Ryan Hall (Leeds Rhinos) 6 Danny MCGuire (Leeds Rhinos) 7 Richard Myler (Salford City Reds) 8 Jamie Peacock (Leeds Rhinos, capt ) 9 Scott Moore (Huddersfield Giants) 10 Adrian Morley (Warrington Wolves) 11 Gareth Ellis (Wests Tigers) 12 Sam Burgess (Bradford Bulls) 13 Kevin Sinfield (Leeds Rhinos) Interchange 14 James Graham (St Helens) 15 James Roby (St Helens) 16 Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves) 17 Kyle Eastmond (St Helens)'" Only one surprise for me with the selection of Myler at half back (and no Tomkins) I guess Westwood is a lucky boy as well. Let's hope he has benefitted from the run out last Saturday.

Me too, particularly if Sinfield is in, who will likely be the central playmaker anyway.

Eastmond and Roby on the bench? Presumably when Eastmond comes on it will be at loose and Sinfield will switch to second row, leaving the pack looking very lightweight.

Don't doubt that team will have more than enough to see off a pretty woeful French side, but there needs to be another front line forward on the bench for the two games to come afterwards IMO.

I think Eastmond is there in case Myler has a mare.

Not a bad looking side to play the French. Hopefully Morely will show a bit more than last week.

I'm not sure why we need two hookers though. I don't think that works..

It's an underwhelming bench for me also and one I hope is a variety just for the French.

It will indeed be interesting to see how Eastmund is used during the game.

Myler before Tompkins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


That's the biggest club selection bias since Noble picked Harris over Mcguire in the tri nations in 04!!

I feel a sense of relief that Sykes and Brdige haven't been named in the team. A side from that it looks very poor, Myler is a dubious choice with no form or experience just cant figure that out and why is Eastmond on the bench?

How many of them would get near the NZ team let alone the Aus team? i'll say 5 would. Its a poor team and squad.

Is there any team in SL that puts a half back and a hooker (a relatively small one at that) on the bench at the same time?

Can't see what Eastmond would do when he came on? If he goes to acting half then I'll be baffled.

We all know that we are struggling for Backs at the moment, but the bench is a very unusual one, halfback and a hooker?

The selection of Westwood is strange as well (unless he is going to be spelled in the front row) as for a second rower we would have been much better served going for Gilmour, but TS didn't even take him in the 24 man squad???

This has all the hallmarks of a "I'll show them I had the selection right in the world cup" about it...

Either that or f#ck it i'm getting paid stacks by wire and i'll be gone by the end of the year!!!

I imagine it'll be Westwood to second row, Burgess to prop rather than having an out and out second prop on the bench. Graham and Peacock are both capable of sixty minutes if required allowing Morley and Burgess to fill in the remainder this week.

I hope the bench is bigger for the other two matches though.

The easy option then would surely have been to select Burrow?

I get the impression it could be a bit of reverse psychology in that "I'm going to drop all the players that everone else said underperformed, and pick some inexperienced youth in their place so no one can blame me".

The only area this strategy falls down on is the selection of Lee Smith, which is the right thing to do for this series, hardly screams "planning for the future"...

It's been the most bizarrely selected squad for many a year...

that's a bit childish by your usual standards.

As it is I disagree. I think you pick the best squad you can to win on merit. Smith is there on merit. By seasons end he was probably the second best English centre in the league after Senior.

Add in the utility value he offers and the lack of quality threequarters at Smith's disposal I think it was a no brainer once Smith made himself available.

Why is it?

Westwood has been an integral part of Smith's international teams since he took over. Its' hardly surprising.

I rate him. If he could cut out his penalties he'd be a very good player.

I too think its' strange to have a half back and hooker on the bench but i assume he won't be doing that against the Aussies or Kiwis.

Myler, it would appear, is the new golden child of Rugby league and form and performances are irrelevant.

One wonders why the likes of Bridge and Sykes are in the squad but not in the team to face France. Surely he's not saving them to unleash them upon the Kiwis or Aussies??

I agree with what yer saying G but don't you think it smacks of hypocrisy on TS's part?????
Afterall he's said his squad is selected with an eye on the future for GB/England yet L.Smith buggers off to union at the end of november!
Then again he says he's selected his squad on form yet leaves out Burrow,Tompkins and Senior yet picks Myler and Sykes

As you know I'm a great believer in International Rugby League and bringing kids through.

I would much rather we had played Hall or Lawrence. Smith is not going to be around in RL for the next few years. There would have been uproar on here if Andy Farrell or Jason Robinson had been picked for England RL after saying they were leaving to go to Rugby Union, and you know there would.

Oh and both those were much better players than Lee Smith.

It's the principle, that's wrong, and I'd have the same view regardless of club.

Please no.

Someone has to hold the tackle bags in training.