Head in hands...

Hope the guy sticks two fingers up and retires to concentrate on Leeds. Bunch of muppets can enjoy watching Bateman or a return of Atkins or Cudjoe ripping it up

Funny, because we were solid defensively on the right. Picking Watkins out is what happens when clueless f****wits are allowed to express their "opinions". Sarginson was hopeless, bombed our best chance to save the game but somehow it's all Watkins' fault.
The one Englishman you might reasonably place some blame on was prancing around in pink. I would love to hear what Robert Hicks does actually define as interference at the PTB. NZ killed the game at the tackle and ruck. We could generate zero momentum as Hicks let them lie on pretty much as long as they wanted. Every half break or drive near the NZ line was met with the most comically obvious lying on I've seen.

In reality someone really should have dropped a goal on 75 when we were right in front but that's the difference between a world class half and the average joe's we had on the pitch.

Watkins wasn't at his best today, but he wasn't England's worst player even though he did bomb a possible try from Mcgilvery's pass, Sarginson was poor there was two occasions he bombed two possible trys not passing to Hall first half and dropping the ball in second also thought Sam Burgess didn't perform too well thought his brothers had better go forward and he came up with two stupid offloads at crucial times also Widdop and Gale were poor kicking game especially but evening passing game Widdop through a interception and half of Gales passes went behind the man they were supposed too, on the positives though Hall another good game and great finish, Mcgilvery was solid and maybe England's mom, Burgess twins were good on their stints Lomax wasn't too bad,Hodgson was ok and Graham was consistent.

Watkins didn't bomb anything. The pass didn't go to him.

exactly, ball was over his shoulder and behind him it was a half chance at best. Some they stick some they don't it was hardly bombed. He had ball in hand once in space in the second period and got his winger away. He had nothing else but scraps to feed off yet his defence was solid as ever (although that is ignored by the lynch mob).

Actually I think Watkins could have done a little better, he was flying at full pace which put too much pressure on McGilverey to get his pass away, he had space to drop down to half speed and sprint for the corner when he had the ball. I know that seems harsh but I think a 10/10 Watkins would have scored.

Probably but these are split second moments and it happened how it did. On another day he takes it in but it wasn't a gift like some are making out and any player in the world could have spilled that in that instance.

England may don't know how ti win aclose game. The chance was there to drop a goal in the last 10 but we went for amiracle play rather than the obvious drop goal

Overall England made a bucket lead if meters but had little cutting edge. NZ had fewer real chances but took points when on offer.

Johnson. Best player on the pitch today. Poor the bank whets he wanted to every time. Pretty much flawless. The contrast with the England halves was the difference

Spot on. 75th minute, right in front of the posts. One of the halves should sorted something and levelled the game.
Gayle didn't put up a single contestable high bomb the whole game, Widdop did a lot very well but his passing was laboured and predictable. However, I really believe our halves were robbed of momentum our forwards were winning because of the way NZ were allowed to slow the PTB to whatever pace they wanted.
Still two of NZ's tries just came from errors. An intercept and a badly missed tackle from Lomax.

I wanna see the halves roles reversed, let Gale play on his preferred left and be more of a creative, swap in Percival for Sarginson and we could replicate what Cas had on their left hand side this season

Johnson was the difference between the sides and on a different level to our two halfbacks. IMO our worst player was Sarginson who should have passed to the unmarked Hall early in the game and then made a bad read in defence which was costly and generally looked of his depth. Widdop too was poor on attack and cost us a try although his place kicking was ok. Watkins was ineffective on attack and neither centres used their wingers who both had good games.

Hodgson played well but Clarke should have been used in the first half before their forwards got their second wind.

I could not understand how the ref let NZ get away with the holding on after the tackle. We need to be a lot sharper in attack and better organised to have any chance against Australia.

Switch Watkins to Halls wing and play Bateman as the other centre . Graham was far and away Englands best player . Switch Johnson to an England shirt and we win comfortably . Thought Clark was under used and Hicks let Kiwis mess about in the ruck to suit themselves .

This.

Watkins is to blame yet "NRL superman Burgess S" is immune to multiple brainfarts and walks away clean? Gawd I love this game.

On the replay of the drop goal from Shaun Johnson yesterday it appears it could have gone wide?

Hicks looked well out of his depth yesterday and he really should've gone to the VR.
Impossible to tell from that video though so it'd probably have been given regardless.

On to Scotland then the Aussies. I'm pretty confident we can still make the final TBH.
Doubt we can win the final as that would probably mean beating Aus twice and we all know that'll never happen, but we'll put up a better fight than NZ did in the WC final.

#BlameWatkins

Don't know what some are seeing. It clearly goes through, everyone's reaction from the NZ and England players to those in the crowd confirms it. It's not even like it went over the top of the post so was potentially debatable.

It goes to the side of the post from the back angle you can see it on the TV replay.

It doesn't, just the White of the ball and White of the post making it appears so. The reply also shows 4 England players looking right back at the posts as it goes through and Lomax stood right underneath them......none bat an eyelid or complain when it's awarded. I'd take that over (and also several people who were sat in the stand at that end have all said it was fine) a trick of the eye reply.

yeah pretty much, now #BlameSirKev is redundant. Funny thing is, we could have done with Sinfield yesterday. he would have slotted over a one pointer for sure. As it was everyone, including the current captain, were performing the headless chicken routine in the last ten minutes.

It's a one pointer, it went inside the post.

Agreed, but then why start the thread if it doesn't matter who thinks it went over or not?

I was working yesterday so watched the game this afternoon with a friend and I thought it missed too - they agreed. But it doesn't matter. I wondered was it discussed on the red button forum seeing as the after match analysis was 50 seconds long?

I think Watkins didn't do a great deal wrong but he didn't really do anything full stop. I don't think he is getting blamed per se, but his potential is so much greater than a lot of the others that a flat game by him is more disappointing and a miss than a non-descript game by others.

I was frustrated by him. If it was Bateman or someone else I would have thought they had done more ok, as they have less potential explosiveness.