He's your prototypical Australian back rower - plenty of workrate, runs straight up and down and is relatively solid and mistake free.

Gallen or Watmough without the nasty streak.

Not quite - the typical NRL back rower is a tackling machine - e.g. Gallen, Scott, Thaiday, Lewis, Ellis - Heighington's tackling is poor by comparison.

You obviously didn't watch Saturday's game

If you're going to play at the line as much as Sinfield does for club and country, for every short ball that doesn't come off there's going to be a pass like the one that put Hall in the corner at Wembley, or the inside ball to release Tomkins for Heighington's try in the same game, or the nicely timed ball for Graham's try on Saturday.

Sinfield's set himself some high standards over the years, but for some reason England/GB fans seem to expect him to be a cross between Lockyer, Thurston and Marshall every time he pulls on a jersey.

I know which one of the stand-offs had the more impressive game on Saturday, that's for sure. It wasn't the incumbent international stand-off of the year.

Totally agree AG far too many seem to begrudge giving Sinfield any deserved praise in international games he was deserved M.O.M at the weekend and has fully justified his selection at 6 and i was one of the many wanting to see him back at 13.

I don't get the bagging of Sinfield, what was his role v the Kiwis?

At a guess in going

a) Direct play in attack
b) 5th tackle option, turn the fullback/winger around when in your own half
c) kick goals
d) defend well
e) win game

job done for me, didn't fail on any of those.

Jealousy

I haven't really seen enough NRL season but judging from SOO and the internationals heighton doesn't appear to me to be anywhere near as good as gallen and watmough.


Back to sinfield I think he deserved his MOM award and agree he seems to me to cop unjustified stick. Think he has had a good series

He had a great game saturday,

Heighington is held in very high regard over here in Oz. Gould an co were saying if he was a QLDer he would have played 20 origins. Another bloke others seem to enjoy bagging?

Like I say I haven't seen enough of NRL but from what I have seen in this tournament not massively impressed. Not saying he is bad, but nothing special. He might very well play really well in NRL just going off what I have seen.

I don't think he's given a fair account of himself. But I wouldn't say he's anything too special. But he does well with the tools he has. He (normally) tackles anything that moves and takes absolutely no backward steps in attack. Solid player. I like him

Spot on

He didn't make much of a tackle on "t rex" ..... But then I guess that's what you're hinting at with your use of brackets.

He is one of those unsung players in the mould of Eccles or Clarkson. Still would rather see Ablett at LF for Leeds next season, esp as we now have the successful new international stand off to call upon

Just to add some balance we also know which stand off had the more impressive game at Wembley!!

Eventually if you throw enough passes some of them will come off - law of averages - the question still remains is he an international quality stand off, I guess we will see on Saturday when he is up against one of the best.

What is more of an issue is that a ball playing back row forward he is the best stand off we have available - a very sad indictment of SL.

He should never have been left one on one really. "t rex" (

) has been putting a fair few defenders their backsides this year. He's a bit of a beast.

I asked this a while ago, but if someone can give a definition of "International Class" then it would make these debates a lot easier.

As for Sinfield, "a ball playing back row forward" (who just throws lots of passes hoping some will stick) is about as far from an accurate description of him as I've ever read.

The term just doesn't make any sense in relation to Rugby League, where all but 3 international teams are comprised primarily of players who, with the best will in the world, will never be NRL/ESL, let alone 'international class'

They would if the Aussies didnt cherry pick the best for their own team.

Chicken and Egg really. Personally I think for the good of the game residency should be tightened up, and that way we'd get a lot better from the pacific island teams

Darren Lockyer - simple

As for throwing passes - my point was if you throw enough - and boy does he throw a lot - some will come good - that is different from saying he lots of passes hoping some will stick. For everyone that comes good someone is on the end of a hospital pass.

Thats the game. You don't get negative points for bad passes. Its the ones that come off that count.

There's no way he can be a halfback if he tries to take control of the game and make looks at different passing options to try and open up the game. What is he thinking of?

The point was what makes an international half back - it is about execution and the quality of that execution. You only have so many opportunities if your half back wastes them through poor options then it makes your job a lot harder. Lockyer wastes less opportunities and his execution is second to non that is what an international standard half back is required to do.

Saturday will be an interesting evening to compare their respective merits.

If "international class" is defined as being as good as Darren Lockyer, there are only a couple of players taking part in this tournament who are international class.