We'll see how much of an "NRL star player" Widdop is next year, when he doesn't have that outstanding spine at Melbourne of Slater, Cronk and Smith around him.

At the moment, he's not IMO. He's a decent player, but that's it.

It is a bold move, so late in the comp though.

Mac has persevered with the Chase/Sinfield pairing for so long, makes you wonder whether its a planned strategic move or a press on the panic button.

Or panic as 'Super Chase' is off to witness birth of his child

Yeah and next year we will see Chase with all those world beaters at...

Oh yeah...

See Danny Brough is up for best player in the world along with Billy Slater and Sonny Bill Williams.
One of the best in the world. Makes McNamara look like a real chump.

But as McNamara already has the best player in the world at 7 I reckon he probably feels alright about it. HTH

Brough wandered off as he wasn't adored.

bless.

Ian Kirke only just missed the cut then

These Hudds. fans are still very bitter!

Not strictly true. He's shortlisted for International Player of the Year.

A bizarre choice for the shortlist. But all it does is highlight Brough's pathetic attitude, that and of course his attitude towards his team mates in the game vs New Zealand.

Is Kirke playing in this World Cup.? Never actually notice whether he is playing or not: he still makes the same impact.

Playing Chase and Sinfield together all this time to drop one for the crunch match smacks of panic and/or appeasement to another apparent whinger to me. So much for the team building overseas camp. Pathetic.

Either way England will come to the end of their far from convincing campaign this weekend. No one has shone apart from Ferres, Hall, Roby and George Burgess. So much for props having to be 'mature' to be effective.

Footnote: Graham looks on decent form too.

Last desperate throw of the dice from a coach with limited vision and ability, but as with all sporting contests a bit of luck may go our way. One or two referees decisions may be cast in our favour and if we are smart enough to grasp these we may win.
One school of thought I have heard the past few days is a few people hoping the kiwis will win, this so the final between the kiwis and Aussies will be a better match than us and the Aussies .

Sam Burgess has been by far our most effective forward.

Danny Brough wasn't available for selection for the world cup as he became really, really very Scottish indeed, coincidentally around the same time he was left out of a mid-season training squad.

Well, actually he became Scottish again. Sort of re-Scottish.

It makes somebody look like a chump, but this time it isn't the England coach.

Brough's nomination for "International Player of the Year" is comical.

IMO he's not exactly taken this World Cup by the scruff of the neck, and that represents his only international rugby of the last 12 months. If there was a desperate need to pick someone from the Home Nations, then why not Ryan Hall or Sam Tomkins who have both had good World Cup campaigns for England?

If (big if) you were going to pick a Scotland player on international performances, surely Matty Russell would have been the choice.

Wes Naiquama is probably my pick of players outside the "big 3" countries.

Tomkins has been a big disappointment, up to now, considering the expectations of him. He's looked a liability defensively. Burgess, Graham, and yes Sinfield, have had much better tournaments thus far.

George Burgess was great against Australia but pretty quiet since. Chris Hill has probably been our best prop......but then again George suits your "young player/prop agenda" much better

Tomkins hasn't been a disappointment but at the same time he hasn't hit top gear, he got through the group stage by being ok without being anything more. He showed glimpses of magic against France and hopefully he can show more against the Kiwis and Australia.

What are these moment of magic in defence? Let me repeat, he's been a liability defensively. One glimpse of magic can not make up for brain farts.

That was why I labelled him a disappointment so far. So far as in, he potentially has another two games to step up that gear you mention, he certainly hasn't looked one of our better players so far as I responded to. But for me the issue isn't offence, but defence.

It will be interesting to see who is in the 17 and who starts.

Will Burrow be on the bench, will Widdup start in the halves or at FB? Is Ablett in as cover for possible Watkins injury doubts?

Widdop was excellent. Provided a direct running threat and took a lot of the attention off Sinny.

Probably the reverse of what I expected from the Chase/Widdop choice. Chase was less threat as a runner than I expected, but to be fair got more out of that left side attack. Widdop was more threat as a runner than Chase had been, particularly in the middle.

Left side was not great today on attack. We managed to create a lot more space on the right, really managed to straighten and hold the drift. Contrast was the Kiwi right which was able to drift and handle things pretty well.
Not blaming Cudjoe by any means, but thought there were a couple of times when a very quick shift of the ball would have gotten Hall away. He just seems to hang onto the ball a little too long.

I think the biggest brain farts came from Graham! Widdop stood up today better than I thought considering IMO