G! said "

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Wasps have no choice.

he's not a Wasps player yet. He's still a contracted Rugby league player and has expressed a desire to play international Rugby league.

I still don't understand how Smith rationalises his selection with "ones for the future" like Myler, Tomkins and Eastmond.
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I thought his cotract woith us finished seasons end I.E october and has of November (1st of) he is a RFU player?

As far as I know, standard Super League contracts always run until the end of November.

This comes back to why I can't understand why they've never tried the Leeds triangle at International level.

On the rare occasions that Sinfield has played his preferred position his style hasn't fitted in with the halfbacks (probably a large part due to lack of international squad time that players get these days).

Tony Smith has so far been an almost wilfully bad international coach. The mismanagement, tactics, selection, media handling and results in the World Cup were just hideous. Picking Paul Sykes and Chris Bridge hardly makes me think that anything is changing.

FWIW I'd have had Senior in the team but not a departing Lee Smith (though given the other best fullback option is an out-of-it Leon maybe I'd have relented on that). TBH haven't seen enough of Richie Myler to fully judge but would also have Brough in there for his kicking game *because that's the only way we'll score tries with that backline*. Incidentally, second-guessing Tony Smith, I fully expect his team to have several players out of position, a deficit of forwards on the bench and nobody knowing what they're doing.

My team: Smith; Eastmond, Shenton, Senior, Hall; McGuire, Myler; Peacock, Diskin, Morley, Ellis, Burgess, Sinfield; Roby, Graham, Crabtree, O'Loughlin

Tony Smith's team: Briscoe; Fox, Smith, Ellis, Hall; Tomkins, McGuire; Morley, Moore, Graham, Peacock, Burgess, Sinfield; Roby, Eastmond, O'Loughlin, Carvell

Did 2007 not happen?

I expect Pryce to be a serious player again next year.

It did, with Rob Burrow winning man of the series.

Does this mean we have only won two on the bounce now and not three?

2008 was so bad that it wiped all other years away...

Burrow not in??? Tony Smith may have well of burnt his magic hat and stomped all over it!!

With or without Burrow we'll finish 3rd.........but Myler and Eastmond ahead of him at scrum half? What's Tony Smith been smoking?

I'd go
1. Briscoe
2. Fox
3. Eastmond
4. Smith
5. Hall
6. Sinfield
7. McGuire
8. Morley
9. Moore
10. Peacock
11. Ellis
12. Burgess
13. O'Loughlin

14. Roby
15. Graham
16. Carvell
17. Westwood

Perhaps Burrow is about to have an operation and this has ruled him out? I can't see any other reason to leave him out. The same applies to Diskin who's had a far more impressive 2nd half of the season than Moore.

As others have said the backline looks pretty woeful in comparison with Australia and New Zealand. How come we can't produce decent backs anymore? It wasn't that long ago when we could boast the likes of Robinson, Offiah, Schofield, Lydon, Ford, Gill, Hanley etc.

Given the complete lack of any proven talent in the backline I'd go with the following 17 but the backline is wafer thin. I'd soon play Andy Gilder at centre than Paul Sykes.

Smith
Fox
Shenton
Eastmond
Hall
McGuire
Tompkins
Graham
Moore
Peacock
Ellis
O'Loughlin
Sinfield

Bridge
Burgess
Morley
Roby

Cheers Sam for choosing me as the ultimate definition of mediocrity.

I'm absoloutley furious at that squad. How the has Bridge got in the team i'll never know. Absoloute dog sh*t. Moore infront of Diskin is laughable as well.... and how the hell has Burrow been left out ?????

If eastmond is playing in the centres he against the aussies he will be walked over, he'll be targetted thats for sure.

Would Gilmour not have been a better option at centre? or even Wilkin or O'louglin?

I can only guess the plan may be to play McGuire at 7?

Burrow is unlucky, Sykes must have a lock-up full of rabbits feet or some extremely incriminating photos of a a few people.

Still you can't please all the people ...etc.

Forwards look very solid though.

The more I think about it the more I think that Ellis will be playing in the centres, with Eastmond possibly at wing.

How on earth can Tony Smith leave Burrow out? Eastmond and Myler may be the future halfbacks for England but have done nothing during the second half of the season playing halfback to prove their worth. Eastmond didn't stand up for Saints at 7 when Long was put, Myler hasn't been seen for 6 months since he knew he was joining Warrington and Tomkins has had a great season but showed against Saints in the play-offs that in a pressure game he came up well short, made poor desicions and failed to make any impact like he had in previous games. Myler has got in because of he's joined Wire under Smith, he's certainly not their on merrit. Wire have got 5 players there and finished about 10th so he hasn't gone on form and Ryan Atkins would have made it had he not been injured. It a disgrace IMO. What's Roby done this season? Paul Sykes and England International sounds like the start of a joke.
Against France go with the likes of Tomkins, Myler/Eastmond but against NZ/Aussies it should of been McGuire and Burrow or even Sinfield and McGuire at 6 &7 with O'Loughlin at 13.

Who is to say it won't be?

Agree with your comments about Sykes by the way, but Tompkins and Eastmond have had decent seasons and it will be interesting to see if thy can live up to the hype in an international match

Quote ="Hollywood Harrigan"The 24-man England squad for the Gillette Four Nations is: Chris Bridge (Warrington Wolves, Waterhead) Sam Burgess (Bradford Bulls, Dewsbury Moor) Shaun Briscoe (Hull Kingston Rovers, Wigan St Patricks) Garreth Carvell (Warrington Wolves, Stanningley) Eorl Crabtree (Huddersfield Giants, Huddersfield YMCA) Kyle Eastmond (St Helens, Oldham St Annes) Gareth Ellis (Wests Tigers, Castleford Lock Lane) Peter Fox (Hull Kingston Rovers, York Acorn) James Graham (St Helens, Blackbrook) Ryan Hall (Leeds, Oulton Raiders) Danny McGuire (Leeds, East Leeds) Scott Moore (Huddersfield Giants, Blackbrook) Adrian Morley (Warrington Wolves, Eccles) Richard Myler (Salford City Reds, Halton West Bank) Sean O’Loughlin (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks) Jamie Peacock (Leeds, Stanningley Rangers) (captain) James Roby (St Helens, Blackbrook) Michael Shenton (Castleford Tigers, Upton) Kevin Sinfield (Leeds, Waterhead) Lee Smith (Leeds, Drighlington) Paul Sykes (Bradford Bulls, Thornhill Trojans) Sam Tomkins (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks) Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves, Normanton Knights) Jon Wilkin (St Helens, East Hull) www.englandrl.co.uk/article.php?id=15657 No Burrow, still a mix in there though. Good to see how the new faces get on.'" Burrow should be in for Myler. 1. Briscoe 2. Fox 3. Smith 4. Shenton 5. Hall 6. McGuire 7. Tomkins 8. Graham 9. Moore 10. Peacock 11. Burgess 12. Ellis 13. Sinfield 14. Roby 15. Morley 16. Eastmond 17. Westwood 18. Bridge 19. Sykes 20. Myler 21. Carvell 22. O'Loughlin 23. Crabtree 24. Wilkin Those squad players are so average, it's unbelievable the likes of Sykes and Bridge have been picked over Burrow.

Quote ="Hollywood Harrigan"The 24-man England squad for the Gillette Four Nations is: Chris Bridge (Warrington Wolves, Waterhead) Sam Burgess (Bradford Bulls, Dewsbury Moor) Shaun Briscoe (Hull Kingston Rovers, Wigan St Patricks) Garreth Carvell (Warrington Wolves, Stanningley) Eorl Crabtree (Huddersfield Giants, Huddersfield YMCA) Kyle Eastmond (St Helens, Oldham St Annes) Gareth Ellis (Wests Tigers, Castleford Lock Lane) Peter Fox (Hull Kingston Rovers, York Acorn) James Graham (St Helens, Blackbrook) Ryan Hall (Leeds, Oulton Raiders) Danny McGuire (Leeds, East Leeds) Scott Moore (Huddersfield Giants, Blackbrook) Adrian Morley (Warrington Wolves, Eccles) Richard Myler (Salford City Reds, Halton West Bank) Sean O’Loughlin (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks) Jamie Peacock (Leeds, Stanningley Rangers) (captain) James Roby (St Helens, Blackbrook) Michael Shenton (Castleford Tigers, Upton) Kevin Sinfield (Leeds, Waterhead) Lee Smith (Leeds, Drighlington) Paul Sykes (Bradford Bulls, Thornhill Trojans) Sam Tomkins (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks) Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves, Normanton Knights) Jon Wilkin (St Helens, East Hull) www.englandrl.co.uk/article.php?id=15657 No Burrow, still a mix in there though. Good to see how the new faces get on.'" Burrow should be in for Myler. 1. Briscoe 2. Fox 3. Smith 4. Shenton 5. Hall 6. McGuire 7. Tomkins 8. Graham 9. Moore 10. Peacock 11. Burgess 12. Ellis 13. Sinfield 14. Roby 15. Morley 16. Eastmond 17. Westwood 18. Bridge 19. Sykes 20. Myler 21. Carvell 22. O'Loughlin 23. Crabtree 24. Wilkin Those squad players are so average, it's unbelievable the likes of Sykes and Bridge have been picked over Burrow.

Decision making = McGuire

Passing = Sinfield

Leadership = JP


Well well, Leeds are going to be the bones of the side.

It should be:-

1- Briscoe/Smith
2- Owen
3- Smith/Gleeson
4- Senior
5- Hall
6- Tomkins
7- Brough/Burrow
8- Morley
9- Moore
10- Peacock
11- Ellis
12- Burgess
13- O'Loughlin

14- Carvell
15- Crabtree
16- Graham
17- Roby

I would play 3 props at the same time with 2 second rows to compensate for young Tomkins.

I can honestly see this england side finishing a poor fourth. Both NZ and the aussies could post record scores against this squad.

To play scrum half, I doubt it.

Glad I forgot to order some family tickets from RFL today for Kiwa and Aus games.

If Tony Smith can't be d being sensible with his selections, then I'll spend my money on something else and watch the games on Sky.

I've a lot of admiration for what Smith did at Leeds, but he seems hell bent on confounding the pundits with his squad selections. Every person in the country who knows at least a little bit about RL expected Burrow at 7.

Very strange.