These are good points in my view. You are comparing two totally different eras, so it's difficult, if not impossible, to make any convincing argument for one set of players being better than another.

I believe Offiah, Robinson and Hanley, for example, offered attributes lacking from any present English players, but I can't prove it.

I actually seriously doubt that there has been any variation in the natural talent, on average, between generations, so I find it hard to believe that coaching methods have actually declined to an extent that today's players are actually worse.

A more plausible explanation is that Australian player development has moved on faster than our own. That's probably what we need to catch up.

But those players playing today would have the benefits of the better training, etc so their athleticism would improve to be comparable to todays players.

And yet Adrian Lam and Marcus Bai aside how many have progressed to the top.

I think you've just help prove that sheer numbers playing a sport doesn't always translate into a top class International side without it can be married to a top class competitive structure designed to test the best against the best.

So you're saying that the backline of Wellens, Gardner, Gleeson, Senior, Smith, Pryce and Burrow is better than Radlinski, Offiah, Connolly, Newlove, Robinson, Schofield and Edwards.

You think the current backline is faster?

Name the good english players from those Bradford and Leeds teams.

Not that much between them if you take out Offiah and Robinson. Connolly was a superb club player but had a zero strike rate as an international centre - Powell was far superior at 3 for GB and Gleeson has a far beter try scoring record (in fact almost anyone has). Newlove played when he felt like it - certainly not the player he's always been cracked up to be and easily matched by Senior, Edwards was another average interantional. Radlinski had the same lack of penetration at international level that Wellens has.

Some talented individuals in there, along with some fairly ordinary ones.

I wonder which ones would have been able to express their skills to the same extent under present day SL coaches?

Pretty much how I see it. And I think your being kind to Connolly, Newlove, Radlinski and Edwards.

Has he removed his hand from your back-side?

Lets wait and see. McGuire's career isn't over yet. I doubt McGuire will have p[iiss[/ied his talent away by the age of 28.

McGuire has also eclipsed Schofield's domestic career x100, whether the bitter old pro likes it or not.

YAWN

Half?
So, you feel it's just a handful of players that make the difference between a 3-0 whitewashing, and being world champs?

So you would have Wellens before Radlinski and Burrow before Edwards?

Edwards was never a scrum half in a month of Sundays [size=75not that I'm saying Rob Burrow is either.[/size

Based on actual international success, you would have to say yes.

Indeed. Edwards was gash at test level.

He was, and I'll always hate him for taking Schoey's captaincy, then disgracing it by trying to remove Bradley Clyde's head at Wembley.

Do you remember his next appearence at HQ after that??

Wellens couldnt lace Radlinskis left boot

as much as i rate Burrow, Edwards was quility the 2 - 3 years i saw him play, and i missed him in his prime!

Of course. Others will explain why.

Without question, your finest hour Sir!

What a crock of donkey rap, I could have done the review in 10mins, England were pants due to the influx of sub standard overseas has beens and never beens.

Thats coupled with the strangulation of youth development due to clubs going for the quick fix tells you all you need to know.

I wonder how much money they wasted on the review? I would have done it for approx £2.12p.

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

It depends on how your rating the 95 team players. On international form or domestic form. Don't recall them winning many test series. Again domestically they could look good because the comp was so poor.

Edwards and Radla-ginski were support players down the middle. Danny Mac blew away the comp doing this early in his career when he got 20+ that season. Doesn't do it much nowadays because the comp is better. fwiw i think danny is a much better player now then he ever was.

East coast or West coast Donkey's? I heard that when the Blackpool Massive meet up with the Bridlington Mafia, it's carnage.

Wesssttttwwoooooooooodddd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Exactly. Full time pros in a part time competition, aided by being in a dominant team.
It's like holding Neil Turley as an proof of a decline in rugby league's top level standards.