with eastmond a doubt, pryce and mcguire out injured, burrow and myler not exactly setting the world on fire, could matty smith play himself into a squad call up in the next two games?

i can only think of s tomkins who is a no-brainer for a starting place. and smith and tomkins would be a decent combo IMO. even if you assume eastmond will be fit for the 4N, we would need some cover in the half backs so maybe smith could find himself on the plane with two more good performances in the red vee.

Lol.

He's good enough to play for England, but it's 99.99% weighted on reputation and I'm not sure Matty Smith will have earned the ego points required.

my point is, that if he can lead and kick us around the park in two play off games and a grand final, the argument will become pretty strong. (england doesn't have many options for an organising 7 to play along side a line breaking and support playing 6).

He's better than Richie Myler.

Salford to the England Squad in FOUR games is a VERY big jump!

It is but if he picks up a winners ring, who could say he doesnt deserve it?

its irrelevent though with mcbanana in charge, he's picked frickin Sykes!

Matty is without doubt in contention just to be in the squad for the 4 nations when we are without injuries, despite not being starting 13 material YET when everyone is fit. With the current injuriy crisis it is a no brainer to have him and tomkins at 6 and 7 a very smart, quick athletic pairing with great kicing game that we seem to miss every year.

If paul sykes can get in the England squad I could see anyone getting in.

As things stand i can see S.Tomkins, k.Sinfield, K.Brown and R.Burrow being the 4 players chosen to cover the half back positions.

The stats say otherwise even though he's 3 years younger.

Very difficult to compare stats when one has played all year (until now obviously) for a bottom half team, and the other has played for a team that finished 3rd.

Can't ever forget that clueless stint a centre against the convicts.



What is bananaman trying to do picking that clown?

K Brown, Richie Myler, Luke Robinson, S Tomkins, K Sinfield, Rob Burrow

The halves will be out of those players, with only Tomkins being a cert.

For some reason, that list depresses me.

Methinks another mullering by the crims is in the offing!

The Aussies have inglis, Brett Morris, hodges and falou not playing in the 4 nations so you never know but I think a mullering is more likely if not a kiwi win.

They would still beat us with Lockyer and Thurston out, aswell as the players named above.

They could probably beat us with their 2nd choice 17, and I don't think i'm exaggerating.

Look at Widdop, he walks into our England team and plays excellently.

He's a great prospect but if he said he wanted to play for Australia he'd be about as close to getting a place in the squad as Worrincy has in the England squad.

To be fair, though, we have no fullbacks at all. If only Wello was fast! Alas. So Widdop was always going to impress, when compared to nothing whatsoever!

We best pray that Eastmond will be fit because I don't fancy the idea of guys like Brown, Sinfield or Burrow lining up in the halfs against the Aussies or Kiwi's.

What's the likelihood of him being fit?

In the zero to zilch range, based on the last two months.

We're doomed captain mannering, doomed I say!

It's such a shame for Australia , only having the likes of Lyon, Uate, Carney etc to replace them (Each one of them are Dally M winners in their relative positions this season to boot

)

I see a spanking unless there is some kind of miracle.