After the poor last twenty five minutes of the game against the New Zealand Maori Saturday gone at Mount Smart stadium, where IMO we we're lucky to escape with a draw, McNamara now has six days to look at the tape and find out what worked well and what didn't.

After watching the replay of yesterdays game, I feel that Widdop (despite the criticism from some posters) offers us a threat when being brought into the attacking line and for the first fifty minutes of the game looked positionally solid at full back.

Shenton didn't really do anything (again) but he's a better player than Gleeson and I think we're all waiting for his moment of magic which I hope arrives in this game.

Kevin Brown is not good enough I'm afraid so I would play Robbinson and Sam Tomkins in the halfs although my concern about Tomkins in this position is that for a good 80% of the Super League season he's played at full back for Wigan and has orchestrated some super tries from this position (see the 70m wonder score vs Huddersfield and try vs Leeds in the play-off game).

I wasn't happy with Roby and his lack of ability to get a clean pass out in time, so maybe we could look at using Luke Robbinson in this position?

But I would drop Roby to bench and use him as a impact sub, while promoting Lunt to the starting XIII.

With Morley potentially out for the rest of the Four Nations with a ruptured bicep, I wouldn't hesitate to start with Graham and Burgess as the starting props with Crabtree and Fielden on the bench.

I think Crabtree stood out today with some good damaging runs, making good yards so gets the nod on the bench over Griffin.

My side for the New Zealand game would be this:


Widdop
Briscoe
Shenton
Atkins
Hall
S Tomkins
Robinson
Graham
Lunt
Ellis
Westwood
Burgess
O'Loughlin


Roby
Crabtree
Fielden
J Tomkins

How does everyone see the first game of the Four Nations going?

I think we'll give a good opening first forty before running out of gas and going down by about 10-16 points.

New Zealand 19 man squad:

Lance Hohaia, Jason Nightingale, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Junior Sa'u, Manu Vatuvei, Benji Marshall (captain), Nathan Fien, Greg Eastwood, Thomas Leuluai, Adam Blair, Simon Mannering, Bronson Harrison, Jeremy Smith.
Interchange: Issac Luke, Ben Matulino, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Frank Pritchard, Sika Manu, Sam Perrett.

Nine of the above played in the World Cup final.

Match Officials:

Referee: Tony Archer (Australia)

Video Referee: Steve Clark (Australia)

God help us after Archer screwed us at Energy Australia Stadium in the 2008 World Cup

Mick, the third option in the poll is fairly unsavoury. Give the fella a chance whoever he is. The Arc Angel Tony Smith fecked it up spectacularly last year, Macca will do no worse.

As for the team, not far off. Roby's dummy half passing is far too slow and erratic at times.

Robinson isn't a quality player. I'm not interested how well he plays against Salford, Quins or Crusaders. Or his blonde, wag wannabe entourage.

O'Loughlin at 6 and Sam Tomkins 7. Best options available. Brown isn't good enough.

Ellis isn't a prop Mick and wasted there. Burgess, Westwood and Ellis should be the back row if the above comes into play, with Burgess to prop in spells to accommodate the above connotation.

Fielden and Graham need to start.

Joel Tomkins worries me. Great talent but a penalty machine. Not the sharpest tool in the shed methinks.

Ben Harrison on the bench. Great workrate and a hugely underrated player for mine. Carvell won't be physically or mentally there just yet.

All said, still not a team that is likely to trouble the Kiwis.

Is it really on the BBC?

Quote ="debaser"Is it really on the BBC?'" www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vjs88 No doubt we will have the easily excitable Jonathon Davies screaming from the TV. Albeit with no Ryan Bailey to pish and moan about, shall we begin a sweepstake on his new target for unfounded vitriol? I'm going for the obvious; king dummy spitter, Graham.

Quote ="debaser"Is it really on the BBC?'" www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vjs88 No doubt we will have the easily excitable Jonathon Davies screaming from the TV. Albeit with no Ryan Bailey to pish and moan about, shall we begin a sweepstake on his new target for unfounded vitriol? I'm going for the obvious; king dummy spitter, Graham.

G1 Nz 44 England 6
G2 Aus 42 England 4
G3 PNG 16 England 28

Get in. I can watch in on normal tv. That's good.

To be honest Mick the fact that Shenton is even considered as an international centre shows why we find it so difficult to beat either NZ or the Kiwis in a series; he wouldn't get in the 'train on' squad of either of those sides. I think Gleason [ihas been[/i a far better player than Shenton is ever likely to be, though he has fallen a bit from the heights of yesteryear. To be truthful I think there's far more chance of Leon Pryce turning up at Odsal than there is of Shenton ever being an international quality centre.

Widdop
Briscoe
Shenton
Atkins
Hall
O'Loughlin (I have to agree with GB, Brown isn't good enough)
Tomkins
Graham
Robinson
Fielden
Burgess
Ellis
Harrison

Roby
Crabtree
Carvell
Westwood

Yes, hence why it's not in HD, because the BBC can't be @rsed with HD when it comes to RL. So far they've shown a whole ONE game in High Def, and yet have shown lower league football in it. (Whereas Sky show every Super League, International, NRL Final & Origin game in HD).

Sooner we get away from the BBC, the better IMO. It's just another example that they don't care enough to give the sport the proper respect.

Not great when you're used to watching in beautiful HD. The BBC's coverage is appalling.

As good as HD is, it doesn't get rid of Jonathan Davies squeaky, inaccurate spoutings.

Perhaps the picture will distract me from this..

Let's hope so.

Dave Woods is equally poor.

RL coverage is appalling in the UK. Scott Donald's recent assessment of Sky in particular upon his departure from the country was spot on.

Eddie is like the cringeworthy mate everyone seems to have who pretends to know about sport, tries to join in the conversation, reads the odd headline but inherently, knows nothing.

Stevo has become a parody of himself and his assessment of games is way off beam.

Phil Clarke lost his credibility with his "injury" comment along with him repeatedly drawing one off at anything or anyone Wigan-centric.

Sky's coverage on a Thursday night of Co-Op games is SO much better. Bill Arthur, Terry O'Connor & Barrie Mac make a far better commentary team. I'd love to see them promoted to doing the Super League matches instead.

But even Eddie, Stevo & Phil come across as brilliant compared to the BBC clowns. There's only Clare Balding who's anywhere near decent on BBC and that's more down to enthusiasm for the game than it is for knowledge. The fact they continue with dross like Ray French & Jonathan Davies is another example of them not giving a toss.

A combination of Brian Carney, Terry & Barrie would be best imo.

Absolutely.

Brian Carney is an excellent summariser. By far the best around.

He is very good.

I also think Robbie & Iestyn do a good job on the BBC.

You were doing so well until then



Robbie isn't great "live", stutters a little too much and his brain thinks faster than he is able to project to the audience.

Iestyn could talk a glass eye to sleep.

Agreed. I'd like to remember Robbie as the player he was for us. Not for his presenting skills, which, to be honest, are fecking awful.

Okay, his talking isn't that good, but when you actually listen to what he says he makes alot of sense. But I suppose I have a soft spot for him and RL fans in general cba paying enough attention.

But I'm sure you'd rather listen to Iestyn than Eddie Hemmings ?

Remember Robbie's radio show on the Pulse? More wooden than the Trojan Horse.

Yup.

Robbie is an incredibly smart guy and off camera articulates himself exceptionally. Sadly, on the live shows it doesn't quite click.

Eddie Hemmings = shambolic mess