If you don't include Leeds, Hudds, Wigan & Saints, I would say Orr, Gale, Richard Horne or Ratchford would be better than playing Sykes at 6 (assuming they're fit, I don't know if any are injured, I can only assume they are!!!).

Yes, the best candidates are in the other teams, but why couldn't Kev Brown or Sinfield play anyway? Not as if they've got a game this weekend.

apparently because there club commitments didnt finish till weeknd just gone. cant ask them to play two games in 8 days so they dont come into contention until after cumbria game.

Yet another case of international RL just not being important to far too many players and clubs.

Like Kirk Yeaman for example. Every time he's fit enough and gets picked for England or is due to get picked, he says no because he's got a mystery injury that didn't stop him playing for Hull.

International game just doesn't seem important to most people in RL these days.

Anyway, I'm detracting from the matter at hand.

A big well done for Andy Lynch who fully deserves his place and the armband for this match. He's been overlooked for far too long at this level due to the plentiful supply of good English props.

Is it on telly?

Nope

Personally, I don't think that currently International RL is that important. Until England/GB can produce 30 world class players, we'll never compete with the Aussies and Kiwis on the International stage. It's just an end of season distraction when most clubs would prefer their players rested and in pre-season preparation.

England have two world class players. Ellis and Sam Burgess. I'm not saying the other players aren't good, but if they were truly great they'd have NRL clubs sniffing after them.

I'd prefer it if no Bradford player was selected for international duty at the end of the season. We've a new coach and new players coming in. It would be far better for the club and far less disruptive if we had our entire squad turning up for pre-season on 4th Nov

Catch 22 though isn't it? Until people start taking the international game seriously, we're not going to produce enough top class players for England (partly because none of them can be @rsed playing for England). But until we start producing those players, people aren't going to take it seriously.

Personally, as I've stated before, I think the demise of GB has devalued the international game in this country and our ability to put out a world class team, never the quality the other 'home' nations are able to field. The game simply is not big enough in the UK to allow us to produce 4 competetive teams.

International RL at the very top level consists of 3 teams, and that's at a push. Below that you have the odd team who may occasionally cause and upset but it's a completely different playing field and will continue to be until the countries competing have a domestic league of a sufficient standard to produce quality players. How much damage does having an uncompetetive World Cup do, not only to the nations but to the image of the game, especially compared to the Rugby Useless one?

If our options (over and above, 4 non selected teams' players) at 6 are limited to Scott Murrell and Paul Sykes, then our production line of homegrown "talent" is simply not working.

It'll take some time for things like the homegrown rule to kick in, but if Sykes is an international stand off then I'm Martin Offiah.

If Sykes is an international of any standing then I'm Wally Lewis.

We have been "producing" homegrown players since the game began, we shouldn't need to factor in some Governing body rule to enhance it or make it effective.

The obsession with overseas players in the backs is becoming increasingly evident. Few of them of real class.

We shouldn't need to factor it in but I think we need to as it was brought about to help address the issues we're both complaining about.

Lynch is far too quiet for a captain IMO, I don't go for the leading by example angle. But there's probably no-one else in the chosen squad. He deserves his place in the team without a doubt but not sure about him for the 4N.

Shouldn't be captain at all of either side. As you point out, the modern game requires verbal captains and those who remain on the park for 80 minutes or at least some significant time a la Moz.

Frontrunners should be: Morley, Sinfield, O'Loughlin, Ellis

Who would you say is eligible for GB but not for England that would warrant a call-up? Genuine question because I can't think of any off the top of my head.

Pat Richards?

Credibility......

Possibly Ian Henderson at a stretch?

What about Burgess?

I'm a firm believer that the captain should be the player who's making the calls on the field. To my mind that's 6, 7 or 9 (old stylee numbers obviously!)



How DARE you question my comment!

Are we taking into account any Aussies that are currently playing for a home nation because they've not been selected for Australia or any English players in the same boat?! Or are we only considering players who have genuinely selected to play for a country due to national pride and patriotism (as well as actually being from that country!)?

To be honest, looking at the current squads (courtesy of of a certain online encyclopdia) very few. I was thinking more about players who've represented GB in the past with distinction but who wouldn't have had the chance to play regular top level (?) international Rugby League under the current system. I wonder how many young players in the squads today have chosen a home nation other than England in an attempt to play international rugby but may come to regret it further down the line as they develop.

Certainly not. Needs to concentrate on making an impact on the field without distractions.

Fair enough, can't help but feel he is being groomed to be the future captain though.

He's Scottish. From Torquay

Yep, I'm completely with you on that.

The likes of Lynch & Peacock don't need to be captain in order to lead by example. They do that anyway with the effort they put into the match.