BUt i didn't just pick out 2 saints players. And i can't see how you can have a love in with any player when we've been outplayed on all accounts in 2 games. Noone erally shone in either game but the ones who were to supposed to be our game breakers i.e. Roby, Graham, Burgess, Ellis, Tomkins didn't stand out at all. Westwood and Robinson weren't expected to do much and have somewhat earned a chance to prove their worth again. Others have proven their worth adn with such should be cast aside from international rugby. Atkins, Brown, Harrison, Cudjoe and probably Fielden aswell now. Goulding, Briscoe and obviosuly Hall haven't really had chance to shine and i'd happily see them continue their international development. BUT the big one for me has to be that Macca goes and goes very quickly....

I feel like the criticism of the two lads from the NRL is pretty harsh.

Ellis played a completely different role to the one that he has played all season, taking the ball up the middle rather than cutting angles out wide off a player like Marshall. I was pretty impressed with his workrate and effort. He hit hard, never took a backward step and almost always landed on his front.

Burgess was a tad more disappointing with far too many errors, but again he was played out of position and an awful lot of responsibility was put upon his shoulders. He consistently won the collision and people have to remember the lad is 21! He's played one season in the NRL and he's supposed to be the world's best forward. It's completely ludicrous.

The clear positives from the tour so far:

Westwood has been very impressive and won alot of supporters down under. Okay his discipline lets him down but he has really taken it to both packs.

Graham has been outstanding as captain and played well in a beaten pack twice.

Robinson has showed himself to be more than capable, and now has put himself in a position where he should be in possession of his shirt (form dependent obviously).

Finally, Roby has been brilliant and I can't actually believe people are detracting from his performance at the weekend. He punched so far above his weight in the tackle it was like Floyd Mayweather fighting David Haye and winning. An uncharacteristic error behind a pressurised pack. WOW.

Those players deserve praise and with half decent three-quarters, and fit halves we would have provided the Aussies a much sterner test (I wouldn't go as far to say we would have won or got close to their full strength)

Cumon fellas, what were we expecting? Honestly.

Chris Bridge at centre?

Well said Roy H. We keep hearing about the 'odd mistake' and penalty but if you give a penalty away or drop the ball to a side as good in attack as Australia, and they start a set of 6 within 30-40m of your line, you're in trouble. Patently SL players are not used to being as severely punished for basic errors.

We also keep hearing about players improving but they don't fix the basics. Is Atkins 17? If not why has he still got dreadful basic play? If his game is so flawed, how come he's one of the best English players in his position?

Tomkins is exactly in the position McGuire was when he first got a game for GB. A few glimpses of something, and yet its clear to all and sundry that he needs to improve a lot in almost all aspects of his game to be close to a Lockyer. I really hope Tomkins uses this as a learning experience and tries to do something about his game, otherwise he's going to end up exactly as McGuire, just younger.

But Atkins isn't one of the best english centres at all. Senior, Shenton & Gleeson are all better than him for starters. And will someone please tell me how Roby is the best player in the series so far?

My main feeling with the performances is one of disapointment. But the more you look at the players who "disapointed" the more i go back to looking at Macca being the culprit. He destroyed good players and players with potential at bradford and looks like he'll do the same to anyone who comes into the england squad with poor tactics and positional play and downright stupid squad selections. As I mentioned elsewhere coaches do have a massive impact and do change players. Look at Maguire at Wigan. Macca needs to go asap. Witht he right coach, the Grahams, Ellis' Burgess and Tomklins of the game will have the opportunity to improve.

It doesn't matter who your international coach is, they won't stop Sam Burgess being careless with the ball in regaining his feet, or James Roby concentrating on where he's going to run before he's even picked the ball up, or Ryan Atkins thinking the best way to defend is to shove your man across til he becomes your winger's problem.

These are all issues that should have been addressed before these players ever got to first grade at their respective clubs, but there's no pressure on them or their club coaches to do so such is the ordinary standards expected of your average SL player week in, week out.