...at your peril.

Clearly the best bet for England at fullback.

Offers the penetration lacking for so long by the English in this position.

Don't screw it up with selection issues...

We have already screwed it up by failing to pick enough halves.

he'll play in the halves now..


with widdop @ 1

I agree completely with the original post.

You will regret it.

I have seen the squads and have similar concerns re- England's backs.

Has to be fullback imo.

He'll play in the halves due to our lack of options at 7. Only robinson who is a recognised 7 and he has been playing at hooker all season.

Widdop at 1,Brown at 6 and S.Tomkins (wasted) at 7.

We'll end up with little direction and organisation, an average kicking game and will be lucky to make the final



The squad that McBanana has picked just doesn't seem to make any sense

Tomkins is not necessarily wasted as 7 – he has had a good second half to the season at full back but he is also a quality half back. It’s not long since GB were playing loose forwards in the halfs (Farrell, Sculthorpe) who, while good players, were not half backs

If it does turn out to be 1. Widdop 6. Brown and 7. Tomkins which is very likely, it makes pretty good reading to me... about time we gave some talented youngsters a run out

It makes me a darn site more excited that if it was Wellens, McGuire and Burrow again

I'll give you that.

The continual choice of Wellens inferred an inability to recognise the changing nature of the full-back role.

In many ways, Slater has changed the role over the last 5 or so years.

Tomkins would be a doorstop at international level.

I'm more worried about Goulding being picked on the wing as a 'safe' option. Looking at how easily Meli passed him with no space to do so, the Aussie wingers would waltz the matilda over him.

Goulding has had a good season but the two starting wings in that squad must be Briscoe and Hall

We don't have another viable option at stand off so he has to play there



Brown isn't good enough.

Has to play Fullback IMO. Hes exceptional there....

Widdop at 6 and im unsure of whom id like to see at 7.

he would had played full-back had mcguire,pryce or eastmond been fit. we've got no other good options really!

Deacon would have given the ideal control at 1st receiver for the young fellas to work off a bit wider. McNamara missed a trick here i think.

Deacon is terrible. He was never good enough even in his pomp. Sean Long is the man they should have called up, if he's fit.

I will support any England or GB rugby league player irrelevant of club if they are proud to represent their country and they give their all (God knows I would have done if I was good enough)

What I won't do is support a player who walks out on his country in a strop half way through a tournament

I would rather we lost all three games this year than see Sean Long play

I disagree. A player like Deacon is needed to control 1st receiver. During the GF Deacon gave Sam T the space to do his stuff and it worked really well. Plus Deacon has a good kicking game which England has been lacking for years. England have loads of running HBs and not enough generals to boss the team. Deacon for me fits the bill (Brough would have done too if he wasnt playing for Scotland). Just because he does not do the flash stuff does not mean he is a crap player. He would fullfil a role in this England team that has been missing for yonks.

watch the game back from the other night! deacon was outstanding!

well the 1,6,7 from the mid season international was 1. widdop, 6.brown, 7.tomkins which is how i think we will go

Id like us to go 1. sam 6. widdop 7. brown

I would play Tomkins at FB.

Brown would play standoff. He is developing into a proper footballing standoff at Hudds who knows how to make the ball do the talking.
Put him with a pacey scrum half eg Robinson and it gives England pace in the backline along with footballing option, which will cause the aussies and Kiwis defensive problems. Robinson and Brown remember will also be familar with each others play due to being teammates.
This should in theory give the England 3 quarters more room to move in, while also meaning the forwards have fewer hard yards to make.

Lets see if Mcbanana can put this into practise.
Im certainly encouraged that the 3 quarters all have a reasonable degree of pace.

regardless of what number Tomkins has on his back, he will still play wide out, chiming in like he does from full back. Having a 7 on your back doesnt necessarily mean he will be first man. I would put Widdop first man, brown and tomkins out wide

No, he wasn't. Thomas Leuleuai was your best player in that game.

Deacon has retired anyway, why call him up now?

The point about an organising scrum half is a good one. Having first receiver give the team some structure is never a bad idea. Can Robinson not do that? I haven't seen a lot of him but if he was given the task of just setting up plays for the forwards and getting good ball to Tomkins/Widdop/Brown is there any reason he couldn't?

Keep Tomkins at full-back.
Go with the Brown-Robinson combo in the halves.
Slot Widdop into the 'problem' position of centre.
Sorted!

1. S.Tomkins
2. Hall
3. Widdop
4. Atkins
5. Briscoe

6. Brown
7. Robinson

8. Morley
9. Roby
10. Graham
11. Ellis
12. Burgess
13. O'Loughlin

14. Fielden
15. Westwood
16. J Tomkins
17. Cudjoe

Hate to say I told you so.