Hope this is a good game and England can finally chance their arm a bit and play some real attacking football.

At that same time, I will be cheering for PNG to put in their best performance of the tournament. I have a feeling they save themselves for England, given the RLWC 2008 performance and the fact they get the notoriously anti-British Australian RL media content by the bucketload.

Let's hope collectively PNGRL can sort out its current near civil war and get the game heading in the right direction among its near 6 million enthusiasts.

England by quite a few...

Just as relevant to this thread... www.voxy.co.nz/sport/eden-park-s ... wd/5/70751 Regarding the attendance, almost 40,000 tickets sold at Eden Park by Friday afternoon. A fine day in Auckland today and the Aucklanders traditionally love a walk up to a game without tickets, so we might even get a few more 1000s on that total. It will also be the biggest rugby crowd of either code in NZ in 2010. I think those death knells for international rugby league are in people's heads...

Just as relevant to this thread... www.voxy.co.nz/sport/eden-park-s ... wd/5/70751 Regarding the attendance, almost 40,000 tickets sold at Eden Park by Friday afternoon. A fine day in Auckland today and the Aucklanders traditionally love a walk up to a game without tickets, so we might even get a few more 1000s on that total. It will also be the biggest rugby crowd of either code in NZ in 2010. I think those death knells for international rugby league are in people's heads...

England team: S Tomkins (Wigan); R Hall (Leeds), L Cudjoe (Huddersfield), T Clubb (Harlequins), T Briscoe (Hull); K Brown (Huddersfield), L Robinson (Huddersfield), J Graham (St Helens, capt), J Roby (St Helens), S Burgess (South Sydney), G Ellis (Wests Tigers), B Westwood (Warrington), S O'Loughlin (Wigan)
Replacements: D Griffin (Huddersfield), G Carvell (Warrington), B Harrison (Warrington), G Widdop (Melbourne)

Papua New Guinea team: Ryan Tongia; Michael Mark, Jessie Joe Parker; Menzie Yere; Elijah Riyong; Glen Nami, Dion Aiye; Makali Aizue, Charlie Wabo, James Nightingale, Rodney Griffin, David Loko, Paul Aiton (capt)
Replacements: Benjamin John, Rodney Pora, Pidi Tongap, Nickson Kolo, George Moni, Richard Kambo, Johnson Kuike

Been impressed with Tongia, Mark and Yere in the backs for PNG. Aiton and Wabo in the forwards.

This game could be Tomkins chance to shine.

England SHOULD win convincingly but I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't.

Good pressure from PNG early. Poor play from England to begin.

Beautiful day in Auckland, pitch looks in great nick.

Hmmm... Im less critical of this start TBF. Its 2 kicks that have been terrible. Apart from that I cant see them scoring less than 50 today.

Westwood

I was talking about one of those kicks in that post but you are right they look a bit more fluent so far in attack, England.

But lacking composure as always so far...

Composure? Should have been in there. No ned for Graham or Hall to offload.

Yeah, my point exactly. Its a good job that PNG think the ball is a bar of soap.

PNG ruffling a few feathers with their ferocious defence but how long can they keep it going.

People must think I'm a bit mad getting up this time to watch four teams that aren't my own but don't worry I can have a few z's during the stoppages in play of the Wales-Australia union international later.

England always seem to lack composure, wasted maybe 3 chances so far, with poor last options.

The monkey still sits on their back. King Kong's older bigger brother.

Both sides not helping themselves with silly unforced errors, pretty much how both these sides have started every game in this tournament so far.

Nice random statement from Clarky there as Briscoe is running 20 metres sideways

That's better!

Where did his head go (Burgess)? lol

Now remember that lesson for next time you get an early penalty in front versus Australia. England play on from the penalty, score through Robinson off Roby.

6-0, 17 mins gone

Get in! Back-to-back tries.

Lovely try from the kickoff England...

Great try from Clubb.

Great ball from Graham. Excellent vision for a big man.

FFS...

How bad is the kicking game today.

10-0. Roby kicks out on full. England's kicking remains a major issue.