It's been 41 years. For decades the Aussies were invincible, then the kiwis came along in 2005 and shot that myth to shreds. Backing up in 2008 and 2010.

Now, are england about to join the party?

2009 : australia
2010 : New zealand
[size=1502011 : ENGLAND [/size?

This time next week we'll be celebrating a milestone moment in english rugby league history.

We have the pace in the backline, the finishing ability, the direction and kicking in the halves and the pack. We have the continuity and the improvement game on game (partly because of continuity).

Sure you could say the aussies have all of the above and they do, that's why next weeks game will be nip and tuck.

But we'll take it, I can smell it, and so I think, can the players.

Every other game has followed the 2009 pattern - the final doing the same wouldn't surprise me

probably not, but our 'stand outs' are our young players. So maybe not this year, but we look like we are building towards success.

Edit: We also need to look at Australia, they are losing Lockyer next week, Big Civ has gone, is there a prop coming through who is better than the best we have? is there a stand off who will be anywhere near Lockyer? As good as Thurston is he isnt Johns, and as good as whoever Australia bring through I dont think he will be as good as Lockyer. There is nobody in this Australian Pack who is as good as Webcke, Civ, Hindmarsh, at their peak.

I think we forget sometimes just how good the Australians have been over the past few years and how difficult it will be for them to keep up that level.

but your forgetting.... Kevin Sinfield and James Graham are rubbish, anyone affiliated with anyone other than Wigan dont deserve to play for England.... We have no chance!!!

apart from that then we have a real chance after the 3 performances this last month. The aussies are nothing to be scared of!

I hope your right, but i still dont think we have that extra gear in our box that the Aussies have. Prove me wrong...come on England.

It's all about goal line 'd'. If we can find some of that we might have a chance, if Sinfield devolves some of the playmaking to Chase. If we continue to be so pathetic and let them stroll over at the first hint of a deep ball to a runner it'll be the same old story.

I bloody hope so. First international I'm going to for years and taking my son to his first ever

C'mon England

If they give Lockyer and Thurston the amount of time and space they did at Wembley , they will destroy us again

Whose said James Graham is rubbish ?

I don't see why not. If we get the basics right and complete or sets like we did last night we've got the strike power to put some points up. This Aussie side isn't one to be feared and has a recent history of not turning up in finals, although admittedly against New Zealand not us

Good post.

Sinfield just way too predictable to be taking the majority of playmaking duties.

It's not just that he's predictable, he repeatedly made the wrong decision and picked the wrong pass last night, especially early in the game. There were several occasions where the ball should have been passed out wide and missed runners out and he gave it short instead. When we have the ball in Australia's twenty we have to put points on the board. They won't give us the same reprieves that NZ did

Improved goal-line attack and defence, getting rid of silly errors yet still playing expansively, and luck/rub of the green from the ref will all be needed - plus the Aussies being overconfident.

The goal-line at both ends is key. We have to be able to pressure Australia when they have the ball, and be more effective at the other end.

I can't see past an Australia win. They are still a long way ahead in execution of plays in attack, and yet less likely to concede points through dumb errors near their own line. It would be massive for international RL if we could do it, and we have a slight chance, but I think Australia will win.

On a side topic, suggesting that the retirement of the likes of Lockyer will be a relief is rubbish. Australia produces quality new players every year, and we've been saying for years that things will be different when X or Y is gone. That's the difference - we haven't had a genuine class halfback since Goulding for example, Australia have produced probably 5 or 6 great players in that time. The same is true across the board. What's in our favour at the moment going forward is that we have some outside backs of actual quality who are also young, with more coming through. That's a huge change.

We will always win.

If you fear an opponent, where does that leave you? Smack the living crap out of Thurston as he's a known soft çock in the NRL, with bung shoulders. Apply the same amount of push as the aussies do and we'll rattle them. We still have too much one out footy.

I just can't understand the negativity towards Sinfield. He's done a great job. His work rate is excellent. His team - Leeds - have been pretty successful on the back of his ability. There at least 10 players who I'd drop before I dropped Sinfield.

Before I'm asked to name then I will:

Briscoe, Yeamans, Reed, Chase, Morley, Peacock, Wilkin, Heightington (or whatever his name is), Wilkin, Widdop.

So you'd drop both Wilkins ? ,

interesting concept

The Aussies have got another gear in them.

This week we will have all these fairy stories on this forum but after the weekend we can get down to discussing the proper issues, do we need a new coach, are there too many overseas players in the league, is it time for Morley/Peacock/Sinfield/Ellis/Wilkin to be pensioned off?

Dropping him twice isn't enough, he needs to be dropped from the team then dropped from the squad and then repeatably dropped until he stops whining

Like most, I think we have a genuine chance for once, but think Aus will win.

If a lot of things go our way we can win. We won't, though.

Had the game against NZ been reffed properly we'd have been running points in against 11 men.

You're not Leeds fan then. He worked hard, tackled well, kicked intelligently and moved our forwards around perfectly. Organised, tidy and efficient, the same qualities that have enabled Australia to cr@p all over us for 30+ years.
But no, let's play unpredictable off the cuff bollony, force every pass and p!$$ posession away like we've tried for so long and see how that works.

Exactly. Without the percentage paly and guidence Sinfiled gives us, we'll be playing out of our own half for the whole game.

Sinfield was a little guilty of forcing some short passes, but apart from that, he's doing a bang up job.

I do like it when Chase takes up first receiver, which he has been doing. He spent the whole game against France and Wales stood wide and was innafective.
When he's at 1st receiver, he creates doubt, which in turn sucks the defending players in to create space on the wings.

As I've said in the MOM thread, that's a complete myth. Sinfield didn't touch the ball most sets until the last tackle and it was Roby directing things from dummy half. Sinfield's positional kicking was good, but it's not hard to do that when you are kicking from inside the opposition's half every time because the pack is so dominant.

Every time we have a decent performance in one of these competitions, people start believing we're a match for the Aussies. I think we're probably closer this year than we have been for a while, but I still think they'll hsve a bit too much class when it matters. I really hope I'm proved wrong.

One things that is for sure is that we are building well and have looked better this year. I honestly think we have caught up a little during this competition. Not sure if our half backs will be the same next year but apart from that most of this squad will be around next year which is good. As for Saturday can we play as well as at Wembley, and can we catch them on an off day? I dont know, but there is genuine hope for the future.