I used to love playing county rugby. It just made the game more important that club games.

The war of the roses was a joke in 2002 but that only because it only featured championship players and no super league players.

When Hull played Cas 2 weeks ago a number of Hull fans near me were complaining about how Yeaman and Briscoe don't play well together and would do better split up. I'm not saying I agree, just that some fans who watch 'em most regularly don't think they're necessarily the dream pairing you seem to think...

There's very few Hull fans I know that would agree with that. Myself included.

Totally OT this Willzay, but why is there 2 Higgins in your Wakey 2012 squad.

Francis Cummins, Paul Sykes, Karl Pratt?

aawww whats the matter sweetheart?? just cos i don't watch the NRL with my old chap in my hand ripping one out over every pass,tackle or try.......when i watch the NRL and see plenty..and i mean plenty...of flaws that people like you don't see cos you think every aussie is a superman that can run,jump,tackle better than anyone and can't be beat.....


i'm glad reed has opted for england,it's strenghtend our squad, but no way should he be first choice pick just because he plays in the NRL...

i really want him picked for the france warm up game...then you'll all see just how ordinary he actually is...but nodoubt all the NRL bumboys will blame it on playing with "poor england players"

I don't think every Aussie is superman, in fact I don't think nationality has anything to do with it. Reed and Widdop are testament to the irrelevance of nationality. The NRL is just better, that's all. It's far superior to the SL and their set-up produces much better players on the whole. Has nothing to do with being Australian. You're the one who seems to have some England vs Australia chip on your shoulder, mate.

And I don't have to wait for a game against France to see Reed, I've watched every Broncos game this year.

I've seen a fair few Brisbane games this year and I really rate him. Sorry spud, we normally agree but i'll have to go against you this time mucker.

I voted yes as he's English and our centres are crap.

Reed had Gasnier in his pocket all game tonight. Defensively he is head and shoulders over any SL centre.

Good to hear Reed is continuing to play well

Just to check though, is that the same Gasnier that Kirk Yeaman smashed out the game on his test debut in 2006 (when Gasnier was rated the best centre in the game and not two weeks away from retirement)?

we'll see

i guarantee theres gonna be "what a waste of time" or "he's no better that what we already have" topics/posts after everyone gets a proper look at him in a england shirt....and i promise i won't start any of them

Did he?
In that dead rubber where Australia were already in the final regardless of this games result?
Great Britain won 1 from 4 games.
Yeaman has kicked on since then after smashing (in your words) the best Centre in the World out of the game he has how many Test Caps now?

That win by England that all of the Pommies hang on to as a golden moment was the most nothing game in the last 20 years.
Australia were already in the final they rested some key players and were playing for nothing unless the heirachy said give the pommies a go it will be good for the International game.
The final between Australia and New Zealand was already locked in, it was a match that was a waste of time.

Gasnier is a shadow of what he once was.
Even at his peak he was a weapon on his day that could beat 4 players and change a game single handed but too often he was on cruise control and did not get involved enough.

The only difference between the 17 that played GB and the 17 in the final was Thurston (Hornby), Hodges (Lyon) and Ryan (Kaufusi).

You got beat. Get over it. You won the 3N, so I don't know why you're still so bitter over this defeat.

I'll hold you to that!

Forget about Jack Reed. Wests Tigers' Chris Heighington added to England train-on squad.

Good. Another good player, the more we have to choose from the more chance we've got. England/GBs problem over the years has always been depth. We seem to have 15 or 16 good players and on paper our team looks competitive, then after a full season the Internationals come round and with 5 or 6 injuries we look god awful and you've got Farrell/Scully/Brown at 6 and Sinfield at 9 and players don't know whether they're coming or going. Now we seem to have 4 or 5 decent players in each position.

we don't need chris Heighington..we have enough backrowers and if Heighington was good enough he'd be playing origin

Cannot believe anyone has not mentioned Cudjoe for a wing spot. Has really come on defensively the last year, very good at taking the high ball and quick. Depending on his injury i would put him in the mix with Hall and Briscoe.

As much as a like Charnley his defence needs another season.

Cudjoe should be in the squad but would be behind Hall, Briscoe and Charnley when talking about wingers.

"Overnight, England announced they had their man, following weeks of calls between Reed and English coach Steve McNamara. Kath Reed said the past few weeks had been a whirlwind for her and husband Joe, and they were surprised by the decision after seeing Jack grow up with dreams of wearing the green and gold. "I haven't got a clue what changed his mind," she said. "He said he'd been thinking about it and if the opportunity arose he wanted to play for England." www.couriermail.com.au/questnews ... 6138714219

"Overnight, England announced they had their man, following weeks of calls between Reed and English coach Steve McNamara. Kath Reed said the past few weeks had been a whirlwind for her and husband Joe, and they were surprised by the decision after seeing Jack grow up with dreams of wearing the green and gold. "I haven't got a clue what changed his mind," she said. "He said he'd been thinking about it and if the opportunity arose he wanted to play for England." www.couriermail.com.au/questnews ... 6138714219

Tom Briscoe, Kris Welham and Kirk Yeaman added to England train-on squad alongside Reed and Heighington.
Arundel, Broughton, Cox, Donaldson, Gale, Houghton, Ratchford, M Smith, Taylor, Watts, Westerman added to England Knights squad.

You could already pick a pretty decent English backline from that list

I would suggest that a back line of Briscoe, Yeaman, Reed and Broughton is at least as good as the one that contested the last world cup semi final... Gardner, Gleeson, Senior, Calderwood

I'd say it's better.