Exactly.
Utter nonsense to say we've no depth. We've been been hit really hard with injuries (especially in the play maker positions) yet won the series 2-1.

Bennett doesn't really do that. You want Shaun Wane for that.






Rubbish, we have plenty more strength in depth than NZ (and Tonga, etc), but obviously less than Australia.

At the end of the first half and the first 10 mins of the 2nd half, Graham, Tom Burgess and Thompson were in the bench which left us with only Hill as a recognised prop on the field and a forward pack of Hill, Hodgson, Whitehead, Bateman, Greenwood, Milner. Individually some good ones in there but collectively that’s not suitable for international RL against a big physical NZ side and we conceded tries either side of half time that took any chance of staying in the game away from us.

Did he not send a full squad of young players to play in PNG.

You play your best players in a test series to try and win that test series, something Wayne Bennett has just achieved. You don’t pick players that you think could maybe be the best in 3 years time.

To be honest the only ones he had left to pick were Percival, Lyne and Johnstone. As for the two centres, it’s not like Connor and Gildart have cemented their shirts and can afford to sit out the limited internationals we have. Percival has had a few goes and personally not sold on him as an international player and realistically Lyne is 5th choice at centre is Watkins was fit so again do you waste the chance to give today’s centre more international game time.

Could’ve put Johnstone in for McGillvary but given the lack of props then can see why he’d want McGillvary strength and carries. Blessing really for Johnstone that he didn’t play in that because he wouldn’t have been able to do much today given the difference between the teams.

Why won’t half of this team be playing in 2021? Age wise a lot of young players in.

The very fact that Milner is on your list says all we need to know.
He's a hell of a long way behind McShane at Cas and yet, deemed good enough for England ??

We were short on props before the kick off and badly exposed as the game went on.
We were found out on both flanks, especially McGillvery
, who just looked slow and nonathletic. He's great bringing the ball away from our line but as an attacking threat ??

I thought they looked like a team who wanted to win but weren't all that bothered if they lost. Job was done before kick off.
A few questions need to be answered though. I agree that McGilvaray looked very sverage compared to the world cup. He came inside far too much for me.
Not sure the value of Lomax. Hodgson? I fail to see how he gets his place above Roby. Even Clark is better.
Would have preferred to see Ratchford get a run.
Overall I think Bennett now has a better understanding of the English based players, he now needs to blood a few more.
Finally its so good to see a Lions tour is set for next year(?).
Hopefully it will include club games too. We need a return to a 'proper' series.

Yep. That game demonstrated once again that Sutton is simply not fit to officiate at this level. Inconsistent with his decisions and missed (or ignored) a number of high shots and forward passes. The time allowed at the PTB was a shambles and some of the 'surrenders' he called (thus awarding the defenders several more seconds) were anything but.

And the first no-try should have been given. When the defender moves towards the dummy runner and makes contact that isn't obstruction; it's a bad decision by the defender. Very poor from Bentham. If that had been given we would have seen a different game.

But fair play to NZ, they showed their running flair at last. They hit form while we were off the pace. Not that it matters, the record books will show a 2-1 win for England.

Yeah I wasn’t convinced by Milner’s inclusion and given his limited minutes I’m not sure we’ll see him back in an England shirt unless significant injuries happen.

As for McShane he must just deem him behind Hodgson, Clark and Roby and thus not worth taking a look at going forward. Don’t necessarily agree as the squad balance we were left with this week suggested we should have had either another hooker or prop in it rather than a 4th centre in Percival/Lyne.....given that Ratchford could and did fill in there today then it was always pretty certain that at least one of those wouldn’t be needed. Whereas one hooker goes down in Clark and it left you a bit bare.

Absolutely spot on. The guy was clueless and ruined the game.

Elland Road is also a sh*thole. Wooden seats in the stand I was in. Shouldn't be playing games there.

Its just a shame that after two great performances they put on a shocking game. Today lots of newcomers were there and are unlikely to come back.

Bentham's first involvement in the series was a shocker. Pension him off, for goodness sake.

Makinson's try was fine and it would have changed everything and lifted the crowd, created an atmosphere.

Instead we were subjected to that bloody Mexican wave again.

Wrt the first no try (personally agree with the obstruction call) still can’t be sure Makinson grounded it clearly as we never saw a slow motion. At normal speed tough to be certain and a slow motion replay could’ve shown a no try.

Makinson put the ball down on the sideline anyway , so try would not have been given

a bit of credit to new zealand as well. their kicking game was outstanding and they played some really nice stuff. the nikorima try was a thing of beauty (in its simplicity). he's really developing as a player over the last 2 seasons

Makinson had ball$ed it up by touching down on the line in any case. And while the obstruction decision was ridiculous, it was no more ridiculous than any of a dozen or more just like it every season.

New Zealand showed that they have great strength in depth. No Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (whose presence in the earlier games would have won NZ the series with his defence as well as his attack), no Isaac Luke (admirably replaced by Brandon Smith), and for game 3 no Jordan Rapana (ably replaced by Jermayne Isaako) .

New Zealand is a powerful force in rugby league, which will become even more powerful if it can get s second club into the NRL. At that point England will cease beating New Zealand.

They should put a New Zealand team in superleague. Imagine Wellington, New York, Toronto, Toulouse, Catalans, Shanghai, Vladivostok , Sarajevo , Dublin and Johannesburg making up a 10 team superleague.

Johnstone would have scored it

Please. Can someone read this entire post and explain how it isn't the work of a Troll?



All you've done is post a series of statements that are shown to be untrue by the fact that England won a series 2-1 against a nation that a few weeks showed that your beloved kangaroos are no longer the #1 team.
As an Australian, the level of Butt hurt you must be feeling now might just equal the bitterness of the ARL who daren't play GB next year as it might psychologically damage the 'roos who are in their infancy without their stars of the past.

And mods. This isn't me calling someone a troll because I disagree with it........it's because he's bat crazy and trying to wind up posters with his stupid opinions that are not backed up by fact......

Undoubtedly. And I can't wait to see him in the Johannesburg colours.

Imagine Johnstone of Johannesburg facing off against Makinson of Vladivostock at the magic weekend in Lahore!

I am! I am!

I don't actually disagree with anything in this post of Jeans - think you're making yourself look obsessed.

Having now reflected on things, I think NZ look well placed in terms of building for 2021 and will be a force to be reckoned with. Not sure about England - there were some positive signs with some of the younger players but are there enough of them of sufficient quality to replace the old guard?