....and keep on proving it.

I've only been back two days and already I have a stalker.



I think it's the after-shave. But it could be my cultured charm.

The main areas we are out gunned are in the centres, the back row and LF
In both cases the Kiwis have more size, power, skill, a stronger defense, I could go on.........

I have faith in Ferres, I thought he was amazing in the semi finals against the kiwis in the 2013 WC and I don't think he'll let us down but Oloughlin, Farrel are never going to dazzle us, they will defend well but give us no strike in attack
I think J Tompkins is still an unknown being so fresh back from RU but has the potential to do it and I just wish he had a year of SL under his belt, it will be a different story for him next season

Watkins is gonna take an absolute pounding in defense, I do like Watkins but we are yet to see his main attribute his ability to take on the line, I wanna see him have ago

Where I do think we can beat them is in our front row and that will count for a hell of a lot, especially if we keep our props fresh and just keep pouding up the middle we can break the kiwis pack, the Burgess twins & Graham/Hill will see to that

To agree with Melmam SKD has being standout for the roosters, we've not seen him near his best yet and again he's right with the Joey Lailua fend, he could have done that to GI

I think its gonna be as close as it was at 1/4 finals I think they will just pip us

I quite fancy us this weekend. I think we'll win but not by the required margin.

Like Mugwump though I was concerned at how little the hosts and halves made of our pack last weekend, although it's certainly nice to see a kicking game in an England shirt.

Any reason why 'Chris' hasn't been changed to 'Christopher'?

The lack of consistency is a touch frustrating, especially as Josh has become Joshua, Sam has become Samuel amongst others. It also means I struggle to understand who you are referring to. Thanks in advance.

You are correct, and I regret your frustration. As you struggle to understand to whom I am referring, I will endeavour to remember that Christopher Hill is not the historian, but rather the rugby league player.

Thankyou for your help in this matter Jeanette Capdouze

Sean O'loughlin when fully fit is the best 13 in the world.

To say he won't dazzle in attack is nonsense (see sarginsons try at saints) he's key to Wigans attack and he was key early on last week, he takes the ball right to the line before he passes so he holds defenders up creating a bit more time for the halves. He wasn't fully fit last week, if he was he would have played 80 mins. People seem to have missed him picking corey parker up and sitting him down and the fact he ran all over the top of Greg Bird.

To say he's a good club player is utter nonsense. It's such nonsense i'm annoyed i've even dignified it with a response.

I wouldn't say he's the best 13 in the world, but he's up there.

Right now Jason Tamoulolo is the best 13 in the world. No contest. He smashed through the Australian defence. He has been fantastic all year for North Queensland Cowboys. The man has great strength, great speed and a good sidestep. The Sydney Roosters are after him as a replacement for SBW. That shows how highly he is regarded among the big spending cognoscenti.

If you watch the Aussie v NZ game, the Kiwis were not actually that good.
They were neck and neck with Aussies until Inglis went off and the stand off was injured.

We were dominating at that point and both those same players stepped up to take it away from us.

I think it is evenly matched and if we play to our potential we can win.

If England let NZ develop their offload game they'll be in big trouble, as Johnson's magic off such broken play.

I assumed this was a joke post then I saw that you were a Wigan fan so knew you were being serious

Come on even with the most ultra rose tinted specs on? "is the best 13 in the world"
Had you said that about Andy Farrell I would have agreed, how ever O'loughlin is simply a decent SL player, if he was the best in the world he's be playing in the NRL

It all depends on how you look at the position loose forward - the modern loose forward especially in the NRL is just another second rower even Prop just look at Leeds with the likes of Ryan Bailey

Sean O'loughlin portrays a classic style what could be called Old School Loose forward these days, a player that has some decent ball skills and can punch it about in the forwards not just the latter like most are these days

So yes as a classic LF Sean is one of the best maybe even by default because they are few and far between - Id put Sam Burgess in that Category and would have had as clearly the best but obviously he has now gone

Like I said most teams just use it as another big forward these days so its the hardest position to clearly justify

Look at Paul Gallen Id say he has been a great player in recent years played mostly at Loose, but played PROP at state of Origin, O'Loughlin has played Stand Off in a Grand final - Yes both loose Forwards but so different. So hard to genuinely compare players for that position these days

Considering the fact we haven't beaten NZ in NZ since 1992 when Garry Schofield was at stand off, it would be a rather pleasant change.

Unfortunately, the SL era really does suck from an international perspective.

I agree there has definitely being a change in the the LF role, if you look at Parker and Gallen they have both plaid most of there careers as LFs converting to props in the later stages of there careers and there is a lot of players playing prop/LF or Second Row/LF
Sam Burgess & Greg Eastwood then SBW & Tariq Sims all being examples

If you'd have asked me last year who was the best LF I would have said Sam Burgess, Corey Parker & Glen Stewart

Regardless of how you define a LF I would put all the below in front of O'Loughlin

Glen Stewart
Corey Parker
Paul Gallen
Sam Burgess (we are still on the 2014 season lol)
There are more players but I think it proves my point

I'm not sure I would want to say Tamoulolo as he hasn't played LF much this season though he is doing an amazing job for the Kiwis at the mo

My Team

Tomkins

Burgess Hall

Sarginson Watkins

Smith Widdop

Graham Clarke Hill

Whitehead Ferres

O Loughlin

Burgess Burgess Hardacre Farrell

How does it ''prove your point''? Unless I'm missing some crucial factual or empirical evidence it's just your opinion and one that is disputed by a lot of good judges. Could you explain this proof as I, for one, can't see it.

O’Loughlin is the best loose forward in the world.










At messing about at the ruck – and getting away with it

.

If he is the pinnacle, the game is truly in decline.

I don't see any value in having Hardacre on the bench, and has Clarke ever played 80 minutes before?

For me:

Tomkins
J Burgess
Watkins
Sarginson
Hall
Widdop
Smith
Graham
Hodgson
G Burgess
Whitehead
Farrell
O'Loughlin

T Burgess
Hill
Clarke
Westerman

He is as someone said in the match coverage, the best ball playing forward in the world. If he played for any other team, people would rate him like Ryan Hoffman does. I'll take the opinion of someone who's done what he has in his career over yours.

JP said on today's highlight show that he thought O'Loughlin and Graham were not only the best ball playing forwards in the world right now but the best in the last 20 years. Again, I'd tend to give more credence to Jamie Peacock's opinion than some no mark on an internet forum.

You must be excluding hookers from the category of "ball playing forwards."

I was quoting Jamie Peacock but, at the risk of speaking for him, I would say that is a given as hookers are less forward and more half in the modern game.

I think Ben Kennedy is (was) the best LF in the last 20 yeara. Flanders is excellent but he's no Scully P.