It'll be interesting to see how McGillvary goes this week then.

Farrell has played against Cronulla and Brisbane (twice)in the last three seasons and he's been just about the best forward on the field in all three games. His stats have been fantastic and he's come up against some big big bodies like Thaiday, Lewis and Wade Graham.

The thing with Farrell is you're not going to get the best out of him throwing him in for 20 minutes here and there. He plays 80 mins week in week out for Wigan and his biggest attribute is that he's still playing at the same intensity after 79 minutes as he was after 1 minute. His fitness levels are unbelievable and he just doesn't have bad games, in fact he very rarely has anything but a very good game.

England have and continue to waste one of their better players IMO. He doesn't seem to be fashionable enough or get bigged up by the Sky boys enough to nail a spot.

Burgess is a lot bigger now after his year in Sydney. He's bigger than Holmes and Boyd and probably not far off Ferguson now. He's also faster than all 3 of those.

I agree about Farrell, 80 minute all action player but for me, we can't have two or even three blokes on the smaller end in the back row or our go forward would really suffer and we have three players fitting into that category right now in Farrell, Whitehead and Bateman. All excellent players in their own right and similar in that they are 80 minute guys but lack true size to bend the line and off load. i would at the minute go with one of those, alongside Mcmeekan and Sam Burgess. One on the bench and sadly one would miss out.I wouldn't have any qualms with any of those three getting a pick, it should be on form. It's a good headache to have and be interesting to see how Bennett goes... probably McQueen and Heighington

I hear Stefan Ratchford has replaced Widdop in the squad.

Confirmed now, logical selection having been with the squad last year but missing out due to injury.

It's not ridiculous. Every other sport and every other country have athletes representing them that were born overseas. Get over yourself. If you don't like the international eligibility rules you need to complain about them, not England's team selection. International eligibility rules are not down to the RFL.

I agree fully. We're simply playing within the rules that have been set. In an ideal world we would compete with Oz and NZ solely by utilising players who have grown up playing RL in the UK and playing SL week in week out; and win our fair share of tournaments. But we don't. So do we accept this and stick to this moral standpoint of ignoring the advantages the eligibility rules give and essentially cutting off our nose to spite our face or do we attempt to take advantage of them like every other nation does?

Unfortunately we can't afford to ignore available talent. That being said, we have better than Heighington in terms of talent. I imagine he's utilising him for geographic reasons. If not he's using him as he certainly won't be over awed by the occasion, as some are.

Instead of moaning, lets wait and see what happens over the next 12 months.

Because picking over the hill average Auzzies has done us so well in competeting hasn't it?

Anyone know when the Samoan squad is announced ? Cutting it a bit fine especially if selecting players from SL.

Don't know when it's announced, but I'm sure I read somewhere that they had already stated that they wouldn't be selecting any SL based players for this match

I'd take Farrell above Whitehead and Bateman. I think people may be surprised by me saying that about Bateman considering he's been our player of the year for the past two years but I think Farrell is criminally under-rated. He's that consistent I just thinks it becomes sort of boring. He's a quiet sort of bloke, not flashy but what a player. Since he came back from injury last season his game looks to have gone on a level or two and he's in career best form.

If I'm picking out first choice backrow it's the below for me-

11-Farrell 12-S Burgess 13-O'Loughlin

After that Ben Currie would be my next pick if fit with Bateman and Whitehead in behind them. I've been a little frustrated with Batemans lack of aggression in an England shirt so far. He punches way above his weight because of that aggression but he's looked a bit too safe these past couple of series.

No, I won't 'get over myself'. If you read my post correctly you'd see that I have put that I don't care what the rules are. I'm fully aware of them thanks. I've also said I'm not interested in what others do. This is a forum for people to express their opinions and thats mine. I'm not asking anybody to agree with me, although Willzay did (cheers for that mate!). I'm a proud Englishman who wants to watch proud Englishmen representing our country. I'm as entitled to my opinion as you are yours. I don't have to agree with you, just like you don't have to agree with me, but I respect that other people have their own opinions.

The Cook Islands are apparently going to select Gelling for their test with PNG, not sure if there are any other PNG/CI players in SL?

Whitehead is way ahead of any you mentioned. This season he is one of the standout second rowers in the NRL if not the best. On top of that his ball handling skills are outstanding.

Paul Aiton?

Whitehead is quality. SOL is good if fit and captain so likely a sure thing at 13. That leaves one back row spot open, depending on where Sam Burgess plays. Plus maybe another spot or even two on the bench. Farrell should be in there imo.

I also agree with regards to Aussie selections. I don't really care what other sports do or what the rules are in terms of heritage, it isn't really right. (I can stomach it a bit more if a player hasn't had caps etc for someone else and has always committed and repped that country, (thinking Carney and Craig Kopczack as good examples). If I'm perfectly honest I'm against the likes of Currie and in the past Brough playing for England after being capped by Ireland and Scotland respectively.

All this proud Englishman talk is from the dark ages. If Australian born players wants to represent the country of his parents or vice versa then what's the problem?

If they come out and say they are totally committed and are ready​ to give up origin selection and future Australian cap then i am sorry but thats enough commitment.

If players are seeing it as a stop gap and would go back to Australia in a heartbeat then yeah that's a problem.

It wasn't enough commitment for McQueen when he was approached a few years ago, but turned it down because he wanted to play Origin though was it?! And, yes, I am a proud Englishman. If that makes me 'from the dark ages', thats your opinion, of which you are entitled to. The same as I am entitled to mine. Plus, do you really think that he would give England a thought if he was good enough to be selected for Australia? I think not. Again, my opinion.

I agree. Its outrageous that true-blue English players get overlooked in favour of Johnny Foreigner.. Yours sincerely,

Ben Te'O, Shontayne Hape, Lesley Vainakolo, Henry Paul, Allan Lamb, Robin Smith, Graeme Hick, Kevin Pietersen.

All you Wigan fans need to calm down re the Farrell comments. Watch the last game he played over here vs Aus - he was mullered every time he got the ball, and lost the ball in contact several times.

That's not to say he wouldn't be better than others, but in any event what I was arguing is that you can't pick more than one lightweight forward or we'll just get steamrollered.

I have to agree with you, i have watched most of Canberra games this year, they are great to watch. The right edge can be devastating at times, and Whitehead is a big part of that. Also noticed because he runs such good lines and has good feet he attracts so many head shot penalties. Must be earning 2 an average of 2/3 a game at the minute which can be quite a valuable trait to have for a side.

That's what they are doing though. McQueen and Heighinton aren't good enough for Australia. And that's even more annoying - when the Aussies being selected aren't even an improvement.

And this talk of other sports do it, if the other sports jumped off a cliff, should RL do so as well?

McQueen is an improvement, and he isn't over the hill, he is in his prime. Does anyone on here know him personally to say that he wouldn't have any pride in playing for England or are people just assuming he wouldn't as he at one point harboured ambition of playing Origin?

And in terms of other sports; RL is behind the vast majority of sports so we should definitely look to other more successful sports for guidance.

He put on Instagram a few times about Australia bashing/killing "Poms" at Cricket