Not really. Brough showed quite clearly why he can't play for England. Not sure why you haven't been able to acknowledge it.

Sinfield looked the part today and anyone who says otherwise has a lack of RL knowledge

BJB, hardaker, mcguire and JJb would have all won the game for england. Not the rabble you mentioned.

Who's leeds first game anyone?

You not familiar with Durham Giant then?


You've just described him to a tee! I'm surprised he hasn't wished harm on Sinfield/McNamara etc. He's got form you know! A sad excuse of a Mod!

All ifs and buts, Graham was left out due to discipline (would the response from him have been the same if he hadn't been), was widdop showing up well in training to be selected to start. Sinfield and widdop were great today as the team were as a whole, gutting to fall just short. I cannot understand the odd poster coming on 5 minutes after the wake of such a game with their shout your mouth off style post.

Well done England.

Edited for accuracy.

Widdop had been injured prior to the tournement and Graham's destiny was in his own hands for that first game.

Graham is the type of player who if available will be first on the team sheet. As a Saints fan I love him, but he excluded himself from that game.

Team selection was spot on today. What a pointless thread when England have just performed so well.
Not using the 4th sub always annoys me but no complaints with anything England or banana man did for that game.

I think it was a bit of an ironic thread if you take Sally's other posts into account and that it was posted pre game time.

However it seems some have taken it to heart therefore proving the irony?????

Any left centre who can pass and tackle would have improved them as well

Atkins would have made more of the chances presented to Cudjoe

Brough would have gained us better field position and controlled the game at least as well as either Widdop or Sinfeld

Lunt would have been more professional than McIllorum and therefore he would have been available for today's bench where his contribution would be greater than Burrows

Did Ablett even get used today, if not then surely Mossop would have been better off the bench in a game against a physical Kiwi team.

Exactly !!! RL is a 17 man game so why play with only 16

I dont know. Maybe we should check with who picks the team and who decides on the interchanges.

I would suggest whose responsibility it is but then you just get accused of whinging.

Some very sad people involved in RL I'm afraid. Utterly pathetic comments.

Fortunately the skill and determination on show today from some of the worlds greatest sportsmen and athletes enables me to not worry about such pathetic, ridiculous comments from a minority of deluded, bitter and backward so-called RL fans.

Not even bothered reading through all this
Whoever started thus thread

Just f**k off you sad t**t

Funny how it is Leeds fans who are all saying what a glorious dereat and accusing those who think differently of being sad. Are they worried that Leeds players might get the blame.

Typical narrow minded bunch of RL fans,

A great opportunity for the game lost.

IF England RU win the WC next year RL is fookkked up big time in this country . No tow ways about it.

RL has shot itself in the foot with it's performance in this world cup. Two big games lost them both when it could have been so much better but due to monumental cock ups and crap team selections etc we have lost that chance.
This is a disaster . The question is how much of a disaster we will have to wait and see

All criticisms aside, that was the best game of RL this WC has seen. I for one am proud to support our great sport after that game. And for the record, the team selection was spot on.

Bit like giants play off performance then?

Lots of doom merchants and bitterness against the coach because he fifn't pick players from their team.
Have not agreed with Macnamara's selections by a long way, but today every player gave their best.
Fantastic game of football, and an excellent advery for the dame.
Only disappointment was the result.

Seriously, what's wrong with you? England put in a superb performance in a brilliant game against the World Champions in front of nearly 70,000 people in the national stadium and live on the national broadcaster.

This is what you come up with?

You don't deserve Rugby League.

Stick to your bizarre Sin Bin conspiracy theories.

You need to get a grip.

Every England played brilliant today and contributed with the Kiwi,s a fantastic advert for rugby league. For the OP question I think the answer is no especially for Atkins.
Great performance from our pack special mention to S Burgess, Graham, Roby and Ferris an enormous of work from these four.

If you're being serious you're an embarrassment to yourself.

If you're joking you need to get a life.

Great England effort today.



Great entertainment and that is what a World Cup Semi Final should be... Edge of the seat stuff!.



Don't kid yourselves RL is a regional sport and will continue to be for years unless there are fundamental changes to funding and it being played across the board at grass roots level. There is some hope today with a 70000 crowd but it's not 80000 at Twickenham for a friendly last week at RU.

Winning today wouldn't have changed that and if you think it would then you are deluded.

Plenty of emotion on this board right now, and rightly so, that was a heart breaking way to end a match. In fact, I haven't felt such emotion since Southgate missed a penalty in '96. That said, Sinfield had his best ever game in an England shirt, Sam Burgess, Graham and O'Loughlin proved themselves to be the toughest players England have, by some distance, and the team effort was fantastic. We were never outmuscled by a very physical Kiwi team, and that was one of the best England/GB performances I've seen since we lost Farrell and Sculthorpe.

When the squad was selected I thought McNamara had made a massive mistake not including Crabtree, and I'd still rather he was in the squad ahead of tom burgess or Mossop, but as much as I rate him I can't say he'd have brought anything extra to the game today. Brough playing for Scotland seemed a big loss at the time, but Sinfield played to level through out this World Cup that I think that has nullified Brough's exclusion. I don't see two better wingers than Charnley and Hall, and Watkins, although a quiet World Cup, is our best centre. The only position I would question is Cudjoe, but the only other real option, Jack Read, was out injured.

Looking at the other players left out Ratchford has improved immensely, but might not be experienced enough for today. I think everybody agrees Hock is too much of a loose canon, Atkins was so bad when he played for England that he should never be anywhere near the team again, Hardaker seems to have Hockitis and Myler will get trampled to death by Kiwi's.

In summary, unless Jack Read was fit, that's pretty much the team I would have gone for.