Quote ="Mr. Zucchini Head"I'll make a point to watch how Manfredi carries the ball the next time I watch Wigan. My initial impression of him is that he is Josh Charnley mark 2, maybe I'm doing him a disservice. Briscoe is the smallest of the guys I've mentioned but he's also freakishly strong for his size. We need big, imposing wingers imo who can match it with the Aus and NZ backs, who are generally huge. If you are going to pick a small guy purely for his ability to score tries he better be one hell of a finisher.'" Well he has the most tackle busts in SL this season despite only playing 9 games. Watkins in second has played 13 games. superleague.co.uk/stats/player_stats Agree with you on Briscoe but he has been injured most of the year so currently completely out of the question.

Quote ="Mr. Zucchini Head"I'll make a point to watch how Manfredi carries the ball the next time I watch Wigan. My initial impression of him is that he is Josh Charnley mark 2, maybe I'm doing him a disservice. Briscoe is the smallest of the guys I've mentioned but he's also freakishly strong for his size. We need big, imposing wingers imo who can match it with the Aus and NZ backs, who are generally huge. If you are going to pick a small guy purely for his ability to score tries he better be one hell of a finisher.'" Well he has the most tackle busts in SL this season despite only playing 9 games. Watkins in second has played 13 games. superleague.co.uk/stats/player_stats Agree with you on Briscoe but he has been injured most of the year so currently completely out of the question.

Joe Burgess is heading to Australia so it's almost nailed on that McNamara would pick him ahead of Manfredi on that basis alone.

I know it was only 5 Rounds he played in but if Briscoe can show the form he did then on his return, then he'll have a strong shout. Should hopefully only miss another 6 weeks, which would only give him around 10-14 games (depending on playoffs and cup runs) to stake his claim though.

Also with regards to the Wigan wingers. Isn't Charnley almost back now? How do Wigan fans see Wane going for the rest of the year? The current two are going fine but will the fact Burgess is leaving cost him his spot?

Yeah I've been thinking the same. He's also going to Sydney where McNamara is coach so he may as well print his #2 shirt already.

The biggest weaknesses England had last year were lack of threat from 6/7, the hooker rotation and the backrow. Hooker should be better as Hodgson has really done well for the Raiders. I'd go for Tomkins at 7 simply to get him and Hardaker in the team together, and make use of Hardaker's strength in defence and returning kicks.

Backrow options aren't exactly jaw-dropping. Is Joel Tomkins doing better now? I wouldn't have Farrell in the team, he's far too lightweight in the collission. O'Loughlin should be in if fit.

Quote ="Wigg'n"Well he has the most tackle busts in SL this season despite only playing 9 games. Watkins in second has played 13 games. superleague.co.uk/stats/player_stats Agree with you on Briscoe but he has been injured most of the year so currently completely out of the question.'" Hmmm. All of a sudden stats matter. And yet, when it was shown to you that Percival had the same amount of tries and more assists in six games as Sarginson has in eleven, you dismissed it as hilarious. What can one expect from the daft mugs from Wigan ? Wouldn't know a good RL player unless they pulled a Wigan shirt on. Everything is awesome !!!!!

Quote ="Wigg'n"Well he has the most tackle busts in SL this season despite only playing 9 games. Watkins in second has played 13 games. superleague.co.uk/stats/player_stats Agree with you on Briscoe but he has been injured most of the year so currently completely out of the question.'" Hmmm. All of a sudden stats matter. And yet, when it was shown to you that Percival had the same amount of tries and more assists in six games as Sarginson has in eleven, you dismissed it as hilarious. What can one expect from the daft mugs from Wigan ? Wouldn't know a good RL player unless they pulled a Wigan shirt on. Everything is awesome !!!!!

and yet you picked Percival at centre?

Clark not Clarke!

If people are picking Hardaker at full back i'd want Briscoe on the other wing to Hall. Dropping back for kicks these lads will have played with each other for most of the season have that team chemistry, even if it's only dropping back for kicks. Centres, one is Watkins obviously. I'd go with Sarginson again after a good 4N last year. Bit early for Percival yet who I want just playing games regularly without injury. If Hardaker if at 1 then that's Tomkins in the halves, even though i'd rather him at full back. Alongside Widdop obviously. Ask Tomkins to defend on the wing in the defensive line, ideally on Nightingale's side. Props pick themselves, 4 of Graham, T Burgess, G Burgess, Hill, Walmsley, anyone else I've missed of note. Loose forward i'd still pick O'Loughlin if fit because he's world class, his standard is amazing even on return from injury usually. Second row would be Whitehead and Tomkins in my opinion. Potentially one of Bateman/Farrell/Ferres/one of the youngsters. For hooker, Roby obviously starts. He's an 80 minute man so I don't know whether we'd need another hooker on the bench. We could run with 3 props on the bench with a SR, that gives us plenty of size for a massive Kiwi pack.

1. Hardaker
2. Briscoe
3. Watkins
4. Sarginson
5. Hall
6. Tomkins
7. Widdop
8. G Burgess
9. Roby
10. Graham
11. Whitehead
12. Tomkins
13. O'loughlin

14. Hill
15. T Burgess
16. Walmsley
17. Second Rower

this, i'm all for bigging up young talented players, but surely they should be given at least 3 seasons in SL to show their credentials, not a few good games for Wigan, Leeds, etc, we saw with penny what can happen to a potential star at a young age, let these talented youngsters earn their stripes with their clubs first before we even consider them as internationals.
yes sutcliffe is a brilliant talent but he need to be given a role for leeds and bed into that first before we chuck him in against the best team in the world surely? same goes for percival, manfredi, etc.

There is an alternative school of thought and that is that if they're good enough, they're old enough and they play. My team would be....

S. Tomkins
J.Burgess
Watkins
Sarginson
Hall
Sutcliffe
Widdop
Graham
Roby
Hill
Westwood
J. Tomkins
O'Loughlin

Ward
Walmsley
G.Burgess
T. Burgess

Sarginson is picked because he played well last time out against them and so deserves another chance, despite his obvious limitations. It's a matter of time before Percival takes his spot anyhow. Sutcliffe was absolutely outstanding at Langtree Park when I saw him. A young kid but looking around, who is better ? I'd move Widdop to 7 and give him the 6 shirt. It can't be any worse than seeing Matty Smith put in his turnstile defensive performances and average kicking. Had he not got injured and carried his form on, Joe Greenwood would have got the 11 shirt as well. As it is, he cannot. Westwood is a solid option. O'Loughlin is the best player in the country by a distance and an automatic selection if fit. I think J. Tomkins has come on leaps and bounds this year and is another nailed on selection, although I think Whitehead is going well also. Ward has been superb and deserves a chance whilst the three other props on the bench are obvious calls.

With our lack of back row options at the moment an alternative option could be to play Graham or Cuthbertson at 13 and move Flanders into the 2nd row?

Sutcliffe should be nowhere near at the moment. He's shown some good touches so far but drifts in and out of games too much at the moment to be playing in the halves at test level.

I'm not sure why so many people are in a rush to pick Hill. His standard of play has been terrible this season by comparison.

Granted, his past achievements warrant consideration. But what happened to selection based on current form? Comparing Hill with Sims really puts his game in stark context. If it were a fight they'd have stopped it.

He's certainly looking quite shop worn this season, perhaps a full off season is what he needs?

You could also argue that on current form Clark, and Roby don't really warrant selection.

No I dismissed that you stated Percival is better because he runs a "natural centres line".

Fwiw, I wouldn't pick Manfredi, he's a right sided winger anyway which is Hall's place. I would maybe pick Burgess solely because no one on the NZ would catch him. He has improved a lot under the high ball and all earlier season mistakes have all but gone.

Hardaker
Makinson
Watkins
Sarginson
Hall
Tomkins
Widdop
G burgess
Roby
Graham
Ferres
Bateman
Cuthbertson

Clark/hodgson
T burgess
Walmsley
Whitehead

I'd disagree with that.

Warrington aren't going well but that's not down to Hill. His performances are consistently good. In a poor side so far, he's still averaging 100+m a game, 7 a carry, high tackle rates and barely any errors. He was the best prop on the field at Saints when we beat them and he has been pretty much every time I've seen Warrington. Only Peacock and Walmsley as props have made more metres. He's just a damn fine prop forward, wasted in a Warrington shirt in my view.

Then, you add on his previous high level performances, both at club and international level. He's one of the first names on the sheet for England. Comfortably in the best props we have. He's another whom if he were in the NRL would be worshipped.

Didn't argue with any of it though, did you ? Deep down, you know it's the truth.

I wouldn't pick Manfredi because we have better wingers. Simple as that. Hall, Briscoe, Burgess, Charnley, Makinson, Lineham etc. I'd pick all of those before Manfredi.

I think Manfredi is already better and a more all round winger than Charnley and Makinson.

On current form he's better than most of them. Have a look at his try scoring ratio seeing as you like using that also

We are playing New Zealand and if we are to have any chance we have to pick players that are big, skillful, aggressive to the point of being abrasive. The Kiwis are massive and aggressive and with Shaun Johnson are lethal. We have to match them and beat them.

S Tomkins,
Burgess, Watkins, Sarginson, Hall,
Widdop, Smith,
Graham, McIlorum, G Burgess,
Westwood, J Tomkins,
O'Loughlin. Bench. T Burgess, Walmsley, Hill, Roby.
I've gone for Sam T as he's the best fb we have.
Burgess, Watkins and Sarginson are fast, big and skillful. Hall is always excellent for England.
Experience at half back.
I'd want a big, powerful and skillful pack. The bench reflects this too.

Tbf try scoring record isnt all that important imo, certainly not when your career is still in its infancy. Callum Lancaster has played 6 games and scored 9 tries in a team that doesnt know what attack is. On try scoring ratio alone he would be the first name on the team sheet, but in reality he barely scrapes into the top 20 England wingers atm.

if he played for wigan or leeds he would have been mentioned.

Awwww. Somebody mention a Huddersfield player just to keep meast happy

Why? Don't think any of our players deserve to be called up