Really? One of the best squads for years? If you compare it to the probable squads of Australia, NZ and possibly even the likes of Samoa it doesnt look that great to me, think best we can hope for is another semi final (although hope I am wrong).

As for Clark, good young player and has a lot of potential but at the moment Roby, Burrow, Houghton & McIlorum all in front of him for #9 shirt

Cockayne is there on form. Don't see why he is singled out.

I haven't ever liked Ablett especially in the centre but he was very dangerous against melbourne so hard to say he shouldn't be in.

The thing about the squad is that it show that the average player in the league is better than they used to be so the squad as a whole is much better.
It does look a bit light on star quality but the aussie based players will help a little with that.

Are we going to beat Austalia? Well even when we were at our best and did beat them we didn't fancy ourselves.
But Leeds have recently shown that we can mix it with them. I think it is more about getting the right blend of players and right game plan as much as the individual players.

Eg.
Are JJB and Ablett the best in their position? No.
Are they as good as the Farrell and Sculthorpe's of yester year? No
Do they perform in big games and manage to outplay better opposition? Surprisingly they do.

I knew I had a reason for coming on the V.T

.


Let the old guard have their last hurrah, hopefully in four years time we should have assembled a core squad who play in the NRL, with a smattering of “top” S.L players – the end could then be nigh

I've often thought that Ablett is just as capable a centre as he is a second row. He was outstanding in the WCC, he has put in excellent performances in Grand Finals in recent years and he's a very solid centre.

He's not as explosive as the likes of Watkins or Atkins, but I find it very hard to fault Ablett when I see him play at centre or second row.

and lunt i'd say? been our standout player for me so far.

on the clark thing,yes he is a good prospect and i have been impressed when i have seen him,but wasn't adam milner in the same boat a couple of years ago? whats happened with him?

All you people who are turning your nose up at Cockayne need to get your heads out of your anus' and look at the form books

Quote ="wakey_saint"Really? One of the best squads for years? '" One of the best England squads. Particularly in the outside backs and particularly with the depth available. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Rugby ... Cup_squads en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Rugby ... Cup_squads As for Cockayne, I've singled him out because I really don't think he will play in the World Cup. He's in form now, he has been in the past, he will drop off again and won't feature come the end of the year (no doubt he will now prove me wrong.). As for Clark, if the squad is picked on form, or stats then he should be in there. Although I wouldn't pick him on match day above Roby. www.superleague.co.uk/player/279 Burrow www.superleague.co.uk/player/10953 Clark www.superleague.co.uk/player/1983 Roby www.superleague.co.uk/player/2385 McIllorum

Quote ="wakey_saint"Really? One of the best squads for years? '" One of the best England squads. Particularly in the outside backs and particularly with the depth available. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Rugby ... Cup_squads en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Rugby ... Cup_squads As for Cockayne, I've singled him out because I really don't think he will play in the World Cup. He's in form now, he has been in the past, he will drop off again and won't feature come the end of the year (no doubt he will now prove me wrong.). As for Clark, if the squad is picked on form, or stats then he should be in there. Although I wouldn't pick him on match day above Roby. www.superleague.co.uk/player/279 Burrow www.superleague.co.uk/player/10953 Clark www.superleague.co.uk/player/1983 Roby www.superleague.co.uk/player/2385 McIllorum

Quote ="rhintintin"One of the best England squads. Particularly in the outside backs and particularly with the depth available. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Rugby ... Cup_squads en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Rugby ... Cup_squads As for Cockayne, I've singled him out because I really don't think he will play in the World Cup. He's in form now, he has been in the past, he will drop off again and won't feature come the end of the year (no doubt he will now prove me wrong.). As for Clark, if the squad is picked on form, or stats then he should be in there. Although I wouldn't pick him on match day above Roby. www.superleague.co.uk/player/279 Burrow www.superleague.co.uk/player/10953 Clark www.superleague.co.uk/player/1983 Roby www.superleague.co.uk/player/2385 McIllorum'" I give you Shaun Lunt who compares very favourably with any of those you have mentioned and can score tries as well. www.superleague.co.uk/player/10166

Quote ="rhintintin"One of the best England squads. Particularly in the outside backs and particularly with the depth available. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Rugby ... Cup_squads en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Rugby ... Cup_squads As for Cockayne, I've singled him out because I really don't think he will play in the World Cup. He's in form now, he has been in the past, he will drop off again and won't feature come the end of the year (no doubt he will now prove me wrong.). As for Clark, if the squad is picked on form, or stats then he should be in there. Although I wouldn't pick him on match day above Roby. www.superleague.co.uk/player/279 Burrow www.superleague.co.uk/player/10953 Clark www.superleague.co.uk/player/1983 Roby www.superleague.co.uk/player/2385 McIllorum'" I give you Shaun Lunt who compares very favourably with any of those you have mentioned and can score tries as well. www.superleague.co.uk/player/10166

out of that a 17 would be

tomkins
hall
watkins
cudjoe (to be replaced by reed)
briscoe/charnley (riley should be there in the mix aswell imho)
sinfield
myler (to be replaced by widdop)
hill (to be replaced by S burgess)
roby
morley (experience)
westwood
hock
Ellis

carvell
mossop (to be replaced by graham)
wilkin (to be replaced by G burgess)
burrow

Quote ="Durham Giant"I give you Shaun Lunt who compares very favourably with any of those you have mentioned and can score tries as well. www.superleague.co.uk/player/10166'" I'd say Hodgson and Houghton are pretty well up there as well tbh

Quote ="Durham Giant"I give you Shaun Lunt who compares very favourably with any of those you have mentioned and can score tries as well. www.superleague.co.uk/player/10166'" I'd say Hodgson and Houghton are pretty well up there as well tbh

maybe as the poster who you replied too is a cas fan!



if going on form cockayne deserves a crack, apart from that mcnamara has done no different to other past england coaches in keeping faith with the same players that have failed in the past!

This. Too many old heads who have never done it on the test stage in the past. The Cockayne inclusion just seems like the Mark Calderwood fiasco all over again. He is in form, but sorry he's no test player. Don't know what Danny Brough has to do to get in the England squad.

Cockayne is rugby league's less intelligent equivalent of Joey Barton. But I do try not to let that influence my opinion of his playing ability

pot kettle black-chase!

Zing!

You mean the same Calderwood who got left out to dry and covered the other England winger (Gardner) on numerous occasions when out of position. Hardly think Calders did that bad considering how shiote we were.(World cup 200icon_cool.gif

Like I said, I try not to let it cloud my judgement of his playing ability. When Cockayne wins man of steel I might over look his indiscretions. (Owen would have been a better shout as he likes to beat up Santa.)

Don't know what Darrell Goulding has to do to make the squad. He's as good as any centres named in the squad. Surprised Atkins wasn't named as well.

Wasn't Atkins recalled at some point last year only to pull out again?

The threequarters look better than they have for some time (although I hope Reed doesn't slow down any more or else the only place you'd pick him is the second row), and Tomkins provides real ammunition going forward.

We still look miles away from having a decent halfback combination though. Sinfield is picked because of his kicking and the fact that he does at least hold the shape of the team together in attack - which having seen some GB/England 'efforts' is no mean thing. But we do look very weak compared to both Australia and NZ.

I'm also not that convinced about our pack either, particularly as a group. Without Burgess and Graham we'd look very ordinary up front.

Hock never turned his nose up at cockayne

Don't know if anyone watched Back chat last night but thought Danny Lockwood made some excellent points in that we look like a team that just wants to complete their set of 6.

Danny Lockwood talking bollox as per...

www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/ma ... ieldgiants looks like Brough is back to playing for Scotland

www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/ma ... ieldgiants looks like Brough is back to playing for Scotland

Lets have a look at the semi final line up from the '08 WC vs a Probable '13 line up

[u2008 WCSF[/u.......Vs..........[uLikely '13 Team[/u
1. Wellens.......... Vs..........1. Tomkins
2. Gardner..........Vs.........2. Charnley
3. Gleeson........ .Vs.........3. Watkins
4. Senior.............Vs.........4. Reed
5. Calderwood.....Vs.........5. Hall

6. McGuire....... ..Vs.........6. Sinfield
7. Burrow.......... Vs.........7. Chase

8. Graham..........Vs.........8. Crabtree
9. Roby............. Vs.........9. Roby
10. Peacock.......Vs........10. Graham
11. Westwood... Vs........11. Westwood
12. Ellis............. Vs........12. Ellis
13. Purdham.......Vs........13. Burgess

14. Pryce......... Vs........14. Burrow
15. Morley...... ...Vs.......15. Morley
16. Higham.........Vs.......16. Hill
17. Wilkin...........Vs........17. Hock

Personally, I think this team would beat the '08 version quite comfortably. The 3/4 line looks much more dangerous and the current 6/7 combo offers more direction than McGuire/Burrow did at the time. The bench is where we are much stronger though. I think that team can compete. It probably wont win anything, but it isn't as bad as what a lot of you are making out. Add to that the 18-23 compared to the rest of the '08 squad and it looks like we have massively improved in the "player pool"

But you seem to be forgetting that the WC campaign in 2008 we only managed to win 1 game against PNG (and were lucky in some ways to win that) and was beaten twice by NZ and mauled by Australia

Going on the Aussie and NZ teams that played last year alone (not taking into account players who missed out and will possibly feature in World Cup):

1. Tomkins...Slater...Hoffman
2. Charnley...Boyd...Perrett
3. Watkins...Inglis...Kenny-Dowell
4. Reed...J Morris...Mannering
5. Hall...B Morris...Beale

6. Sinfield...Thurston...Marshall
7. Chase...Cronk...Johnson

8. Crabtree...Scott...Matulino
9. Roby...Smith...Luke
10. Graham...Tamou...McKendry
11. Westwood...Gallen...Blair
12. Ellis...Thaiday...Pritchard
13. Burgess...Bird...Smith

14. Burrow...Farah...Fien
15. Morley...Myles...Eastwood
16. Hill...Shillington...Bromwich
17. Hock...Williams...Warea-Hargreaves

On that, you possibly have Hall & Graham that would have a chance of making Australia and NZ squads, Tomkins, Watkins, Roby & Burgess possibly making it into one of the two (NZ mainly) and rest wouldnt get anywhere near the other 2 squads with the quality they have (as well as a number of players who will also come into the reckoning for a squad place).

Basically, we are still streets behind Australia and NZ with the squad picked imo and (as much as I would love to be wrong) cant see that team mounting a serious challenge to win the World Cup