For me Brown is the best English half back in SL. The guy oozes class and the question should be who pairs him. He is a play maker who seems to be a second ahead of everyone. For me he needs a diminutive so next to him, Mellor has to be in with a shout. But I also Like Gale, who has an x factor about him. Widopp is done and has been sussed out. He shovels to much and offers nothing in attack. Flip side of all this is that Matty Smith looked really good against the kiwis. Mr Bennett, over to you

[iGood, fair post there Stan, you're quite right, who partners Brown. For me Mellor is the only half that won't wrangle Brown's game. Gale, Brough, Smith, all like to boss which would hinder Brown, I also agree Widdop's gone.[/i

Agreed, we have tried putting two leading half backs together and it failed. We need someone to compliment Brown. He is the man and am a bit dissappointed he's never been given a shot before. Always pick intelligent players who can pick a pass and knows a team's strength

He was given a shot before, when he was with us, our then coach, Nathan Brown said at the time that Brown and Robinson would be England's half back pairing- that didn't work out!

jon sharp signed them both and said brown and robbo would be englands half backs and he was right! albeit for one game

[urlhttp://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/12196/2709753/giants-move-for-robinson[/url

This idea of a leading halfback in itself is a bit dated. Thurston and Cronk are both leading halfbacks, should Australia not pick Cronk because he can organise too? The best halfbacks are all leading halfbacks, that's why they lead.



Here was Australia's team from the 2015 Anzac Test:
Greg Inglis (Souths)
Josh Dugan (St George)
Will Chambers (Melbourne)
Michael Jennings (Roosters)
Alex Johnston (Souths)
Johnathan Thurston (Cowboys)
Cooper Cronk (Melbourne)
Matt Scott (Cowboys)
Cameron Smith (Melbourne)
Aaron Woods (Wests)
Greg Bird (Titans)
Sam Thaiday (Broncos)
Corey Parker (Broncos)

The only real club combination here is Smith and Cronk together at Melbourne. You might argue Thaiday and Parker but Thaiday plays on the right edge and Parker plays in the middle, is that really a combination? Of course you're going to have more combinations if you look at NSW and QLD combinations, because they're the only two teams Australia players could possibly play for at that level.

Widdopp needs to improve drastically IMO. Yesterday he again showed the same issues as last year, creating zero over 80 minutes.

The best British halfback in the NRL this week was Josh Hodgson. Kicked one of the best 40/20s you'll see.

Josh Hodgson is one of the best hookers in the NRL now. Widdop got better a 2015 went on for the Dragons and I wouldn't write him off. Obviously I'd love to see Brown given a go but players like him and Brough are not going to be around at their high level for much longer. I'm not even sure if Brown can maintain this form to the 2017 RLWC. You can pick a squad of players to hopefully win this year's 4 Nations, but I thought England were all about longer term thinking....then along came Wayne Bennett. My head hurts.

maybe one step away

I'd say the opposite about Widdopp last year - started off well and tailed off badly in the big games at the end of the year.

The Brown/Mellor/Farrell combination just now was excellent!!!!

How good is Matty Smith?

Had a good game vs the Kiwis last November but not good enough to lead England to a tournament win imo.

Not good enough to lead Wigan, let alone England.

this

Yet Smith performance vs NZ @ Wigan was the better of any English HB efforts throughout the series. Smith has his weaknesses but has always been a steady performer for England. Admittedly I'd have gone with Gale last Autumn and said Smith was done after his Grand Final howler. I'll leave it in the hands of Mr Bennett.

England's scrum halves should be between Richard Myler, Lucas Gale, and Daniel McGuire. All three are talented and have performed well in 2016.

England's stand off/five eighth should be between Kevin Brown, Gareth Widdop, and Samuel Tomkins. (I am assuming that Zachary Hardaker is the first choice full back for England).

Personally I would like to see a Gale-Tomkins combination, a Myler-Tomkins or a McGuire-Tomkins combination.

Of those three scrum halves Lucas Gale has an advantage. He is a very good player with a good field kicking game, and, very important, goal kicking talent. Samuel Tomkins is a very elusive attacking player. Because Tomkins is not a goal kicker, if you chose Tomkins then you would need a goal kicking scrum half. Gale is the only candidate. Those two would add a great spark to the England attack.

One thing is for sure: Matthew Smith is yesterday's man, and Gareth Widdop, unless his form improves, is heading in Smith's direction.

Who the heck is Lucas Gale?

Why the full names, are you their mum?

Some of the less fashionable clubs have got off to a flier with some of theirs halves showing some real form. Hopefully the new coach will see past the usual suspects from saints, Leeds, Wigan etc & them a chance.

in all of my 25 years watching the game, that hasn't happened, apart from maybe once in 2010 when Huddersfield had something like 6 guys called up.
as i said previously i can't see what Widdop offers any more than any other decent half back over here.
we have had some good half backs over the years but they have never been used, possibly due to their clubs colours, Briers, a perfect example, recognised as one of the best half backs of his era and yet he never got a call up for GB as far as i can remember, at a time when we were shoehorning wingers/loose forwards/props etc from Wigan,Leeds,Bradford and saints into the side!

Not at the moment

Who's the form English FB then? Matty Russell is Scottish isn't he?

Maybe Josh Hodgson will get a go at 6?

Jordan Tansey

Or Elliot Whitehead?