Nobody unless they decide they’ve had enough. I think you pick the side on form and if someone is in form and playing well enough age doesn’t come into it.



Depends who is in form. I’d like to see Steve Ward in the side as he could be a fixture in sides to come. Mark Percival needs to be given a chance in the left centre position.



No to wholesale changes – that would be daft given that we were within inches of winning. However there are some good players about that didn’t make it. If they regain form then they should be in with a shout.



McGillvary went very well indeed. He’s always been a handful but he proved himself at the highest level. Whitehead showed himself as top class too. They both performed better than I expected. I was a little disappointed with Josh Hodgson who had a mixed tournament IMO.



Depends on form. Would like to see Darryl Clark get back to form. Maybe Steve Ward. Mark Percival or maybe Oliver Gildart.




Tomkins just prior to his NRL stint would walk into the side. The Tomkins of 2018 I’m less sure. He’s got great hands and can see him improving us in attack but I wouldn’t have him near the fullback position. He was exposed there. Maybe as a stand off but his defence is a bit shaky.



Agreed there. People seem to want to chuck the baby out with the bathwater – see Schofield’s column in the League Express. We just need better decision making at halfback and a better left centre than Bateman. We’re not far off.

I don't think anybody doesn't see the improvement in defence but it has to be weighted against the attack which has become worst under him. You can't praise him for defence and absolve him of blame for the attack. His hands weren't tied in picking Brown who hasn't in any way merited selection over the two years Bennett has been coach. Apart from Watkins' chance when he was ankle tapped I never thought we truly looked like scoring and never saw anything earlier in the tournament to suggest we had enough points in us. Whilst defence is of massive importance it's redundant if you can't get over the line. Trying to play with 12 men in attack given Hall was a passenger outside Bateman is down to the coach.

I think you're right but going a bit overboard. We were after all playing versus by far the best side in the comp so attacking chances weren't going to come along often. Australia looked more fluent but only scored one try remember and that's with the best halfback and hooker in the world. I'm hoping that 2018 will see the emergence of Gildart, Percival or maybe even Sutcliffe as genuine test centre candidates.

I'd like to see us build on what we have. I think we will improve in attack, we just could do with another stand off. I think Gale kicked long very well but lacked composure near the line. Widdop looked good down the right.

I think the spotlight falls on Williams to improve and develop his game management and passing game. He could be the answer at 6. Looking elsewhere there are some very young halfbacks that are promising but they need to nail down a SL place first.

will be a two year ban like chase

I wouldn't have Hardaker for England now. We need committed players, he's had too many chances.

Lots of rebuilding to be done between now and the next world cup. I reckon:

OUT IN

1 Widdop - Lomax
2 McGillvary - Manfredi
3 Watkins
4 Bateman - Percival
5 Hall - Eden
6 Brown - Williams
7 Gale - Sneyd
8 Graham - Walmsley
9 Hodgson
10 Hill - S.Burgess
11 Whitehead - Currie
12 S.Burgess - Bateman
13 O'Loughlin - Ward

14 T.Burgess
15 Roby - Clark
16 Walmsley - Taylor
17 Heighington - Farrell

Mind, that would still probably be a bit of a dad's army by 2021. It will be interesting to see who comes through to replace our outgoing top players.

Lomax is not up to it at International level, Eden also isn't International class. The players that need to be looked at for England are Jack Walker, Tom Johnstone, Dom Manfredi, Gildart, Sutcliffe, Shaul, Sneyd, Ward, Savelio (if he improves in the NRL), Watts.

There is some good talent there that needs to be looked at

Jack Walker, Danny Richardson, Jake Trueman, Mikolaj Oledzki, James Bentley, Kruise Leeming all have potential from what I've seen.

Id like to see wholesale changes to both coaching and playing staff. Give the head coach spot to McDermott and have Powell, Radford, and Chester as assistants. Totally strip the current squad apart and start again. Pick young upcoming talents (under 23) and have a large squad. Spend the next 4 years building and developing this new squad, getting them fully prepared for the next world cup and the one beyond that. International rugby needs to become the pinnacle of our sport, the current setup is too short-termist

Oh, ok. What's the point in the Great Britain tour then? It's just a name change for no reason.

He's not played in over a year after Rangi Chase destroyed his knee & there's rumours he could have to retire.



Tom Davies though, he's got the potential IMO.

It's impossible to say what'll happen in four years time or who will have come through but they will need to look at the process from next year onwards. The one thing we can't afford is to lose all of our momentum from this World Cup by the likes of Graham, Roby, Lockers, Hall etc all calling it quits in one go.

I think the time is right for O'Loughlin to give it up but I really hope Graham, Roby and Hall keep going for a while yet. I'm not sure Hall will see the next World Cup as pace is so important out on the wing and he is lacking half a yard nowadays but I'd give Roby and Graham half a shot. They'd both have just turned 36 and they only need to look at guys like Jamie Peacock and now Paul Gallen to see that you can still make a real impact at that age. Either way we need them for a couple of years yet.

As for the future new lads will emerge. We need guys like Bateman, Currie, Walmsley and Whitehead to step up their influence as the years go by and help ease us through the period when the end comes for Graham, Lockers and co. It'll be interesting to see how promising young players like Jack Walker, Oliver Gildart, Tom Davies, Tom Johnstone, Danny Walker, Luke Thompson, Stevie Ward etc can develop.

All in all I think we're in a good spot.

It's a crying shame the struggles Dom Manfredi is going through. He could've pressed Hall very hard for his spot had it not been for the terrible injury problems he's suffered. He has that size and strength needed for internationals but is quicker then either of our current wingers. It's ironic really that without his injury in 2016, we may not have seen McGillvary in an England shirt. I'm pretty sure he'd have started last years Four Nations ahead of him in the pecking order after his extraordinary form up until his injury.

As things stand him ever playing the game again would be a triumph so to see him get back to that level may be a bridge too far.

Seems to be. I wouldn't ascribe to much logic or deep thought to the RFL's decisions.

Seriously, can you think of any of the Celtic players who would get into a first choice 17 over the English players?

One player that seems to have gone under the radar is Joe Greenwood. I think he'll be thereabouts in the next few seasons.

No, I can't. But I assumed that the decision to play as Great Britain was in order to create the possibility of that happening. If, as you say, we can basically do the same as England cricket and include those players anyway, there's not really any need to not play as England.

It seems like muddled thinking to bring GB back for one year and then have them disappear again for who knows how long.

I believe that the phrase "Muddled Thinking" is carved above the doorways at the RFL.

We need more players to come through every year. That's basically the difference between us and Australia. Thurston and Cronk retire and Morgan is already ready and Munster not far off, with the likes of Ivan Cleary not far behind. Ditto when Slater quits there are already 4 or 5 better options than the best English full back.

Twas ever thus.