I thought there was something in place that prevented them from doing that?

To be fair to Ryan Hall, he’s the top metre maker in the whole of Super League.

And while Chris Hill maybe didn’t deserve a squad place after an average season last year for Wire. He was good in the WC IMO.

But I do agree. I don’t like Bennett as England coach. I just don’t think he’s invested enough in the job to be deserving enough or detailed enough in the job.

I too think that Hodgson is just an okay player. I think the way he takes a step out of dummy half then passes really slows the run of the props down, he reduces the impact of their run. I think Clark has been magnificent this season for Wire, our best player IMO. Roby was good for England and has been top for Saints

the atlantic ocean?

I'm not sure how anyone can say that Chris Hill is not worth his place. He's been outstanding for the Wire this season. He's 2nd in metres made by a forward and he's made over 100 more tackles than the leading forward (Luke Thompson).

Try telling George Burgess that.

It amazes me when posters say that Ryan Hall is finished and that he should be nowhere near an England shirt
Before picking the winger to replace him

IMO He's probably been England's most consistent player for god knows how long and still delivers against Australia and NZ irrespective of how many tries he has scored for the Rhinos

Ryan Hall's selection is probably the first name on the squad sheet other than George Williams

In an ideal world the England team would be picked almost entirely on form, the problem with that in my opinion is that Super League in general doesn't provide adequate preparation for playing against NZ and Aus, or indeed any international team full of NRL 1st graders.

Take Richardson for example, he is playing in a very good St Helens side with genuine world class players who are frequently dominating their opponents in a poor league (compared with the NRL and SL of the past). He is playing very well but that doesn't mean he is going to go and do the same in an England shirt.

Two case studies which spring to mind are Hardaker in the 2015 series against NZ and Gale in the WC last year. In 2015 Hardaker was Man of Steel and was superb in the Super League. During that series he was almost entirely ineffectual in attack, of course the half backs and the rest of the team bear some responsibility for that but I remember thinking at the time that Dean Whare and Jordan Kahu just handled him easily and shut him down when England were attacking. He was coming up against two more defensively adept centres than he was used to when playing in Super League, and he didn't have an answer to that.

Similarly with Gale last year, he was easily the best half in Super League throughout the season, but playing in an England team who didn't and couldn't play the same way Castleford play, combined with facing much better defenders than he was used to in Super League, he wasn't effective.

I think Richardson, Gale and Hardaker all had the potential to be quality international players, but it's a tough ask when the things that work for you week in week out in the domestic game don't work at international level.

I've no problem with them leaving Richardson out this time, there is a danger of damaging a young player's confidence throwing him in now. If he continues as he has started and plays well when it really matters in the play offs, then he deserves a chance for the series in Autumn. FWIW I don't think Williams is anywhere near an international player but I suppose there aren't many other options

Don’t understand why he’s picked three wingers and two fullbacks in the 17? Could play Ratchford at centre I guess, but can’t see that working out that well.

I think the line-up is going to be:

Ratchford
Jermaine
Connor
Percival
Hall
Lomax
Widdop
Burgess, S
Roby
Graham
Whitehead
Bateman
O'Loughlin

Taylor
Hill
Burgess, T
Makinson

Sam Burgess to move to 13 at some point to spell SOL

Might be a sticking point, yes!