Thanks for highlighting that I didn’t say I wouldn’t consider him and just reading what you want to read. If any set of fans are dismissive of other wing candidates for England it’s Wakey fans

Here we go, pouting your anti Wakey bias - if he were a Leeds player you’d be demanding the inclusion of SLs most exciting player - ever crossed your mind that these wingers you so love don’t actually work and that the Aussies can deal with them all day long - grow up and open your eyes.

I understand where your coming from here but the stats don’t lie. Johnstone is top try scorer, top of clean breaks, high in tackle busts, has a good metre stat and has a higher avg gain in metres per carry than Hall and macgillivray this year. He does make good fast yardage and eats metres with players on him but crucially what he does do mostly is land on his front for a quick pob.

So I do see where your coming from but Tom has more to his game than just scoring, clean breaks and speed. Just wanted to highlight that.

So you think Hall and McGillivary don’t work at International level and the Aussies have dealt with them easily? Pretty much most agreed our best area in the World Cup were our wingers.

Still ignore what Hall has done consistently for a decade at international level and in GF’s, CCF’s, WCC’s and Semi Finals and has lead to an NRL club signing him even post aged 30......because Johnstone scored a hatrtick against a Catalans team going through the moments post CC Final.

People are comparing Johnstones defence with that of wingers who play for teams who are better overall defensively than Wakey. He is going to look worse because he is more exposed. If he played for Wigan, Saints or Cas he wouldn’t have as many situations to deal with and there wouldn’t be this questioning of his defence.

His defence isn’t as bad as made out but his other attributes far outweigh any perceived weaknesses in that regard.

I am biased as a wakey fan but I would say he is the most complete winger knocking about in SL at present. There are others who are on a par or possibly slightly better in certain areas but none who are as good over all of the skills required of a winger imo

I think we should try navigate around your BS and cut straight to the chase, lets take "consider" out of the equation and go to "play" or "not play", then there can be no fog knitting and semantic rubbish muddying the waters.
Atm, it looks like not play, the reasons for that are detailed in your typo, but who knows.

Please see my post above. Proved by stats. Nobody is doubting what Hall has done and he is great winger who’s been good for England.

If you want to avoid fog knitting then admit, I didn’t say I wouldn’t consider him. I think he was worth considering end of 2016, 2017 was a write off for injury. 2018 probably worth the other wing spot because of Hall’s absence. If Hall wasn’t injured I’d go with Hall over him simply because he is the proven player.

What is the biggest game Johnstone has played in and excelled?

Fair play to your previous post which was a very good argument. My reply to the other poster was giving Johnstone the level of respect that that poster gave Hall and McGillivary who he clearly dismissed their international performances.

This. Johnstone looks flashy with ball in hand and space, like so many others before him (Greg Eden comes to mind!) Maybe people are forgetting that McGillvary was in with a shot of player of the tournament in the last world cup, from a field of only three candidates internationally... and Hall has consistently been class for the last ten years.

When and only when one of these two fall from grace should anyone else be considered. Really, winger is the ONLY position we were world class in at the last tournament and people are trying to line up replacements. Laughable

I won’t get involved in that one. I can’t see anyone doubting the good job both Hall and macgillivray have done. Undoubtably good players and done a great service for England. Johnstone is part of the next crop coming through and I hope he can achieve as much on the international scene as hall who in sure Tom will both habe respect for and the enthusiasm to continue a strong left wing position should he get the chance.

Thanks for replying btw. Good to have a discussion. It’s what these are for afterall.

I think one of the problems is lack of fixtures in international. You play so few can you really drop proven players for potentially good but unproven players against Oz and NZ in WC and 4N games. Not like football we’re you have so many games to try different players.

If he gets his shot this Autumn then realistically he’s not had to wait that long for an international shot especially factoring in his 2017 injury ruling him out of that year.

Why should a player be judged on how many trophies a TEAM wins, or one that has proved he can outperform the other wingers in the Comp playing for a 5th placed team That surely is how an individual is judged not a team. it's not as if he's playing for Widnes at the bottom of the league is it.
Moving from Trinity to Saints or Wigan isn't even necessarily going to make him a better player at all, could have the opposite effect & he may not fit in at either club as we've seen with other players.
Like the point I originally made, which is quite bloody obvious, it's one of the reasons we have guys from England playing there. A move to the NRL and the better coaching and the week in week out standard of the sides would see him against the best and potentially make him a better player. Hard to understand, isn't it.



A typical fruity little anti-Wakey response that doesn't know their a-hole from their elbow.

As far as England selection Hall and McGillvery are the 2 wingers at present and I've no problem with that. Hall, in particular, seems to excel for England even when his Leeds performances haven't. If Hall is out imo Johnstone is the next cab off the rank and ateotd we should be blooding the next generation in at some point whether that's Johnstone or not

Because playing in the biggest games like GF’s and CCF’s and SF’s are massive experiences that shouldn’t be dismissed when you’re facing the likes of Australia and New Zealand.

But the point is it's not the be all and end all, otherwise, we'd have players from just 4/5 clubs playing from SL for England at any one time. Obviously, it would be good to see him in a GF but conversely, players sometimes get picked just for that, because they play in a winning SL team and the team can make them look good. Not necessarily because they're the best player in England in that position.

Seriously I'm not sure why people are getting bent out of shape on this. If you watch the lad play, you can see how good he is and especially how much his defense has improved since he burst onto the scene. He doesn't have to be in the Grand final to show that, does he. It's also not as if Trinity hasn't been playing near the top of the table the past couple of years in good close games against the top teams at the time.
Do you see him not performing say if Trinity makes the top 4, like they were so close to last year, and get a Semifinal or dare I say it a Final because I don't? He tends to excel against the better teams rather than disappear.

ATEOTD I'm not calling for any changes, just acknowledging like yourself the lad has a very good chance if fit.

No one is getting bent out of shape just providing a proper counter argument. Not actually dismissing his claims to be picked for England but it’s not like the other wingers don’t have really strong cases too.

Playing in the biggest games isn’t the be all and end all BUT at the same time it does provide huge experience. If Wakey made the Cup Final and their was a 50/50 choice in one position between an experienced player and a rookie would you dismiss the experience factor?

He had one year where he really could come in contention to be picked in 2016 and it was hardly harsh to be left out to the likes of Hall and McGillivary especially at the age of 21 then, how many play at England at that age? Even if he plays this Autumn he’s younger than a lot of players who get their first cap for England.

The getting bent out of shape comment is more to do with the y comments & rhetoric of, he's got to play for a top team, that's been trotted out not just in this thread but anytime his name comes up.

Also, I'm not generally arguing with what you say, am I. I acknowledge he's behind the current duo and should be in the running when the time comes if fit as you agree with, that's really it. I just argue that being in a GF etc shouldn't stop a good player getting picked because of the team he plays for, it may add to his experience and CV though. Like I've also said, players have been picked wrongly over the years because of just that, because of the team they represent.

Tbh I don't think he was quite ready in 2016, his defence, although sometimes it's down to the centre why you can look daft, wasn't on par with his attack, especially for international level. Not that surprising though seeing as he's just made the breakthrough to play pro RL. but it's vastly improved imo since then

Anyway, if he gets picked it'll be because Wayne Bennett thinks he's good enough and that's good enough for me. If he doesn't that's also good enough and he'll have to bide his time.

I do apologise. I made the fundamental error of replying to the original post: [iThe best winger England have had for 18 months and still no England Cap.[/i

Clearly its easier to catch the eye if you're playing in Cup finals etc. However, wingers like the great Dessie Drummond played international RL while at perpetual mid-tablers Leigh.

Drummond won the First Division Championship early in his career with Leigh (1981 IIRC), from then he was picked for GB.

Correct Matty.

McGilvary's team is hardly one of the glamour ones. Johnstone'll be picked if he's deemed good enough.

Correct. Greg 'Rolling Thunder' Eden it is.

Come on, Johnstone could get past him in a phone box, without Eden laying a finger on him.
Eden is ok and scored plenty last season but, just as Solomona and Carney showed, playing on the left wing at Cas give you plenty of chances and now that he's playing elsewhere, Carney is no longer ripping it up.

You're on drugs man. Cement Eden would knock Johnstone & the phone box into next week. Then pull his bird.

You are correct on one thing though. If Johnstone got the service Cas's left wingers get he would score twice as many. I've said before, rarely does he seem to get quality ball from his centre. It's usually from scraps he picks up, a kick or speculative long ball.

A poor man's James Clare.