I agree in what you are saying regarding the centres, but we also need pace and power to challenge the back line of Aus/NZ. Craft and guile will come (hopefully) from the halves and Sam to generate room for the outside backs. To me, Atkins and Watkins have the attributes to get us over the line. Maybe they aren't the best passers of a ball, but regarding Atkins, you can't deny him something, with an avarage winger in Riley posting figures like he has in the past three years, outside of him. And he scores some himself.

Getting around Hodges is easier said than done, but if anyone is going to it from left centre, I'd back Atkins. Cudjoe is coming of age, but lacks a bit of killer instinct for me, Reed is too slow and not a real threat.

Anyway, it's a great debate to have, rather than the old 'shoe-in' Gleeson and Senior selections. We are getting better, and getting closer. I personally can not wait for the WC. My seat for Cardiff is booked, and my England jersey ironed and hung up ready! Bring on the Aussies!

On what you say about Sam Burgess and Ellis not being bench players.

This is the England team, we have
Westwood, who is a 70+min man, somebody has to go on the bench!

You are not going to find many players (George burgess is the exception) that don't start games and play most of the mins if they are getting in the England squad!

These games are not club games, they will be played at a much higher level than normal club games (even for burgess). You often find players in origin playing different mins than a club game.

So just because a player starts and plays most of the mins for his club is not a reason to do the same in the WC.

You really think the Aussies will not put players on the bench because they start and play most of the game for their clubs?

1 Tomkins
2. Charnley
3. Cudjoe
4. Watkins
5. Hall
6. Widdop
7. Brough
8. Graham
9. Roby
10. Hill/Mossop
11. Ellis
12 Westwood
13. Burgess
14. Burrow
15.Crabtree
16. George Burgess
17. Hock

Doubt it will look like that and we will see one or two of the old brigade (Mcguire/JJB/Wilkin etc)

I wasn't sure whether Cudjoe would be good enough for England but he has really kicked on this year.

I'd risk Hock, yes be gives penalties away but he is one player who the Aussies would genuinely dear defending against.

Westwood and Ellis obviously need to find form but hopefully they will come the end of the year.

Our backs look very exciting but we have got to get the ball out to them.

McGuire is the same age as Brough, and Wilkin is the same age as Hock, and JJB is younger than Ellis and Westwood.

I agree with most of that team though except I'd have Sinfield and Brough in the halves.

nice to see cudjoe finally getting some recognition and in peoples teams

watch this lad week in week out and performs every time, his greatest asset is actually his defence, very rare he gets beat on that score

Depending on how much time I got with the team,

Tomkins,
Hall
Watkins
Reed
Charnley/Briscoe
Sinfield
Widdop
Graham
Roby
Hill
Westwood
Ellis
Burgess

Burrow
Burgess
Crabtree
Farrell

If I had plenty of time with the Id swap out Charnley/Briscoe for Hardaker, So that we could work with Tomkins running the kicks back from deep kicks, Hardaker to offer another choice for taking them in traffic. It would also give us opportunity, if we wanted to swap around Hardaker, Widdop and Tomkins to move Tomkins in to the halves to get him more involved in the game.

It would mean we could look at playing for a 10-15 minute period with Burrow and Roby running the game from Dummy Half, Sinfield directing the play from Half-back, with both Tomkins and Widdop as the runners and Hardaker as an extra man. If we could get the set plays to take advantage of that speed and creativity we really could have a field day in attack. Defensively obviously you wouldn’t want to defend with all those on for 80 mins, but for a spell we should certainly be capable. Sinfield and Roby are pretty good defenders and we have a big strong pack

Mine is just like many on here. Hard to leave ut good players that are startere every week for their sides.

1. Tomkins
2. Charnley
3. Cudjoe
4. Watkins
5. Hall

6.Sinfield
7. Brough

8.Graham
9.Roby
10. George B
11. Farrell
12. Sam B
13. O'Loughlin

14.Burrow
15.Hill/Mossop/Crabtree
16. Westwood/Hock
17.Mossop/Hill/Crabtree

I'd love to see George B get the start alongside Jammer, he knows what it is like to run out against the Aussies and take the game to them and that front row could be destructive. Im actually quite gutted that Peacock has retired as I thought he could get a possible call up but very good replacements in Hill and Crabtree. Aggression is whats needed against Australia and both can bring that if they have to.
Sinfield isnt the most agile or quick player but he does have great hands and a great temperament which is needed. Brough can do all the fancy stuff at half-back but the kicking game of Sinfield is invaluable considering the quality of theirs.
Centres i have to go with the ever impressing Cudjoe. Reed will get picked if his form picks up but at the moment id find it tough to start him. Percieved NRL being better will probably get him a place.
Ellis misses out for me but if he like many others picks up later in the year expect Hock to swiftly fall from the pecking order. I'd find it tough to deny Farrell the start alongside arguably the best player in his position in the world right now Sam Burgess.
How anyone cannot pick Roby is incredible to me. I'd go with Burrow on the bench as he is a 7 or 9. Providing options to move Sinfield to 13, Brough to 6 and Burrow to 7 is a great edge. Honourable mention to Shaun Lunt.
Tomkins,Charnley, Watkins, Hall are nailed on for mine. And that is exciting.

WHY NOT US THIS YEAR!

Pretty much spot on starting 13 for me.

Personally, I'd go with the following. Obviously this would never happen as I've left Sinfield out but I just feel that the two halves I have named are better halfbacks than Sinfield is.


Tomkins
Charnley/Hardaker
Watkins
Cudjoe
Hall
Widdop
Brough
Graham
Roby
Crabtree
Ellis
Westwood
S. Burgess

Burrow
G. Burgess
Hill
Farrell/O'Loughlin

Those of you seriously suggesting that Sinfield should play in the HB positions clearly don't want us to get to the final or win the world cup.

He is a loose forward, we have enough depth for each position so play him in his correct position.

There are at least two loose forwards who I put ahead of him (S Burgess and O'loughlin) so he should be dropped from the squad.

Just because he is England captain doesn't mean we should just shove him in anywhere. If we want to win this we have to play our best squad!!

1. Tomkins
2. Charnley
3. Watkins
4. Cudjoe
5. Hall
6. Sinfield
7. Widdop
8. Graham
9. Roby
10. Crabtree
11. Farrell
12. S Burgess
13. O'Loughlin

14. Burrow
15. G Burgess
16. Hill
17. Westwood

18. Brough/Myler
19. McIlorum
20. Mossop
21. Hardaker
22. Ellis
23. Ward
24. Ratchford

It's been a long time since England/GB could boast such a fast and powerful 1-5 as that

i think we have got the strongest selection issues we have had in a long time going to see how many teams i can create leaving out interchange as can be created anyway

t1
tomkins
hall
reed
cudjoe
briscoe
sinfield
widdop
hill
roby
g burgess
s burgess
westwood
ellis

t2
ratchford
charnley
watkins
atkins
lynham
brough
myler
carvell
lunt
graham
hock
farrell
harrison

t3
lomax
riley
ablett
hardaker
r evans
widdop
chase
morley
houghton
l burgess
jjb
wilkin
o'loughlin

think 3 different teams but name the last time anyone could put 3 decent english teams together

1. Tomkins
2. Briscoe
3. Watkins
4. cudjoe
5. Hall
6. Widdop
7. Sinfield
8. Graham
9. Roby
10. Peacock (Out of retirement)
11. Westwood
12. Ellis
13. S Burgess

14. Burrow
15. G Burgess
16. Hill
17. Farrell

Tomkins
Charnley
Cudjoe
Watkins
Hall
Widdop
Brough
Graham
Roby
Crabtree
Farrell
S Burgess
O'Loughlin

Burrow
G Burgess
Hill
Westwood

Not many picking chase but you can bet he will be our starting 7 again come october.wouldnt be surprised to see the usuals in wilkin jjb and morley in the 17 despite us seeming to have plenty of better and fresher options.it will be a shame.

If Ellis is fit and in-form he'll be there, and so he should be. He might not break the line very often, but he makes yards with good angles, plays long minutes, and more importantly we need some of our mobile forwards to be able to assist the outside backs in defence. Make no mistake if our threequarters are isolated against their opposite numbers they'll get fried.

On the bench I wouldn't pick Burrow. I just can't see his 'scoots' doing much good against Australia. If we go with a smaller player I'd rather have Hardaker as cover for 1-5 (or with a view to purposely moving Tomkins up to 6/7).

I'd go with 4 forwards personally. Use the depth we have there to our advantage.

Might be a good idea. From My club, lomax may also be a decent shout - covering the back positions and can also slot in at hooker or 13. That's assuming he gets himself fit again.

Regarding the Burrow section. I seem to remember Luke Robinson scoring against the Aussies with a scoot in 2010, and Robinson (with respect) is not Rob Burrow. He could trouble the big men through the middle, Matt Scott, James Tamou etc are not exactly lightweight and nimble. I would prefer Lunt personally, I think he is a better all round player but Burrow could change the game.

TBH I'd never taken much note of Lunt before last year, but he was excellent at the end of the year and in the GF. His pass for Ablett's try was exactly the kind of unspectacular but quality play we'll need to trouble Australia.

I have no problem with an in-form Lomax on the bench either BTW. What I don't think we have is a game-breaking back, but we may have a couple of forwards who can play short but effective minutes in Hock and George Burgess.

You may be right, but I still worry about giving up weight against the Aussies.
What about Daryl Clarke?

Clark has got a bit of growing up to do yet. Still to naive in defence for the Aussies. He will be a big player in a few years though.

If Burrow was to play, I'm sure he will defend one in from the sideline and Sinfield will move in as is with Leeds.

Fair enough. I've only seen him in glimpses.

Whilst that's ok for burrow, it still means lighter guys are getting pushed inwards. If burrow defends the centre, a half has to defend the second row and the centre inside him again. Its still leaving us lighter than we could be.

But you would be spelling Burrow with Roby, who is very strong defender, and have him playing in a very big pack (as strange as it sounds that Burrow is actually a forward)

Maybe this is just my opinion but,
Do you all actually watch nrl/melbourne matches regularly this season?
Pretty much everyone has put Widdop in without question, despite the fact he has not really had a good season, I know the Melbourne fans aren't happy with him and many are shouting for him to be dropped for Finch (though this may have something to do with the fact they are annoyed he is leaving for the dragons)
Personally I think Widdop is better suited at fullback or in the centres.
I realise that we don't really have that many 'better' options but I'd say Brough is certainly much more deserving of a spot at the moment over Widdop.