There are players in SL who have been playing well aslo, lets see what they can do, otherwise whats the point of having quotas, which were intended to improve us at international level.

Some excellent options in England's 3/4 line for the first time since maybe 03 / 04.

Excellent is a bit over the top none of our backs are as good as their Aus/NZ counterparts.

An English player playing well in the NRL is worth a place over an English player playing well in Super League in the same position. Reed is the best English centre just as Widdop is the best Stand Off and Ellis the best second rower.



Tomkins is better than Hohaia

He's committed which is what i'm glad of. What my fripe was it looked like it was going to be a case of us having to name him in our squad to make sure he's English, rather than him committing himself. But fair play to the lad he's committed to England.

I hope Mcnamara doesn't become obsessed with choosing players just because they play in the NRL. They were talks of Mark Flannagan last year just because he did OK. There are some poor players in the NRL as well. We're not talking the same differnce as say SL and the Championship.

Having watched a lot of Brisbane games this year I can't say I'm over impressed by him, he's solid and thats about it.

I fail to see how we can overlook Yeaman after the season he's had, stats say he's the best defensive centre available to us, scored lots of tries, forms a dangerous club partnership with the best winger in our game (Briscoe) and selected in the dream team.

The last time he played internationaly he was very good against arguably the best centre in the world at the time, only injury and poor selection policies have robbed him of more caps.

I would'nt even consider Jack Reed ahead of Yeaman.

Is this list supposed to disprove roughyedspud’s point that there is a worrying lack of Australian talent coming through in the three quarters?

Matt Cooper is a quality player but he is 32 years old and has managed to acquire 7 caps for Australia in the last 7 years – if this was a list of outstanding talent coming through in 2004 then I would agree with you

Michael Jennings seems to be a talented drunk

Chris Lawrence is a good young centre

Shaun Kenny-Dowall is a New Zealander

As an English fan, this list doesn’t exactly scare me to death

Shenton on one side Reed on the other. 2 Cas lads hopfully tearing apart the Aussies.

Shentons done nothing to warrant being considered for England, he should be somewhere around 7th or 8th choice on this seasons form.

Absolutely. Hasn't really hit form for Saints yet.

Gary Wheeler is a player I had hoped would have kicked on by now, halfback naturally but I think he could have done some real damage at centre for England, he's always looked quality but has always been hampered by injury.

Yeaman + Reed would be my centres for the warm up game, see how they go. Bridge will be pushing them close though.

Does Reed play on the left or right?
Think Yeaman deserves his shot personally. Only English centre in the Dream Team. What more does he have to do?

Reed plays left centre

He's an Englishman that moved to Oz, don't see the problem.

Reed has played equally well both left and right centre this year (moving to the left when Hodges is fit). He has been an absolute revelation this year, getting games originally due to Hodges being injured, but then making himself impossible to drop. He is not lightning quick but he's very strong and deceptive near to the line - he really knows how to score in traffic from 10-15m, and is good in defence. Phil Gould raves about him every time he commentates on the Broncos (just as Ray Warren really likes Widdopp).

Sorry but anybody who's playing in the backs in the NRL is facing far higher quality opponents on a weekly basis than anybody in SL. Some of the people commenting on here about supposed deficiencies in the NRL really need to watch some of the SL 'highlights' before they make idiots of themselves. To be a standout player (which Reed is - he is far more than 'solid') I'm afraid does put him ahead of anyone in SL.

In any event I'm pleased. If you look at some of our other backs coming through - just at Leeds with Hall, BJB and Watkins with hardaker looking a very good prospect and other clubs seem to have a few good prospects as well - for once we seem likely to have a fast, big backline over the next few years. Quite frankly in previous years its looked like men against boys out wide even before the kick off.

The point was that Reed is playing because the NRL is producing not young centres not Australia centres - let's face it NZ and the SSI are producing a bigger quantity of players in the NRL than the Aussies.

Matt Cooper is competing with Greg Inglis for an Australian spot!! he is still light years ahead of anything in SL even at 32. If he were English he would be in the side for sure. Same goes for Jamie Lyon, Justin Hodges, Greg Inglis, Willie Tonga

Of the younger ones
Jamal Idris
Chris Lawrence
Damie Nielson
Blake Ayshford
Sean Kenny Dowell
Jack Reed
Kyle Stanley

To say the NRL doesn't produce young centres is a fallacy

he'll need to play against france in the 4N warm up....and ideally samoa for the knights too


cos you've gotta ask yourself is jack reed & tom briscoe going to be a better partnership than yeaman & briscoe,who play together week in week out,scored 40 tries between them this season and both made the SL dream team together....now if anyone thinks breaking up that partnership to play a brick laying rookie needs their bloody head reading

Reed should play. He's a better player proven at a higher level than any of our centres.

Nick Fozzard doesn't agree. He's ranting on twitter about them picking Kiwis and Aussies for the England team and how the players are raging about it.

Fozzard knows how to work a phone?

All in your opinion which is no more valid than anyone else's!

I'm not suggesting that Reed isn't a good player only that he isn't automatically better than some of the options we have here in SL just because he holds a place down in the Brisbane team.

Purely playing in the NRL doesn't automatically place you ahead of the rest, Jack Reed does OK, he isn't spectacular, he isn't blessed with Gidleyesque subtle skills, he doesn't posses Ettingshausen like pace and he's not some towering Inglis like clone. He's competent, steady, reliable and SOLID, no more.

i said lack of talent...not that they don't produce them every team has to have 2 of em' does'nt mean they are any good!...and your just naming young there and all of them are very ordinary (except is that meant to say shaun kenny dowell?? he's special and a bloody kiwi

)

kyle stanley plays for samoa and is a bloody stand off and jamal idris is just a quick prop playing in the

just like when big dave taylor does his rampaging wing runs..yeah a 110k forward running at a 85kg winger..theres only gonna be 1 winner..

the for the upcoming PNG v prime ministers 13 are josh morris & michael jennings....does'nt exactly strike fear into anyone does it

.....

i actually like jennings though,when he ain't drunk, think he'll be a better fullback though

whats his twitter name ?

don't matter..found it lol

Watched NRL fulltime last night and Reed seemed to play quite well against Newcastle being involved with 3 trys i think. BrisbaneRhino seems to think he has done well this year seeing him on a regular basis i presume. For me Atkins defensively isnt good enough for internationals. Bridge may get exposed at this level too. Shenton is out of form which for me leaves Yeaman and Reed in the centres. This backline looks good imo:

1 Sam T
2 Briscoe
3 Reed
4 Yeaman
5 Hall
6 Widdop
7 Brough

I think this is one of the better, more balanced backlines we have had in ages. It is youthful, enthusiastic, with the control and kicking game that DB brings. Is this the threequarters for now and the future?

you really want to split yeaman & briscoe??? really??? have a think or have a word with yourself....cos it makes no sense what so ever!