At the moment, I’d go with:
FB - Tomkins
RW - Makinson
RC - Hardaker
LC - Farnworth
LW - Johnstone
HB - Lomax
HB - Williams
P - Walmsley
H - Clark
P - Thompson
SR - Whitehead
SR - Knowles
LF - Bateman

S - Watts
S - Burgess
S - Sutton
S - Ratchford

Comfortably the best back rower in SL for the last 5 years.

Plays for Wigan so he's instantly crap.

I have Faz over Knowles and Roby at 9 (still our best) and then I'm not much different.

Yes, I was debating between those two!

The position I think is most difficult is hooker. We’ve so many options and all of them are different ‘types’ of player.
Roby is consistent and never has a bad game - but does he have the spark to trouble the best defence in the world or does he just become someone who distributes the ball?
Clark has the unpredictability and the ability to run from the ruck. That will worry defences and if they play massive forwards, he’ll exploit that.
McShane offers something different again. He can run from the ruck, but he’s like an extra pivot too. He’s the most dangerous of our options when it comes to playing in the opposition’s 20.
Then we have Hodgson. Talismanic for Canberra, but I’ve not seen him have one good game for England.
All are great players. I think it comes down to what we want from our hooker, rather than who is “the best”.

1. S.Tomkins
2. Makinson
3. Farnworth
4. Gildart
5. Johnstone
6. Williams
7. Gale
8. Walmsley
9. Roby
10. T.Burgess
11. Bateman
12. Farrell
13. Thompson

14. Clark
15. Copper
16. Sutton
17. Whitehead

Reserves: Connor, Percival, Lomax, Watts, Philbin, Hodgson, Currie

We're well off at hooker. I'd go with Roby, Clark and McShane. Hodgson is good when he's on song but he sometimes overplays and this disrupts things. Even Canberra fans were saying that last season until he got injured. He's done it a bit this season too. It's a difficult one as he has a great kicking game and whe he's on song he's great around the ruck.

Roby seems to go on forever and if he's on form he should get in. I like Clark for his athleticism and speed and McShane has a bit of everything.

I'd just go with the three most in form and fit by the end of the season. All would be good enough.

McShane is a great plater to have in the squad and could give us some different attacking options.
However, if both are fit, I'd go with Roby as starting 9, with Clark off the bench

McShane also has the advantage of doing 80 minutes.
That gives us another bench spot and probably two extra interchanges. In the big games, that's quite an advantage.

That exact same line has been peddled on this forum, every year, since its inception and every year since RLFANS inception our pack has been mullered by the aussies with the exception of about 3 games.

Yes, he can do 80 minutes in SL, as could Roby a couple of seasons back but, it's all about how effective those minutes are.
Back in the day, they didn't have hookers on the bench but, a fresh player, taking advantage of tiring players around the ruck is an area that most sides would want to use.
It's not whether he can last the full 80, it's whether having a fresh player and quicker ptb, scoots etc, is more advantageous.
Again, Clark is excellent at exploiting those spaces.

Thought Morgan Knowles was Welsh?? Has he changed his mind?

That’s interesting, because I’ve always thought we’ve been mullered more in the backs. In recent years, we’ve just not been able to contain Slater, Inglis, Thurston, Cronk, Smith et al.
Granted, they need a platform but I think if those players were English we would have seen a different outcome over the last decade or so.

Yes, switched to England last summer.

McShane to start and Clark as an impact sub it is, then!

Typo corrected.



No-one said he's crap. He's a very good player in SL who (IMO) is one of those guys who gives you a 7/8 out of 10 every week. Every time I've seen him play he's been decent but I've never thought "wow, he's ripped us a new one there". As has been stated above with regards wingers etc you need someone at International level who can provide that bit of magic.

If we don't have 2 better eligible second rowers than Farrell then (IMO) the game isn't in a great state.

The way Hodgson plays doesn't lend itself to International rugby because his team mates won't be familiar with his style of play as he hammers the short side and plays so flat with his runners.

Staying on Canberra players, Ryan Sutton has got to be on the bench if he carries on his recent form as he has been superb for Canberra in every game so far, coming off the bench and making a massive impact.

The England team definitely doesn't look as strong as it did in 2013 or 2017, it's a shame we didn't have a better coach at the time, as both those teams were strong enough to win the tournament

Not renewing McNamara’s contract and bringing in Bennett was a massive mistake.

I agree with this. There is no doubt that Farrell is a quality SL back rower but would struggle to get in an nrl reserve team. That’s the gulf in class between nrl and SL

Sorry I retract my statement if LeBron is agreeing with me.

I'll book myself in at the GP's at the earliest opportunity!

Yeah good analysis. Agree on Sutton too.

Failed his HIA which is a big loss for Wakey & anyone who just transfered him into their Fantasy League Team

Wane quoted today saying it’s between Farrell, Bateman and Tomkins to be England Captain.

Every time I've seen Farrell at international level he underwhelms. He's no bigger than the likes of Bateman or Whitehead but seems to have far less impact. Looking at the size and speed of the antipodean backrowers this season he looks like he's playing another sport.