I've always liked Andy Lynch.

What's the Willie Manu situation? Is he English?

Yes he qualifies. He was in the train on squad a year or so ago.

I wouldnt pick him tbh because I dont agree with it, but having picked Chase im surprised Mcnamara didnt go for him too. He is a brilliant player and a match winner.

(Minus exiles players)

1. Tomkins
2. Charnley
3. Watkins
4. Atkins
5. Hall
6. Good Question
7. Brough
8. Morley/Peacock
9. Roby
10. Graham
11. Westwood
12. Ellis
13. O'Loughlin

14. Mossop/Patrick
15. Burgess
16. Hock
17. Burrow/Robinson (same role)

Cudjoe and Reed close calls for me, but really impressed by the (W)Atkins' so far this year. Not sure why so many people seem to be putting Hall (a left winger) on the right and Charnley (a right winger) on the left... either that or swappping centres. Care to enlighten me?

widdop has been very very quite for the last 14months but i dont know if thats because cooper cronk has stepped up massively and everything runs through him at melbourne but he wouldnt be in my sqaud right now. people can forget about atkins and cudjoe getting in the sqaud as reed has that wrapped up till he retires, qaulity player and watkins will be the other. the other problem is graham and burgess both of them have become 80min players and you cant have no prop rotation so do you play burgess in 2nd row? if anything the england pack will live up to previous expectations. and yes george has been in good form for hudds but he isnt going to be picked over charnley or briscoe. peacock should do the best thing and pass on selections or he is just personally being selfish he is still a good superleague player but doesnt have the speed.

I'd like to be principled about it, but our drought of victories at international level has knocked it out of me. Manu is awesome and can trouble any defence. We don't have many player like that.

Is Burgess playing prop for Souths?
Play him 13, I say, in the pseudo prop role.

Pick from Graham, Mossop, Crabtree, Burgess, Lynch plus the old timers of Morley and Peacock for the 5 prop slots (3 two start, 2 on the bench).
O'Loughlin, Ellis, Westwood and Manu for the 3 2nd row slots (2 start, one on the bench).
One or two hookers from a pretty good selection.
That pack must be able to do some damage, mustn't it!?

Plus, with our currnet crop of back we are starting to see some physicality come in, with the like of Watkins, Hall and others being excellent atheletes.

burgess has played both prop and 2nd row this season mate but even in the 2nd row he was still playing like a prop in the middle where he does more damage than outwide.

its harsh on who would be dropped as they are qaulity players and all of them are playing really good rugby but out of those who you suggest i would probably drop lynch ( but i do think he is a qaulity player who is very under rated in superleague).

well i would play o'loughlin at 13 and then it would be a choice out of westwood, manu, heighington ( too many have judged him on the attempted tackle on trex in the 4nations he is no doubt on par with ellis in the tigers side just not as many mins), hock and larne patrick. not sure who i would pick out of them depends on training i guess.

reed is holding hes own agains't the aussies best. Well its a battle between watkins and atkins, i just think atkins lose's so much confiedence when he isn't more physically domienent than hes opposition where as watkins has confiedence in hes stepping and looks so confiedent defending against fast strong oposition.

What he ^ said. Would like to see Houghton in there somewhere but dont see where at mo.

Roby, Burrow and Henderson will provide stiff competetion.

Agreed

I'd have Bill Sonnys team definately.

The only decisions that would be made within that would be Charnley for Briscoe depending on form, and Hock for a number of second rowers, Manu/Patrick etc, but again all dependant on form.

We have a selection of maybe four wingers that can do the job and so we CAN pick on end of season form, at the moment Hall and Charnley are front runners, but you cant ignore the likes of McGillvaray

same goes for centres - which is the strongest options I ever remember, with Atkins, Watkins, Reed, Cudjoe all possessing the physicality, athleticism and skill to take the Aussies on

Good times.

People have been moaning that we should move on and stop picking the likes of Morley and Peacock, yet some want to pick Andy Lynch who'l be 34 by the WC and has never really been that d about playing for his country.

Anyway my team would be:

Tomkins
BJB/McGilvery
Watkins
Reed
Hall
Widdop/Chase/Gaskell
Brough/McGuire
Graham
Roby
Peacock
Ellis
Westwood
Burgess

Burrow
Mossop
Morley
Patrick/Hock

to many yorkies in that team nobody will understand them afterwards in the press.

You mean unlike the usual "Erm like Erm like" from the dark side?

Nah, not quite, but I would go with

Tomkins

McGilvary
Cudjoe
Lawrence
George

Brown
Brough

Crabtree
Robinson
Patrick
Ellis
Burgess
Lunt





In all seriousness, I do think that Brough, Crabtree, Robinson and Patrick should be hovering around the squad

Threads like this just show that, apart from a few positions, no one can really agree on the 'best' team. Who'd be England coach, eh?? He'll never do anything right!!

1 - Tomkins
2 - Hall
3 - Reed
4 - Atkins
5 - Charnley
6 - Widdop / McGuire
7 - Brough
8 - Graham
9 - Roby
10 - Peacock (because macca will pick him!)
11 - Ellis
12 - Westwood
13 - Burgess

14 - Morley
15 - Tickle
16 - Mossop
17 - Widdop / McGuire

If Brough were ever to step up he would have done it by now. He is 29 now and has never done it, I dont think he will do it now. Danny Brough is a similar type of player to Rangi Chase, does some spectacular things, does some very very good things, but has played in squads for which excuses are made. When Brough has one of his fairly regular poor games, or one of his poor runs of games excuses are made for him and other players are blamed. There is a reason Brough has never got a gig at one of the top four, and that is he just isnt good enough. Either we stick with Sinfield who is a better player or we can look to one of the younger halfbacks.

Agree that Watkins and Reed should have those two centre spots sewn up.

I disagree about Brough.
He is one of the few halfbacks who can and will defend and he has a world class kicking game and an excellent rugby brain.
The one think that he's never had until recently, is the chance to play behind a quality pack.
IMO the reason that he never played top level international RL is because he spent so much of his career at unfashionable clubs ie Wakefield and Cas.
He may well have missed his chance, being 29, but the guy is a quality half back and much better than some of Englands recent choices.

I can't believe some people in this thread are not selecting Reed! He has been in great form at the start of the NRL season and was one of Englands best performers in the four nations.

Many Bradford fans would agree with you. He's consistently been one of the best props in SL even playing in a poor Bulls side.

Brough looks good against poor teams and poor against good teams, but excuses are made when he looks poor against good teams, as you have just done, by blaming the pack. Brough will look good for the first 15 rounds or so, where the team he is playing for picks up a few wins against those above them who underperform, and they comfortably beat the teams below them. But he will fall away as the season progresses and the intensity rises.

So you think he's having a poor season ?
The point I was making is that he's starting to pull the strings at Hudds and both he is playing well and Hudds as a team look better when he is in the team.
We may never know as he is running out of time to have a chance at the highest level (mainly because he decided he was Scottish a few years back)

No, i dont think he is having a poor season, i think he will have a poor end to the season when the games get bigger and the opposition better. I think this because it is what he has done for his entire career. Brough looks decent at the moment, and did last season, before he and Hudds fell away without so much as a whimper.

Only time will tell (and if he actually gets a chance)
They have already played 3 teams out of the "Big 4" and won two of those, so he's doing ok, but equally, ant half back can only perform behind a strong pack.
Rangi Chase is a prime example at club level, no doubt he has some craft and excellent ball skills, but Cas wont win jus because he's in the team.
Equally, Warrington dont win just because they have Briers, again there is no doubt that he is a quality player.