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!

Yeamans a left centre like Reed and Atkins, it's one the other.

Sorry boss.

It has been mentioned that Reed has played right centre this season a bit. Put him there then. Players at the top level have to be able adapt a little. And it is not like we have an abundance of good centres. For me Atkins and Bridge whilst they may shine for Wire, are not good enough for the internationals.

sorry no.....we don't just put him in for the sake of putting him in!

just cos he plays in the NRL does'nt make him a first name on the team sheet player...like i keep saying if this kid was any good or as good as the hype is making him out to be he would'nt have been laying brick last year!

So what if he was a brickie last year? It is what is happening now that matters. Iam sure the England management team have been monitoring Widdop and Reed on a weekly basis this year. It is not a case of him playing in the NRL so he is guaranteed a England shirt. The England coaches will have watched enough video tape and looked at plenty of stats to make a decision on Reed in comparison to the others.

widdop was earmarked as a star while playing under 20's..it made perfect sense to select him,more to stop NSW getting their paws on him..

as for reed being a brickie last year......my point being that if australia where as strong in the 3/4's and as good as developing young talent as some of you have us believe jack reed would have been picked up years ago..apparently canbarra knocked him back while playing for their feeder team in the QLD cup......he's a average player thats taken his chance,fair play to the lad, but he only got that chance due to lack of talent coming through...

Wasn't Matt King a bin man for a while, i know he worked outside rugby anyway, he's rubbish too.

Jeremy Guscott was a brickie and now he is the poshest person on the planet so things can change!

You may think you are making sense, but your not.

That he was "laying brick" last year, as you so poetically put it, is totally irrelevant despite your attempt to qualify it. Players just like "ordinary" people develop at different rates or have different drives and committment levels. I would suggest there are sufficient variables in there to make it perfect reasonable for him to have been a lollipop man 6 months ago if he wanted and it still not have a bearing on his ability or form.

The England/British 3/4's have never been so poor in my opinion. We simply do not produce them, we produce very few quality backs full stop. We get the odd maverick that turns up, but thats through chance rather than design.

While I agree with the first part of your post, I cannot agree with the second

The England three quarters for the game against New Zealand in the group stages of the 2008 RL World Cup included Mark Calderwood, Paul Sykes and Lee Smith... none of these would get anywhere near the England team today

The full back line and half backs that day were

Wellens
Calderwood
Sykes
Senior
Smith
Gleeson (at stand off!)
Burrow

Compare that to some of the possible candidates for this year (without Reed listed) and I think the 2011 vintage are miles ahead

S Tomkins
Briscoe
Atkins/Yeaman
Bridge/Shenton/Watkins
McGillvary/Hall
Widdop
Brough/Lomax

Haven't seen anyone mention Ben Jones-Bishop. I really rate the lad and would definitely have him in my England squad.

The fact he can cover wing and full-back to a good standard would mean I'd definitely have him in the squad.

In terms of the matchday 17, he's not going to displace Golden Boy at full-back and would probably be behind Charnley, Briscoe and Hall on the wings.

Why is Fozzie getting his knickers in a twist, the lad is as English as chips and gravy, a Yorkshire lad that plays RL. Really don't see the problem, i'm sure if Graham or Moz in his prime had lived in Sydney for just the first week of their lives they'd try to get them playing for Oz.

Give over this kids a star in the making and much better than Josh Charnley and IMO better tha Ryan Hall. He's got great confidence and he can beat his man, just how he rounded Richards like he wasn't there. You don't see the modern day winger do that these days.

I also like Kallum Wakins but I think he need another good season under his belt. Hardaker looks like he's got potential too