Macca's selection cant be criticised.

His coaching and strategy can - especially when its obvious that some players are being instructed to play in a certain way that is contrary to their usual game style.

Anyone picking O'loughlin at stand off needs to send their brain back to the manufacturer for scrapping, Brown may not have been the best choice, but he is a far better choice than a loose forward.

Not to mention that once Brown started playing his own game (rather than following Macca's instructions) he had a good influence, putting players into gaps, try scoring pass and controvertially had a try ruled out.

I am going to get shot for this but I think O'Loughlin to 6, yes I agree its shows exactly how poor we are in the backs but Kev Brown is simply not good enough at 6 and is better used at centre given thats where we are struggling with injuries. Our organisation was terrible against New Zealand so we need some changes there.

Robinson and O'Loughlin played 6 and 7 together in the reserve teams at Wigan together so they know each other as well as this O'Loughlin links up with Sam well for Wigan.

Sam has to play full back but I would try and fit Widdop in somewhere if Atkins or Hall are out. This way with Widdop on the field and things are not working out we can shift things round a bit and move Sam back into the halves and Widdop back to full back.

At the end of the day its a poor squad selection as we have very little options at 6 and 7 as it looks like Kev Brown and Robinson are Englands first choice.




Tomkins
Hall / Widdop (if is Hall injured)
Brown
Atkins / Widdop (if is Atkins injured)
Briscoe

O'Loughlin
Robinson

Fielden
Roby
Graham
Ellis
Westwood
Burgess

J Tomkins
Carvell
Lunt
Crabtree

Firstly O'Loughlin is a better 6 than Brown, that aint saying much I know but who else is there?

With Tomkin's at full back this would not matter too much as Tomkins is essentially a 6 chiming into the line at pace. O'Loughlin knows how to link up with Sam and bring out the best in him.

Either way we simply just need to play rugby by moving the ball from side to side if we do this next week I am not bothered what team we put out.

Sam
Goulding
Ellis
Widdop
Briscoe
O'Loughlin
Robbo
Fielden
Lunt
Graham
Westwood
Joel
Burgess

Harrison
Crabtree
Roby
Griffin

1. Sam Tomkins- needs to run at full back, will get tested with the high ball, will lead our attack from 1 and gives us a strike player
2. Darrell Goulding- keep him on the wing where he is in form.
3. Joel Tomkins- big and shows alot of agility, played centre in the second half at OT and can run some
devastating lines
4. Gareth Widdop- looked good when he went to centre on saturday
5. Tom Briscoe- again had a very good game on the wing.
6. Kevin Brown- needs to step up a level this week, needs to play like he did in the second half.
7. Luke Robinson- A very good game last week, we looked balanced when he went to 7.
8. James Graham- leads from the front well.
9. James Roby- Thought he was brilliant last week
10. Sam Burgess- Id run with him at prop, hes aggressive and will take them on up front
11. Gareth Ellis- I think we will look very threatening with ellis and joel tomkins down one side
12. Ben Westwood- Deserves to start had a very strong game
13. Sean O'Loughlin- keep him at 13, was brilliant, a beast in defence and strong in attack

14. Eorl Crabtree- Can be extremely dangerous off the bench offers more than griffin
15. Stuart Fielden- we need his experience Id have him off the bench though.
16. Shaun Lunt- Give him a go off the bench, strong defender.
17. Ben Harrison- can cover prop,loose,second row get him on the bench.

So you're saying that Macca's instructions to Brown were to ensure that he didn't put players into gaps or throw any try scoring passes?

My team next week would be:

Cudjoe
Goulding
Briscoe
Widdop (not man other options really)
Hall
Tomkins
Robinson
Graham
Lunt
Burgess (we need more gramebreakers in the middle of the field)
Ellis
Westwood
Flanders

Roby
Crabtree
Fielden
Harrison

I think there are too many chnages being suggested. You can't just start playing people out of position after one game.

Widdup
Hall
Cudjoe (Bit of speed can't hurt)
Atkins (Give him the ball for a change)
Briscoe
Sam T
Robinson
Graham
Roby
Burgess
Ellis
Westwood
O'Loughlin

Fielden
Crabtree
Lunt
Joel T

Brown I might play n the centre but really not good enough on Sat
Atkins was poor in defense but is biggest asset is attack and he didn't get the chane so I'd give him another go.

I agree with the pack there - I think we have to take advantage of the size and strength of Burgess for some forward momentum and prop is the right place for that

Westwood has played himself into a starting spot and I think Crabtree would provide some punch from the bench

Personally I would have Harrison on the bench to add some more size and work rate... probably in place of Fielden (his ball control is the real worry for me)

Looking at all the many different opinions from forum users regarding team selections/players/ tactics etc etc it truly is little wonder the England RL team couldnt win a chook raffle.

Thank god none of you are England coach


Or maybe one of you is?



Come on Steve McNamara.

Show yourself

Nah, just laughed at.

I know that Gleeson is not a happy chappie with Mcbannana whatsoever.

Rightfuly so.

Why rightfully so?

It's Gleeson's problem to deal with if HE has a problem.

There are always ways of dealing with them.

Glesson was in the squad and had already been fitted for the suit, he was later imformed by somone other than Macnamara that he had not been chosen to go to Aus.

Rightfully, Glesson is not a happy chap.

Maybe the case....but as it is.......Clubb is there, Gleeson ain't......and Clubb is there a centre. I repeat....regardless of if people think he is good enough or not, he is a centre and there is a spot up for grabs against the crims.....why play another squad player out of position?

I get what you are saying gutters but he should not have been picked in the first place.
If I remember correctly you are a Quins fan are'nt you.

Yep..I am a Quins RL fan but that has nothing to do with my point about Clubb. I think the last game(s) that he got rave reviews was in 2008/9 when he had Matt King in his pocket for 2 games......thereafter he has been pretty average by all accounts from TW2. Regardless of whether he should be there or not, he is...and he is a centre. I find it strange that a squad was picked with a centre as back up in case of injury and now there is an injured centre, everyone is talking about playing another guy out of position....if so, why take a centre as back up.....? It would seem a pretty pointless waste of a spot.......but then again, Bulls fans have had to put up with this nutter for a few years and they reckon that nothing he does makes any sense.

Why is McNamara a nutter when it is the posters on this web site that are suggesting we play wingers, second rower's and loose forward's in the centre?

One positive from McNamara's reign is that he is at least playing people in their normal position

I was using Bradford fans term of endearment...they loved him at Odlsum



BTW.....I liked the way the English didn't give up on Saturday night here.....and I thought if Browns "try' had been given the game would have been a lot closer at the end.

Let's be positive if clubb does get picked. He's an english lad so we should be getting behind him.

You may not rate him highly from his club games, but some less glamourous players get step up and prove to be at least steady at and level, whereas some high flyers crash and burn when asked to replicate their club form for England.

Lets face it, he'll do well to look as out of his depth as Ryan Atkins.

Indeed, at 18-0, I'm sure our Australian and New Zealand friends were already composing their posts in their minds about how a 50 point flogging was killing International League etc etc (and annoyingly, also the English Rugby League fans who seem to revel in their teams losses for some reason)

I’m also sure that a lot were relived so see the video ref decision go against Brown... it would have been 18-16 with 15 minutes on the clock

As I have stated before, England did not play well enough to win the game on Saturday but it was not the embarrassment that some suggest (and hoped for of course)

I wouldnt have minded seeing England win.

I like it when the underdog puts one over someone.


But you are right... they simply didn't play well enough.


The worrying thing for me was how they just seemed to accept it was going to happen. They showed little or no passion, the tackling was poor and as we have said before... tours like this are just a holiday for England after a long year.

I do agree with the issue of taking anyone on tour who you're never going to pick though. What's the point? You may as well take one player less and save the airfare.

Tells me he has played exceptionally well in the NRL this past season and deserves his place... and there are 10 other outside backs who could also have been brought in who would do equally as well... I think that Sheens is his club coach was what got him the gig.



oh what 10?...
Boyd, Gordon, Uate, Ferguson, Croker (J), Dugan, Coote, Lawrence, Cooper, Gasnier.... and thats without thinking...

England have to pull a kid out of Australian reserve grade to play... (good prospect his is!)

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 121753.stm Four Nations: England lose injured Michael Shenton

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 121753.stm Four Nations: England lose injured Michael Shenton