Yes, he goes straight to Bath and won't play in the four nations which is a shame.

I'd be really confident about us progressing again in this four nations if we had two things-

1- Sam Burgess
2- A different coach

How anyone can pick Mcillorum is beyond me. On form he isn't in the top 3 hookers in the league.

Nor on ability.

weren't there something a few weeks back about Trent hodkinson wanting to play for England because his dads English?

Yeah but he hadn't turned out for NSW then. Now that he has that ship has sailed.

Head Coach: Shaun Wane
Assistant/Mentor: Wayne Bennett
I'd then have people like Sculthorpe, Peacock, Sinfield etc all involved with the squad in some capacity be it water boy on match day but involved regularly with the squad.

1. Hardaker
2. Briscoe
3. Watkins
4. Reed
5. Hall
6. Tomkins
7. Widdop
8. Graham
9. Roby
10. Hill
11. Farrell
12. Ferres
13. Westwood

14. Clark
15. Burgess G
16. Huby
17. Whitehead

18. Burrow
19. Charnley
20. Bateman
21. Walmsley
22. Ablett
23. Taylor
24. Westerman

I know Sinfield will be in this year, and I don't mind that for another year or so with him as captain and then hopefully will hand over. Who to is an issue. Possibly Graham but is he captain material? That's not a slight on him, some people just aren't suited to be captain.
O'Loughlin - I don't think he'll be available and is he a risk injury wise if he is available? He's a cracking player who is as important to Wigan as Sinfield is to Leeds but unfortunately his injuries seem to have caught up with him.
I've also left Matty Smith out, not because I don't rate him but because I think Tomkins & Widdop are better and Burrow offers something a bit different to those 2 that Smith doesn't. Plus Burrow can cover hooker. If any of Tomkins, Widdop or Burrow were injured then I'd have Smith in like a shot.

Re. Graham for captain - he first captained saints in 2006, and was (and still is whenever Canterbury lose) called for captain by the Canterbury fans. Everyone I've ever spoken to on the matter suggest he'd make a great captain - he should definitely get it imo.

Can't believe people are omitting the form centre in the league, Shenton.

More tries than any other centre, equal try assists (which are the most) in Super League with Moon and 3rd most metres for a centre (2nd English centre) behind Watkins and Gelling (who could arguably be a winger too).

1. Tomkins
2. Makinson
3. Shenton
4. Watkins
5. Hall
6. Brown
7. Widdop
8. Graham
9. Roby
10. G Burgess
11. Ferres
12. Westwood
13. Sinfield (will always get in as captain)

14. Hill
15. Huby
16. Clark
17. Farrell

18. Whitehead
19. Westerman
20. Hardaker
21. Reed
22. Lomax
23. Walmsley
24. Crabtree

Do you not think all those current head coaches working together would be a case of too many cooks.....

If for example Wane was head coach he'd be better of picking a coaching staff that shares his views/ideas. Not trying to lump together different head coaches and expecting them to gel.

I think Graham captained the Great Britain Academy side, as mentioned captained Saints so he;s not a total novice in doing the job.

ENGLAND

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Tommy Makinson
3. Kallum Watkins
4. Jack Reed
5. Ryan Hall
6. Gareth Widdop
7. Matty Smith
8. George Burgess
9. James Roby (C)
10. James Graham
11. Brett Ferres
12. Carl Ablett
13. Sam Burgess

14. Rob Burrow
15. Chris Hill
16. Eorl Crabtree
17. Ben Westwood

Additionally It'd be nice if we could get the international game to a level at which the RUK-eligible players wished to play for the other home nations.

IRELAND

1. Simon Grix
2. Paddy Flynn
3. Martin Gleeson
4. Chris Bridge
5. Paddy Richards
6. Marc Sneyd
7. Liam Finn
8. Kyle Amor
9. Michael McIlorum
10. Brett White
11. Ben Harrison
12. Simon Grix
13. Sean O'Loughlin

14. Bob Beswick
15. Ryan Boyle
16. Eamonn O'Caroll
17. Ben Currie

WALES

1. Rhys Evans
2. Rhys Williams
3. Ryan Morgan
4. Ben Pomeroy
5. Elliot Kear
6. Ben Jones
7. Sam Williams
8. Ben Flower
9. Lloyd White
10. Craig Kopczak
11. Tyson Frizzell
12. David Stagg
13. Larne Patrick

14. Neil Budworth
15. Gil Dudson
15. Ben Evans
17. Rhodri Lloyd

SCOTLAND

1. Matty Russell
2. David Scott
3. Joe Wardle
4. James McManus
5. Kevin Gordon
6. Danny Brough
7. Peter Wallace
8. Keith Galloway
9. Daryl Clark
10. Luke Douglas
11. Dale Ferguson
12. Rhys Lovegrove
13. Danny Addy

14. Iain Henderson
15. Adam Walker
16. Darrell Griffin
17. Johnnie Walker

Shenton would be my centre a long with Watkins who is looking world class (getting a couple world class players now)

I would also take Mason Caton-Brown, he's not ready yet but I've been hugely impressed with him and would take him to get some experience.

Watched him skin Leroy Cudjoe. Cudjoe in that same match caught Locke who had a 10m head start on Cudjoe.

He's not ready yet but I think he could be one for the future, lets start nurturing him, Bateman, Clark, Sneyd now.

If he needs nurturing then put him in the Knights team. He's well off a 24 man squad for a major international tournament.

I think we have a three quarter line that can hold its own and strong front row options.the halves should be improved too with Widdop going well and I too would like to see Tomkins alongside him with Hardaker at fullback.

biggest area for concern is backrow.The likes of Westwood,Farrell,Ferres and Ablett are good club players but matched up against southern hemisphere opposition they are a class below.

Agree with that. I also think we've got a bit of depth in the backs and at hooker now but like you say the backrow isn't up to the top Aussies. It's partly why it's such a shame to see Burgess leaving. I know he plays at prop a lot but he's a top quality player in the backrow too.

I also think, beyond Graham & Hill, our props are a step below the Aussies too.

George and Tom B are going well again, and I'd use them as interchange for each other. Mossop before his injury looked as lightweight as he did in the world cup. Cooper looks pretty good though as a rotation prop.

I'm surprised no one had mentioned Mike Cooper until now. We keep getting told how hard the NRL is, and he's more than holding his own in his debut season.

did you forget about George Burgess or deliberately leave him out. He is every bit as good as the Aussie/Kiwi front-rowers and Tom seems to be picking up too now, although he will need another year I think.

I'd put GB and JG in the top 5 front rowers in the NRL easily and if you count Sam as a prop he would probably be in there too, along with Matt Scott and Aaron Woods.

I don't think the Aussie front rowers are to be feared by our pack at all - its the halves that are just so much better in big games than ours.

I didn't forget about him. I think George is still a step below the top Aussie props. Not a big step but still a step. There's no point counting Sam Burgess though is there as he's not available to us. It'd be like counting Kyle Eastmond among our halves.
I also didn't say we had to be fearful of the Aussie front rowers, just that they're slightly better and have more depth.
I also don't think their halves are that much better, or that halfback has been a problem v the Aussies. As usual, we'll do ok v the Aussies if our pack stands up. Unfortunatel, too often, they don't.

How can you say half back isn't a problem? We had about 3 different combinations during the WC and a completely new one during the semi.

The biggest problem we have is the coach. Until that numpty goes we won't even make a final.

1. Tomkins
2. Makinson
3. Watkins
4. Shenton
5. Hall
6. Widdop
7. Smith
8. Amor
9. Roby
10. Graham (c)
11. Farrell
12. Whitehead
13. O'Loughlin

14. Clark
15. Hill
16. G. Burgess
17. Westwood

18. Hardaker
19. Ratchford
20. Ferres
21. Walmsley
22. Burrow
23. Huby
24. Westerman

Back row is a worry. We lack a wrecking ball, ball handling back rower now Surgess has gone. Plenty of solid options but no game breakers. We're OK at prop I think, although, below the top 3 the rest are unproven, Amor, Walmsley, Huby etc. But, I'd argue that current crop of Aussie props are amongst the most ordinary I've seen from them.

The biggest dilemma with the England team is what to do with Tomkins/Hardaker. Whether Zac plays 1 and Sam 6 or to play 1 at FB and not play the other. I'm not sure playing Sam at 6 is a great idea given he has not played there since he was a kid however I do think he would be capable and if I was picking the team I would take the gamble. Picking players out of position seems to work for Australia. I think SM will pick Sam at 1 because of Zac's indiscretions at the World Cup and since. The back row proved more difficult than I thought.

However this is my team not SM's

1 Hardaker
2 Charnley
3 Reed
4 Watkins
5 Hall
6 S. Tomkins
7 Widdop
8 Graham
9 Roby
10 Hill
11 Westwood
12 Ferres
13 O'Loughlin

14 Clarke
15 G Burgess
16 Taylor
17 Westerman

18 Ratchford
19 Briscoe
20 Shenton
21 Lunt
22 Huby
23 Amor
24 Whitehead

Agree about Aussie props being average. Still think Aussies may struggle (famous last words) when they have to replace their spine of Slater, Smith, Cronk, Thurston. They are some of the greatest players of all time who have played together for years.

Agree back row is a worry but we've some good ones for a few years time. Bateman, Currie, Ward etc