IMO the most interesting selection so far is that Stefan Ratchford has made the train on squad, I genuinely feel he is a better player than Myler is. (Not jsut because he's a Wiganer

) Hopefully Salford can keep onto him and build a team around him with the money from Myler & Turner.

So that's you and most of the Salford fans


Certainly looked a class act this year and stepped up a gear when Myler started to let the transfer talk affect his game.

i was referring to the guy who mentioned burgess infront of crabtree at prop.. would like to see morley and crabtree both off the bench!

I know it's trendy to have a go at League Freak but that's quite funny!

Winning the Challenge Cup is like winning the FA Cup in football. Takes a bit of luck and the magic of the cup but not really any reflection of quality unlike the league where Warrington came in 10th place, When Sunderland won the FA Cup in the 70's did their squad suddenly fill most of the England national team spots? No. They just got a nice trophy, a pat on the back and sent back to Division 2 where they belonged.

you'll eat those words next season

Why? If Leeds won the Challenge Cup I would be delighted but I wouldnt use it to suggest we are better than we are.

When we won it in 1999, I was under no illusions about how good Leeds were.

No but I bet you saw it as a springboard for continued success. I think it's fair to say Warrington put all there eggs in one basket this year and that cost us a play off place. Now the underachiever tag has been thrown off I'm sure Warrington will be a force next year.

The issue has got nothing to do with how good Warrington are. It's simply about the players concerned:
Morley is top class
Carvell is an excellent prop
Westwood and Myler are the current holders of their respective shirts and have impressed in their games for England. They are obvious choices for a train-on squad.
Higham has consistently been around the national squad for years and has done well when picked.

If anything its the average players at the top teams who shouldn't be picked not the good players at the poorer teams. Players like JJB, Wilkin, Gardener, Wellens, and Sinfield have been pretty poor when given the chance at international level.

Agree with most of that, but really think we have better hookers than Higham.


You could add Pryce to that list. Surely Wellens will be replaced this time round.

Only weak links in that are Shenton and Moore, but there's simply no one else.

It isn't about winning the Challenge Cup that were have 4 players in the Train on squad

Morley - MOS candidate and is one of the best props in the league

Higham - Played hooker for England/GB before and this season has been as good as any he has ever had

Westwood - Made it into the GB/England squad for the past 3 years and has been strong this year too, and consistent

Carvell - Top season by Carvell and deserves the call up, regardless if it is just the train on squad

What im saying is that there is usually about 3 or 4 Wire players in the Train on squad, it doesnt Make any difference our coach is also England coach, or if we won the CC.

Has anybody doubted this. He hasn't been awarded the Tony Smith's number one hooker award. He's been named in a train-on squad.

In all likeliness the likes of Roby, Diskin, Moore, Lunt etc will be challenging him for the places in the final squad.

Totally unecessary attempt and a failed attempt at that, at sarcasm.

Didnt Tony Smith pick Jon Clarke for GB when he was still Leeds Rhinos coach...? Surely Clarke deserves a shot if Higham is in there?

Shenton and moore arent weak links both of them have been in better form this season than say gleeson and jjb.

Myler should'nt be in the squad.

Myler hasn't played that much recently, and a lot of that will have been political, yet he has still played in 2/3 of Salford's games.

He has featured in 2 of Smith's previous squads, so Smith sees something in him, and feels he is worthy of at least a train on squad spot.

If we don;t include the likes of Myler, who do we go with, Burrows and Pryce again?

6. Tomkins
7. Brough/Burrow

1. Briscoe S
2. Briscoe T
3. Shenton M
4. Atkins R
5. Hall R
6. Pryce L
7. Brough D
8. Morley A
9. Diskin M
10. Peacock J
11. Ellis G
12. Burgess S
13. O'Loughlin S

14. Roby J
15. Crabtree E
16. Carvell G
17. Graham J

Shame about Hock
Shame that Westermans progress has stalled
Fox edged out at the death by a more dynamic Briscoe
Myler isn't ready and has'nt played regular football for about two months
Tomkins still needs another year at SL level yet
Burrow just isn't creative enough
McGuire unluckiest of the lot not to get selected
Sinfield great at domestic level not up to it at International standard

Agreed with all of these.

Though IMO

6. McGuire
7. Tomkins

Would be an ideal combination.

Tomkins is ripping up SL every week. He is ready now.

Both good players but neither has a great kicking game or is particularly good at dictating the play.

Brough is the stand out scrum half in the competition!
He has the kicking game including being a goal kicker of some ability.
He can controll the game and manipulate his forwards while supressing his opposite number.
He has a great defensive game and won't need to be hidden out in the threequarters.
He takes on the line and has the pace to finish a break if he gets free.
He won't be overawed or intimidated by the opposition or the occasion.
He has that nasty love to hate him attitude that Cocky halfbacks require.

I'd love to see Brough behind a big England pack playing opposite Thurston or Marshall.

Coming into form at the right time of the season though. Doesn't help that there are four/five decent players in the same position as him though that could also be in with a shout.

mmmmm maybe a partnership of tomkins and brough would be good, forgot all about brough being eligable for england.

ive got gleeson at centre, because he is still the best around other than senior who i think has retired, and also i dont think it would be good going with 2 untried international centres gleeson also has plenty of experience.

i dont get all this about tomkins being too young, he is exactly the same age as richie myler, and has similar super league experience, myler hasnt played for 3 months and has only had 1 year in super league, whereas sam tomkins is in form and has also had 1 year super league experience, if we are not going to pick our inform players who are we going to pick?

in the pack we seem to have a very good choice of props morley,peacock,graham,crabtree,carvell could all do an excellent job and having a fresh pack with 5 props instead of 4 could seriously benefit us more than in the world cup- we need to keep our pack fresh.

the back rowers are also gifted with sam burgess being back, we now have the likes of ellis and burgess and oloughlin, westwood and sinfield to pick from.

we are definately still missing that game controlling hooker, roby is more an impact hooker and what ive seen of moore he could potentially be that game controller, give him the chance.

So which Wakefield players will be brought in now?

Brough, Atkins, Grix, Blaymire?