Flash forward to next week England 6-74 France



It'll be tough for the French no doubt, as usual, Widdop certainly seems keen but they must be careful as the French will definitley want to forget their club woes. They should also be fired up by a few comments from some league 'journalists' in Australia.

o it isn't tough to pick a squad, i could do that but i'm not slating his squad selection just how distinctly average we, as a nation, have become with us thinking realistically we could compete with Australia with that squad. Look at the backs:

Widdop - U20s player =#BF80FF Slater- World Class
Hall- Average =#BF80FFMorris- Top scorer iin best rl comp in the world
Shenton- Not good enough =#BF80FFInglis- Best Player in the world
Bridge- Not Good Enough =#BF80FF Lyon- Best centre ever seen in SL
Briscoe- Not Good Enough =#BF80FF Hayne- World Class

The more detailed analysis will come when he announces his next squad, 3 tougher opponents to come

This is an opportunity for him to take a look at Widdop. Unless he has a blinder of a season I don't think he'll be there come 4 nations time. I also think Tom Briscoe has a LOT of potential.

I think most people are a little more accepting because it is a game against france, a chance to try a few different things.

I think people will be a little more picky with the next squad.

All of the English fullbacks mentioned would get the odd game in the NRL as reserves but no more - as already proved by Tansey and Mathers. Widdop has enormous potential, as anyone who's seen him play will confirm. Getting his card marked as an England player now is exactly the right thing to do.

Centre is our weakest position by far looking at that squad, and the sad thing is that the only other real options are an ancient Senior and a past-it Gleeson.

I believe Flanagan will be in the squad at the end of the season as well. He's a very solid player for Wests, and having four forwards with NRL experience in the defensive line would make us a lot stronger IMO - Ellis helped out well on one side of the field last year, Burgess/Flanagan could do the same on the other.

Er, I just checked the French squad, and you'll be relieved to know that neither Slater, Morris, Inglis, Lyon or Hayne have been picked.

Did you not see the Melbourne v Canterbury game last weekend? Widdop was a standout with an alround game of a standard no other English threequarter comes near to. Unless he seriously falls of the face of the earth from now to he international series in Oct he will be our fullback for that series. It isnt as if we have a army of quality fullbacks knocking the door down for a international jumper is it? Let alone one that has the potential of Widdop. Agree with what someone said about Flanagan too. He has looked solid in the back row for Wests.

But we don't have anyone who is as good as those Aussies you mention, the players we have picked are the best we have.

And lets not forget the avarage age of that back line is 21, I hardly think it's fair to be labelling them as "not good enough" at this stage.

I didn't see the game actually however he's still only played 2 first team games.
Like I said, lets see how he goes for the rest of the season before we start putting him in front of blokes who've vastly more experience. Personally I think Richard Owen has the potential to make it as fb for Eng.

Why on earth would we put Flanagan in front of someone like O'Loughlin?? The NRL is not a comp full of supermen and i'm chuffed for the lad but there is no way on earth he'll be better than O'L.

Mr ZH, extremely good point at the end there, very very good point

Pleased Widdop is in there, let's see how good he is, the French opposition I doubt will be as good as what he faces in the NRL when he plays.

Slightly worrying comment from someone who seems to have the world at his feet.




Surely we need to find out why. I know training with Billy Slater will make a massive difference, however he still needs to perform, if Billy Slater trained me it wouldn't make me an England player. I understand he wouldn't have got these opportunities at a part time club like Fax but if he'd have gone to Leeds/Bradford etc. wouldn't he be as good? The answer is sadly no I would assume, which is why we're still miles behind them.

just cos flanagan is starting in the NRL does'nt make him a banker for international honours....he's still at the bottom of a list of 9 or 10 players

if you open both eyes you'll be able to see better

Whatever the result I'm just happy the squad is a totally French team i.e. no Aussies. I personally dont think Fakir should be chosen given that he is going to the dark side next year.

I agree that Flanagan would not get in a starting line up before Sean O, but Flanagan is getting into a starting 13 in the best RL competition in the world and is improving of what i have seen of him on tv. He will surely be on a shortlist for the tour down under if he keeps up this rate of progression. The only problem i could see for Widdop is when Slater comes back into the Melbourne team this week and in the future. But iam sure that the Melbourne coaching staff will find a place for him in the team going forward after that performance against Canterbury. To be truthful i cant think of a fullback outside of Widdop who is good enough to play for England? S Briscoe is an honest player but looks as fast as a slug at the international level. It is a good job another fullback option has fallen into our laps. But this was by luck rather than judgement. Because i think Widdop is a product of the Aussie system. Not ours.

Widdop was 15 when he went out. Unless he was already very good there is no way Melbourne would have taken him on. His comments about only making the amateur system over here are interesting. Someone needs to ask why? Is it because Halifax are outside SL and don't have a fulltime academy system, because of the quality of our coaches or just simply because the sport is so small time that there isn't enough of a ladder up to Super League?

With Widdop, Eastmond, Tomkins and Burgess England are starting to develop some real dangermen, the kind of players who can turn a game in one moment.

I'll watch the tape again and see if it was indeed his fault, since you can remember who was at fault for all the tries perhaps you can give us a run down of how many tries each player was responsible for?

Where have i slagged of any players or clubs? or do you just see what you want to see and ignore what actually happening?

The fact that you are blaming the defeat on one player makes it pretty clear that its you who enjoys slagging off our players.

shenton and hall were our best backs defensivly

Exactly shenton and hall were our best backs defensivly, and got far less ball than the other side of the field so its not really a far comparison in attack.

double post.

I remember Hall having a very good four natoins.

Whenever a squad is announced it's met with the same negative posts. Even with great players in the past, Davies, Offiah, Hanley et all. we had a no better record than now. We have some exciting young players coming through, namely the 3 young half backs, Burgess. Ellis and Graham are as good as anyone in their position, it's not all doom and gloom, we have some good players.

Last year we got one step further and made the final. We were within 6-10 points of the Aussies up the final just after half time. We need to stay positive that we can do it over a series.

Over a single game might be a start

We didn't go with Greenshields because he's injured, as he's nationalised French, lives in France and is married to a French woman I don't have an issue with his inclusion in the side.

With these players I see our squad as:
FB: Pelo (would rather have Greenshields here and Pelo on Wing)
Wing: Vaccari and Duport
Centres: Raguin and Touxagas?
Halves: Bosc and Gigot?
LF: Mounis
Backrow: Elima and Fakir?
Front Row: Ferriol, K. Bently, Guisset
Bench: Casty, Gossard, Simon, A. Bently

I could possibly see Griffi involved to add an old head to the mix or maybe Villagas in for Duport with Duport vying with Touxagas for a centre spot. We could do with more options at SO and Hooker.
Some good young prospects there, but we are a good 5 players short of giving England a good run for their money.

IMO Pryce, Burrow and McGuire should not be in the England squad. Pryce has never shown up at international level and the other 2 are running support players only. Burrow and McG need to have more to their game to be effective at the top level.