A team made up of players like that would be a shadow of previous great Australian teams

Only Slater, Lockyer and Smith would get anywhere near a start in the teams from 82-2000

oh yeah....and he's stanley gene's age...

Tonga will have one Centre spot as the current Qld Centre.

Brent Tate will be chasing the other spot with Gasnier and others.

did i read somewhere that willie tonga has somekind of foot injury??

Lyon been ruled out as well

Running scared!!! Come on England! At least the Aussies have got an excuse for getting beat now. They didn't have one ready at the World Cup.

very true

I've had a quick look around, and the following are all out of the train-on squad so far:

Greg Inglis
Israel Folau*
Josh Morris
Justin Hodges
Michael Jennings
Jamie Lyon
Willie Tonga*
Johnathon Thurston
Steven Price*
Michael Crocker*
Mark Minichello

*Unavailable for selection in the squad due to injury/AFL.

There's a bit of me that want sot nod sagely and say that having so many people out would devalue any British victory.

However, basically I don't give a stuff. They're always telling us they've got loads more depth, so this shouldn't be a problem for them. Whinging gits.

Got to be a good chance for England. A real shame we're going to be missing Peacock and Eastmond, so let's hope Tomkins doesn't get hurt in the final. Perhaps Wigan should help the England cause by not playing him.

after all they could put a NYC under20's team out that would beat us...apparently



lets see

Or a Toyota Cup team.

Absolutely... if (and it is still a pretty sizable if) England turn Australia over in the 4 Nations then they cannot use injuries as an excuse

You cannot spend three decades boasting of how you could send 3 or 4 teams over to beat the Poms and then blame injuries when you do lose... that level of hypocrisy would be mind blowing

Still.... we actually have to do well in the comp first!

seem to me all the pressure is on the aussies......especially after what happened at the world cup....lets see what they are made of..

Who are we missing?

By my reckoning:
Peacock
Eastmond?
Yeaman
Jones Bishop
Pryce
Bridge
Watts

McGuire of course

Of the list above, I would suggest that Peacock, Bridge and Eastmond would be in the 1st choice 17 (many would argue for Pryce and/or McGuire but they would be up against some stiff competition)

So an Australian starting line up of:

1. Slater
2. Boyd
3. Gasnier
4. Lawrence
5. Hayne
6. Carney
7. Cronk
8. Weyman
9. Smith
10. Shillington
11. Thaiday
12. Harrison
13. Bird

14. Prince
15. Myles
16. Gallen
17. Learoyd-Lahrs

Still think it will be a breeze for England?

As an England fan iam not getting too giddy about the Aussies dropping out as our already poor back line has been weakened further with Pryce, Eastmond and Mc Guire all injured.

I'm not sure where you've heard people say it will be a breeze for England, certainly not from this thread?

Compare the team above with the one that beat England in the last 4 Nations final

1. Billy Slater
2. Jarryd Hayne
3. Greg Inglis
4. Justin Hodges
5. Brett Morris
6. Darren Lockyer (c)
7. Johnathan Thurston
8. Petero Civoniceva
9. Cameron Smith
10. Ben Hannant
11. Luke Lewis
12. Paul Gallen
13. Nathan Hindmarsh

14. Sam Thaiday
15. Anthony Watmough
16. Kurt Gidley
17. Brett White

Which would you rate as the stronger?

Makes no difference, we'll still get snotted

See, the problem I have with this attitude is that if the players think that we will never win

We need the players, especially the young players like Tompkins, Eastmond etc to go out there with confidence... they are quality players and they should believe in themselves

Australia went for decades losing regularly to GB... despite the past 30 years, the Ashes score line stands at 59 wins to Australia and 55 to GB (up to and including the 2003 series)

It really winds me up this defeatist attitude

Who's whinging? You?

I can't wait to see such a new looking Kangaroos. I believe there's some players you've yet to be introduced to.

We have our own massive problems, Yeamans pulled out

Or maybe the players have realised the international scene is a joke and would rather have a long offseason to rest and recoup

It doesn't matter who the aussies have out because they will just take some players off fiji, tonga, samoa or the kiwis to fill the gaps

Gotta love this thread.....same as all the others before an international comp......england v australia....australia v england......and hardly a mention of the current world champions who are playing at Home........