As many people are Criticising Steve McNamara's selection over this years 4 Nations, What would your 17man squad be from all the players avaliable for england (Injured/Not injured, Whether they be)?

FB - Sam Tomkins
W - Tom Briscoe
C - Jack Reed
C - Josh Charnley
W - Zak Hardaker
6 - Gareth Widdop
7 - Rob Burrow
PR - James Graham
HK - James Roby
PR - Jamie Peacock
2R - Ben Westwood
2R - Gareth Ellis
LF - Kevin Sinfield
------------------------
14 - Rangi Chase
15 - Adrian Morley
16 - Gareth Carvell
17 - Ryan Hall

Burrow at 7 and no Hall?

Thankfully your not the England coach, a winger on the bench????

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Ryan Hall
3. Jack Reed
4. Michael Shenton
5. Jermaine McGillvary
6. Rangi Chase
7. Danny Brough
8. Sam Burgess
9. James Roby
10. James Graham
11. Gareth Ellis
12. Ben Westwood
13. Shaun O'Loughlin

14. Rob Burrow
15. Craig Huby
16. Garreth Carvell
17. Lee Mossop

Some younger players and some returning from injury.

I noticed you yourself did not select a 17.

And yes a winger on the bench, does it not occur to you that players most open to injury are the Backs?



And yes Burrow is a half back and in this day n age 6 & 7 are virtually the same position. And Hall is in the team, just on the bench after that abysmal effort in yesterdays game, i mean running across the field in your own 30 and then throwing a wayward pass to a none expectant player.

A 6 and 7 aren't the same, that's why we can't beat Australia.

when i say this i dont mean to sound disrespectful, but ive been playing at 6 for 3 seasons now after switching from 7 and it is the exact same, i dont see why switching from 7 to 6 could be any different than switching for 6 to 7.

and i dont mean switching at amateur level, i switched to represent Scotland

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Hall
3. Reed
4. Shenton
5. Hardaker
6. Widdop
7. Brough
8. Burgess
9. Roby
10. Graham
11. Ellis
12. Westwood
13. O'loughlin

14. Carvell
15. Mossop
16. Burrow
17. JJB / Gareth Hock

Option of T Briscoe and Ryan Atkins in the backs too

So your coach is splitting his halfs?

Don't think there was much wrong with the team selection. Sooner or later people are gonna have to face up to the fact that Australia have a bigger pool of better players to select from than England do, hence why they invariably beat us.

1 Sam Tomkins
2 Tom Briscoe
3 Kirk Yeaman
4 Jack Reed
5 Ryan Hall
6 Kevin Sinfield
7 Gareth Widdop
8 James Graham
9 James Roby
10 Sam Burgess
11 Ben Westwood
12 Gareth Ellis
13 Sean O'Loughlin
------------------------
R Rob Burrow
R Jamie Jones-Buchanan
R Jamie Peacock
R Adrian Morley

Widdop
Hall
Reed
Watkins
Briscoe

Tomkins
Lomax

Graham
Roby
S Burgess
Ellis
Westwood
Sinfield

Mossop
Carvell
Manu
Houghton

Sorry mate, don't get why you'd have a player who plays at 1 at 6 and a player who plays at 6 at 1.

Watkins over Yeaman, like it.

Basically.

we have the same job to do, our positions are (nearly) exactly the same, the only difference is one of us kicks, the other doesn't and i play down the left and my 7 down the right

Having split halfbacks is a terrible idea, it slows down attacks and you can spot a set move coming a mile off because the halfbacks usually go over to the same side of the pitch for them.

I was going to put them the other way round but I think Tomkins needs some work on his positional play and diffusing kicks whereas Widdop is probably a bit more switched on in defence. In attack 1 and 6 and pretty much interchangeable anyway.

Fair point. Switching them is an option. I'd worry about Tomkins line defence though.

Does it not occur to you that forwards tire the most and you cant put a winger on the bench just in case of injury. A 6 and a winger on the bench is the dumbest idea I have heard especially when you have picked and aging Peacock to start and an aging Morley on the bench. And the fact I didnt put a 17 down doesnt mean it isnt a terrible idea.

FWIW I would go for something like this

1- Tomkins
2- Hall
3- Reed
4- Shenton/Bridge
5- Briscoe

6- Widdop
7- Lomax

8- Graham
9- Roby
10- S Burgess
11- Ellis
12- Westwood
13- O'Loughlin

14- Mossop
15- Carvell
16- Wilkin
17- Brough/Burrow/Chase

Edit!

1 Sam Tomkins
2 Tom Briscoe
3 Kirk Yeaman
4 Jack Reed
5 Ryan Hall
6 Kevin Sinfield
7 Gareth Widdop
8 James Graham
9 James Roby
10 Sam Burgess
11 Ben Westwood
12 Gareth Ellis
13 Sean O'Loughlin
------------------------
R Rob Burrow
R Jamie Jones-Buchanan
R Jamie Peacock
R Lee Mossop

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Ryan Hall
3. Jack Reed
4. Michael Shenton
5. Tom Briscoe
6. Johhnny Lomax
7. Danny Brough
8. Sam Burgess
9. James Roby
10. James Graham
11. Gareth Ellis
12. Ben Westwood
13. Shaun O'Loughlin

14. L Robinson
15. Eorl Crabtree
16. Garreth Carvell
17. Gareth Hock

Hardaker instead of Hall?!

I really hope he can get up to international standard

The 17 doesn't really matter as they will always put a side out of better quality whilst our league is set up as it is. The small matter of rugby league being a miles bigger sport in Australia then it is here will sadly always leave us needing a perfect and lucky performance to get away with one.

FWIW this is the sort of side I'd go forward with-

Tomkins
Hall
Reed
Atkins
Jones Bishop/Charnley(Need a more physical threat over there)
Widdop
Lomax
Graham
Roby
Burgess
Ellis
Westwood
O'Loughlin

Subs
Mossop
Morley
Westerman
Burrow

I think times up for one of Morley or Peacock but it would be too much experience lost to put them both out of their misery at the same time.

Excellent choice, better balance at 1, 6 and 7 also would put Huby on the bench.

Willie Manu is an interesting player. If were prepared to pick Chase and Heighington I'm suprised he didn't get selected as he is a real threat.

I just hope we have some fixtures at the end of 2012. A tour of NZ was just mentioned on the BBC highlights. That and a test in somewhere like PNG would keep the side progressing.