PNG must have a strong domestic league, took a last minute try for the Aussies to beat a PNG side with no overseas based players. Maybe clubs over here should look to bring a few more PNG players over. www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 26f2z.html

PNG must have a strong domestic league, took a last minute try for the Aussies to beat a PNG side with no overseas based players. Maybe clubs over here should look to bring a few more PNG players over. www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 26f2z.html

They have a pretty basic set up locally but they are always very enthusiastic against the Prime Ministers select XIII (players from teams not in the NRL finals) and the scores are often reasonably close.
It is an Exhibition game played in that style.

Would England have fared that well against the PM XIII?

England would easily beat what is basically a third string team, some strong selections in some spots but some rookies and fringe players in plenty of spots.

Only a couple of those at best would be in contention for any full strength Kangaroo team.

1. Darius Boyd (Newcastle Knights)

2. Akuila Uate (Newcastle Knights)

3. Michael Jennings (Penrith Panthers)

4. Chris Lawrence (Wests Tigers)

5. Beau Ryan (Wests Tigers)

6. Lachlan Coote (Penrith Panthers)

7. Scott Prince (Gold Coast Titans)

8. Aaron Woods (Wests Tigers)

9. Andrew McCullough (Brisbane Broncos)

10. Tim Mannah (Parramatta Eels)

11. Ben Te’o (Brisbane Broncos)

12. Feleti Mateo (NZ Warriors)

13. Wade Graham (Cronulla Sharks)

14. Dan Hunt (St George Illawarra Dragons)

15. Martin Kennedy (Sydney Roosters)

16. Josh Maguire (Brisbane Broncos)

17. Matthew Ryan (Parramatta Eels)

18. Nathan Stapleton (Cronulla Sharks)

I dont think the PM's selection team goes into a match like this to try and carve up the PNG locals, its all about encouraging and building the foundations of the game in PNG.

I think it would be a really tight game with England TBH.that back line looks better than anything England could put together at the moment with Boyd,Uate,Jennings and Lawrence all being full internationals at some point recently.It could even be argued it has better halves.Only in the forwards might England grind out the result.

Fair play to PNG for a spirited effort, even though as you say i dont reckon the PM's select were in top gear.

I think England should beat that team more times than not. Just because they play in the Super Dooper NRL doesn't make them better than what we've got. Our forwards are up there if not better than the Aussie first string, never mind the PM XIII.

Backs, you decide... (Obviously change the England players with who you'd pick)
Boyd or Tomkins?
Uate or Hall?
Jennings or Reed?
Lawrence or Atkins?
Ryan or Briscoe?
Coote or Widdop?
Prince or Chase?

Their halves fair enough. Maybe Jennings over Reed too. The rest including forwards, all England for me.

Problem is our backs struggle though when you throw in the likes of Slater, GI, Cronk and JT.

Why do people keep picking Chase, Nationality issue aside the blokes been cr@p all season.

Yes, i would expect England to win but it wouldnt be easy.There would not be much to choose between the backs although i would say those centres are still better which just highlights our main problem area.Also,OZ could pick many combinations of halves which would trump our selections.

As for the statement about our pack being on a level or better than OZ first string, i do wonder if this is a bit of a myth that we get sold on as in recent years i have yet to see it dominate or set the platform for an English victory over the old enemy.

Agreed,
The English forwards are always touted as better than Australia's Pack and yet I cannot remember when England dominated the Aussie forwards and players like Peacock are retired, Ellis and Morley are not what they were in their prime.
That leaves Graham, Sam Burgess along with Roby, Westwood and Hock.........


In any World pack I would have to find a place for
Cam Smith
Paul Gallen
Matt Scott
Luke Lewis

The rest like Thaiday Myles, Taylor Watmough, Tamou, and Shillington are in the eye of the beholder.

Would the PM's XIII beat the "Exiles" I wonder.

Correct.I would probably have T-Rex in there aswell.I also like the look of Penrith prop Tim Grant who has just burst onto the Origin scene.

if there was a world pack picked today only Graham and Burgess would have a real shot at getting in it IMO.

Im not wanting to big up the NRL or savage Super League players or anything.Just being a realist.

Can't argue with we haven't dominated Aus, but IMO this is where we should be beating them.

I think we've got the two best props in the world (using Gallen as 13) and the best backrower in Westwood. There's not much between the rest of the players you both mention though. I do think we have the slight edge overall in the forwards, just.

Backs, mainly halves, we are light years away.

Back on topic, good to see PNG put up a contest. Lets see if they can build on that in next years WC. I do fear the PM XIII wasn't going full blooded though.

So you have the best props as long as Gallen is counted as a lock (where he rarely if ever plays). But you also have the best backrower.... presumably only if Gallen is counted as a prop.


Tamou
Smith
Scott
Gallen
Myles
Lewis
with Thaiday, Taylor, Bird, Shillington, Watmough, Stewart and several other younger blokes in reserve I'd still back the Roos.

Alright second rowers then. And yeah I'd play him at 13. I think we can compete and beat them in one-off games. Majority will go with Aus no doubt, I still stand by that our forwards can not just match but beat theirs though.

"Can" maybe. Any two fully pro sides "can" beat each other. It happens in the NRL and SL all the time - weaker sides beating stronger teams. The best sides win in the end though. The poms have not even gone close to proving they have the better pack, never mind the better team. And they won't be proving anything for more than 12 months. You could suggest that they can say what they like until then. But I'd suggest it means they can't say anything.

I would say Sam Burgess is a better back rower than prop and would play him in the Gallen role for England.

If we can get all our players fit and available for selection then competing with Australia is the least we should be doing with the current bunch.Its our lack of depth and the Australians huge depth in quality that is our undoing but hasn't it always been the case?

As ECT says, any team can compete and win on any one off game but in the big games and moments the best teams always tend to shine through.Which they have for over 3 decades.With Burgess,Graham Roby,Hall,Widdop and Tomkins in their prime at next years world cup and throw in very good seasoned pros in Hock,Westwood and Ellis we can be quietly confident of having a good go,which is all we can expect.

Lets hope so.
The Game needs a shot in the arm at International level and that means a competitive
English team with a genuine chance of taking the World Cup.

Thank god for Fijians!

Graham
Roby
Burgess
Westwood
Hock
O'loughlian

Thats a pretty decent pack imo but is it better than what we had 5,6,7years ago?

Fielden
Newton/Roby
JP
Ellis
Farrell
Sculthorpe

With Burgess, Hock and Morley on the bench. I think there was a bit more quality in depth mid 2000s than there is now.

Wellens
Carney
Gleeson
Senior
Raynor
Pryce
Long

Is not as good as our potential backline in my opinion.

Tomkins
Briscoe/Charnley
Atkins
Reed
Hall
Widdop
McGuire

Vinaka

The GB/England packs been better than the Ausie pack for years but they do everything tough and off the backfoot because while the Ausies have World class halfbacks controlling them we've got makeshift and out of position good domestic players struggling to do that job for us.

That is a Myth in my opinion.
Dominant forwards set up the play for Halfbacks and even average Halfbacks can make something happen if given the space by the forwards.
The old adage is Forwards win games and the Backs decide by how many.

Man for man it does not stack up.
The fact Englands Halves have been ordinary is a fair point, it does no mean that England's forwards have been better.
They have never shown any dominance other than in one dead rubber years ago.
Did Burgess, Ellis or Graham win the Dally M award this year for their position?

Cam Smith
Paul Gallen
Matt Scott
Luke Lewis

Which equivalent English players are better?

Poor back line defence and a poor kick and chase has killed our chances every game. That and not been able to cope with the pressure of an arm wrestle.

PNG v Australia won by a Fijian. Sums it up. Australia should not be allowed to call themselves Australia.

Can't see why you cannot play SOO and play for Fiji/New Zealand. If you're born in Fiji but brought up in Queensland, you are both a Fijian and a Queenslander. It would help the interantional game no end

PNG Prime Minister's XIII v Australian Prime Minister's XIII won by a try to a Fijian born Australian RL junior.

What's Rangi Chase's junior club again?