Has James Roby done enough to earn a spot in the World Cup squad this season? No doubting his class and he's usually a shoe-in but has he played well enough to get in the team?

I believe it should be two from Higham, Houghton, Lunt and McIlorum. Probably the last two for me with Sinfield available for cover as I'd play O'Loughlin at 13.

Higham and Lunt for me - on form, but it will be roby and Mcilorum i feel

Might have Giants goggles on but Lunt for me has been consistent all season and has made the Super League dream team. For me he should be part of the World Cup. Roby is a great player and can win games but has been out a bit this season.

Roby is World Class. One of the very few England players that is. If he isn't number 9 then McNamara is as stupid as everyone's been saying he is for the last 3 years.

This.

This is probably our strongest position in terms of depth but it surely has to be Roby.

Roby with Lunt as back-up for me.

I would start with Lunt or Higham and bring Roby off the bench around the same time as G.Burgess with the opposition tiring, and hopefully us then on the front foot, that brings his scooting into play.

It is one of our strongest positions though.

Lunt and Roby for me. Lunt's been great for the past two years and Roby is too good to ignore.

I agree, very tough on Houghton though!

I'd go with Lunt and houghton, higham gas had a great season but England material Roby unfit out of form and is only good with a fast ruck, the World Cup ruck will be slow Australian style so Roby's quick scoots will be ineffective.

Robys been injured most of the year,.

If he has a good play off series he will be first pick, if not then he should be in line with the other 9s in the game.

its a tough one. for me roby hasnt played enough this year to get into any form, and lunt higham and houghton have been in great form all year. for me, unluckily roby would miss out and id go with higham starting, lunt off the bench. however i dont think mcnamara will have the balls to drop roby purely because of reputation so i fully expect to see him in there.

this is also the reason why i expect to see wilkin, jjb and ablett in the squad too.(none are international standard IMO)

Has to be Lunt & Roby who will be fresh 7 ready to go 100%. Higham has had a big season & would be unlucky to miss out.

Where is Sinfield going to play?

Roby should be England 9, but needs game time. An unfit/lack of match practice Roby is pointless. We do have a lot of depth in this position.

I like Houghton, works his nuts off, misses very few tackles and can put in decent kick.

Lunt could prove lethal when we get into the oppositions try line. Been in great form.

Higham has been unplayable at times, unfortunately I can't see him getting near the squad as he hasn't been in Mcnamaras plans the last few years, and he won't change now.

Burrow offers something different, he can inject some pace when we may need it most.

I think McNamara will choose Mccllorum though (If Roby is injured). The names I've mentioned above should all get above him IMO. Mcclorum hits hard but loses his head far too much when things aren't going his way (As proved against Leeds when he did a cowardly shot on BJB in the last few seconds) He's missed a lot of tackles as well.

Josh Hodgson at Rovers, Had an awesome season and recently got our player player of the year?

Personally, Lunt, Mccllorum , Houghton and Higham are all very good hookers. But as now with Roby, due to hardly playing and average form, non are international class players. Untried and Untested are the majority of our form hookers at international level. For me, it's not how good they are, but how they compliment the players around them.

I'm sorry to tell you this but I reckon you'll see Sinfield spend a bit of time at 9 interchanging with Roby.

I wouldn't have mcclorum near the squad personally, I'd have Lunt or highams way ahead of him.

Roby is world class played for 80 mins at the weekend. He only needs a couple of games to get back up to speed.
Lunt is probably best suited as Roby,s understudy.

Was world class. Not the player he used to be.

I really hope not, who's going to kick? This was the whole point of choosing Sinfield at 6. To organise and control. Why Sinfield may do a decent job at hooker, we have no one who can kick if he's in at dummy half. I presume your thinking McNamara will bring Widdop off the bench and have him and Chase at 6&7. Sinfield HAS to play 6, we've no other player who can kick a ball. If he gets crocked in the play-offs, we have had it.

He played 9 for a while against the exiles and still managed to control the side. I'm not saying this is what I would do I'm just saying I think this will happen, as it happens thouh Sinfield had had his best games for Englsnd spelling at hooker, he's won MO M against NZ playing this role.

Rightly or wrongly, I think Sinfield will play hooker. Chase and Widdop to play 6&7.

Roby is the best English hooker so he should play. Simple for me.

Lunt and Houghton are good players, but they are untried and untested at that level, so it would be a risk to go with them. I'd choose one from those two as a back-up option.

I don't get the deal with McIlorum tbh. Apart from his aggression, I'm not sure what makes him stand out above the others in his position. Maybe it's because he plays for Wigan.

Higham is surely way too old to play vs NZL and Aus? Shame, his form has probably come at the wrong time in his career for selection.

A lot depends on who is fit and available on the halves. I wouldn't be suprised to see 6 Widdop 7 Chase 9 Sinfield with Roby on the bench.

I keep changing my mind as to which combination I prefer. If fit Roby should play. Both Lunt and Houghton should consider themselves unlucky if they are not involved. As good as they've been I think we have better options than Higham and MM.

Roby is comfortably the best 9 in England and should be one of the first names on the team sheet.