Based on yesterday and the limited options we have with it being a 24 man squad, this is how I would line up on Saturday.

Lomax
Mcgilvary
Watkins
Ratchford
Hall
Widdop
Williams
Hill
Hodgson
Graham
Whitehead
Farrell
S Burgess

Cooper
G Burgess
Bateman
Clark


Although judging by Wayne bennetts pre match interview yesterday Williams won't get a game

He should go with the team that he is likely to pick for Australia.

Personally I'd go

Lomax
McGillvary
Watkins
Percival
Hall
Widdop
Williams
Hill
Hodgson
G.Burgess
Whitehead
Bateman
S.Burgess

Clark
Farrell
Graham
Cooper/T.Burgess

We need to go for points because it's now likely to come down to points difference for us to reach the final (if we can beat Australia that is) so we could do with bettering their winning margin over Scotland.

As mentioned on the other thread I'd start with Graham (or Hill) on the bench so that you don't lose them both from the field at the same time and have at least of them on at all times. When they went off together towards the end of the first half we struggled.

Widdop
McGillvary
Bateman
Percival
Hall
Williams
Gale
Hill
Hodgson
Graham
Whitehead
Farrell
S. Burgess

Clark
Cooper
Taylor
G Burgess.

I dont see any real point in changing for changing sake, Yes the Aussies have said openenly that all their players will get game time, I dont think thats a luxury we have - We need to use the Scotland game to build on combinations, Therefore I see no point in changing the spine now 1,6,7,9,13 They all need time to play togther.

Therefore my changes are thus

Sarginson out - Percival in. I was actualy suprised Percival didnt get the nod to begin with I actually thought he offered alot in the France game - I know it was only france, but still.

Scott Taylor in for One of the Burgess Twins - I would also Start him and put Hill on the bench

Thats it really

Lomax
McGillvary Watkins Percival Hall
Widdop Williams
G Burgess Hodgson Graham
Whitehead Farrell S Burgess

Hill Cooper Taylor Bateman

Percival for Sarginson is a no brainer. It's clear that Sarginson has found his position at fullback.

Williams for Gale. If Gales only responsibility is to hit and hope the odd bomb up from 40 yards out then we may as well put a running threat in the position.

Taylor for Tom Burgess. I wasn't impressed with either of the Burgess twins and we looked weak defensively around the middle when they were on so I'd give Taylor a shot for Tom and bench Hill simply because I think him and Graham are superb and we need one of them on the field at all times.

Farrell to start. He's a superb line runner and he has a great link up with Williams. He's fresh as a daisy as well after missing a large chunk of the season.

I had the last bench spot between Clark and Bateman and plumped for Bateman. I don't think we need to spell Hodgson tbh and Clark was very poor defending the middle when he came on. As a Wigan fan I was dissapointed that Bateman didn't play his naturally aggressive game. He was the same in the series against the Kiwis last year and he needs a big game at the weekend. Some will say it's simply him being dominated because he's too small but I think it's a case of him playing in his shell. He needs to get in the opposition faces and niggle them like he loves doing for us.

I agree with Printer that the team that faces Scotland needs to be the one for Australia.

Hopefully not too many changes.

For those reasons I'd like to start him on the bench. Come on after 30 mins or so, fresh against tiring bodies as they reach HT.

I agree with the leaving one of Hill & Graham on the bench to start with. I know the obvious thing would be to start your two best props from the off but we really have to think about who we are bringing on around that 25/30 mins mark. Got to have 13 out at all times that you have confidence in.....watching Hill and Graham depart around the same time vs the Aussies and I'd be really worried about things going wrong either side of HT.

I don't think you can have both Farrell and Bateman as forwards. You can get away with one, but as a pair they're too small IMO.

George Burgess - not copped near as much flak as the other two. He was woeful and has been all year. At least you could tell Sam and Tom were trying.

I would drop Sarginson, Widdop, George Burgess. I'd give the benefit of the doubt to Lomax and Whitehead.

In - Percival, Williams, Farrell or Taylor.

I wouldn't have either, they are way too small to have any impact. Bateman did nothing v NZ, I would go for a big pack v Australia with 3 monsters on the bench in Taylor and the twins.

I doubt any team put out against Scotland will worry the Aussies,neither will the England team that is put out against them..

No wholesale changes for me. We presumably employed Bennett to improve our mentality, approach and execution. He's clearly not had sufficient time to do this but with an easier fixture against the Scots and the best part of a fortnight before we face Australia I'd be very interested to see what is delivered by us in the second of those games. The picture will be a lot clearer if the waters aren't muddied by swapping players for others who, on paper, would not appear to offer a huge amount more. You'd have to hope that Bennett doesn't at this stage feel a whole new radical approach is called for.

Sarginson is over rated in my opinion and should be nowhere near the England squad as a centre.

Widdop flatters to deceive as far as I can see. A good goal kicker but doesn't offer much else as a 6.

Gale was unfortunate on Saturday insofar as Hodgson did a lot of the kicking from dummy half and widdop was first receiver.

I would drop Widdop which then allows Gale to be the game manager, a role he undertakes for Cas to a very high level. You can then bring Williams in who offers more of a threat as a running 6 and you then imo have the right combination of skills in the halves

Unchanged bar Sarginson out, Percival in.

You can switch Williams and Widdop but I think the only advantage is that Williams is quicker. Other than that, I think they both have a pretty similar game. However, I would swap Gale to the left (where we attack the most) and also which is his most dangerous position.

I think he's been made the fall guy for some bad tactical decisions by the team on Saturday, along with some individuals taking it all upon themselves to go for glory. The ball went down the left far more than the right and it's clear we've been told to stick to some kind of rigid structure. When Gale did move across to be involved on the left we either scored, or we had great chances to score. Equally, the time we did go right it ended up with McGillvary going in at the corner.

If we don't put Gale on the left, I'd question what Denis Betts brings to the assistant coach role given the fact that he supposedly sees SL week in, week out and saw Gale rip him a new backside when Solomona scored 3 on last game of the season and the Gale/Solomona combination has yielded 42 tries in SL alone this season.

Cant argue with that.
Bennett must have a plan but, I dont see Widdop getting the axe. Unfortunately it could be Gale, which isn't exactly fair.
Ratchford may get in at FB, which should give us more attacking options. However, scoring against Scotland, although important, will be no indicator as to whether we will score against Australia and let's face it, that is the only game that matters.

I would keep the 17 the same or possibly just make one change with Farrell coming in for Bateman.

Sarginson didn't have the best game but I don't think Percival would have done any better or offers us anything else.

Well, considering even Wigan fans are saying Percival is a far superior centre...

I actually think this is exactly the time to make changes. In previous 4Ns we've seen the problems caused by having to pick players in the last game who haven't played previously - if anything it makes the incumbents even harder to shift regardless of how they play. Also, Bennett's main aim is the WC next year, and this tournament is really his only opportunity to see how well his players perform. Restricting that to 18 or 19 players in his squad won't help him in that regard.

That we are. I like Sarg, he a 110% player, tries too hard sometimes and ends up forcing it. He doesn't have the rugby brain and natural flair of Percival who I think is a quality centre. Sarg will give you the work rate, he'all take it in all day but we need more than that at international level. If Sarg does play it has to be at FB IMO, though that would be harsh on Lomax who wasn't great either but it was his first proper game at this level.

Especially if a certain number of those aren't performing.

graham out injured so id expect maybe scott taylor to come in as a direct replacement?

other than that cant see much else changing, maybe ratchford in for lomax at full back but sounds like bennett wants to keep changes to a minimum and get more game time for the big one against aussies week after

brierley fit to play for scotland after he took a knock v australia

how many tickets have been sold for this double header game?

Sounds like Williams, Farrell, Ratchford and a couple of others will get some game time. Bennett says two or three spots are up for grabs, so I assume he means maybe centre, one half-back spot and one in the pack...

Bennett said in an interview that he wants everyone bar Ward (who he said is not fit) to get game time. At the same time he said he didn't want to make too many changes so I'm not sure what team we will see against Scotland.

they've been suspiciously quiet with updates even the cheap seats aren't sold out. Can't see many deciding to go to Coventry at last minute with booth games on TV either. Would love to be proved wrong but this experiment doesn't seem to have paid off.

On a more positive note large parts of Anfield are now sold out for the final, with only the new upper tier still to be put on sale.

might be lots of empty seats at the coventry ground then

32500 is the capacity for stadium

not the best idea to give it to coventry, maybe if they had magic weekend there next year but thats going to newcastle again