https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... aland-test John Bateman, George Burgess, Tom Burgess, Daryl Clark, Jake Connor, Oliver Gildart, James Graham, Chris Hill, Josh Hodgson, Jonny Lomax, Tommy Makinson, Jermaine McGillvary, Richie Myler, Sean O'Loughlin, Mark Percival, Luke Thompson, Sam Tomkins, Elliott Whitehead, George Williams. So what’s the team from that. Looks as though Bateman will be SR.

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... aland-test John Bateman, George Burgess, Tom Burgess, Daryl Clark, Jake Connor, Oliver Gildart, James Graham, Chris Hill, Josh Hodgson, Jonny Lomax, Tommy Makinson, Jermaine McGillvary, Richie Myler, Sean O'Loughlin, Mark Percival, Luke Thompson, Sam Tomkins, Elliott Whitehead, George Williams. So what’s the team from that. Looks as though Bateman will be SR.

Where is Tom Johnstone?

Not selected. McGilvray & Makinson on the wings presumably.

From the 19 I would probably go with the following

Tomkins
McGilvary
Connor
Percival
Makinson
Williams
Myler
Graham
Hodgson
Burgess
Whitehead
Bateman
O’Loughlin

Burgess
Hill
Clark
Thompson

Gildart
Lomax

That’s not far off what Bennet will pick imo though Lomax, as he has already said will start at FB with Tomkins missing out. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lomax moving to the halves for the second test in place of Myler.

It's scary that Williams and Myler are the best we have at 6 & 7.
We have plenty up front and enough quality in the three quarters but, our 6 & 7 wont scare anyone.
I'd rather have Tomkins in the halves just to give us some "x" factor and Lomax at 1.

They aren’t the best but they aren’t injured either unlike other options.

I’d imagine Widdop & Gale are currently first choice. Even with those injured I’m sure there must be a better option than Myler?

I think Bennett will go for this...

Tomkins
McGilvary
Connor
Percival
Makinson
Lomax
Myler
Hill
Hodgson
Graham
Bateman
Whitehead
O’Loughlin

Clark
T,Burgess
G,Burgess
L,Thompson

He's said Lomax will start ahead of Tomkins at FB, Makinson ahead of Johnstone and he was talking up Jake Connor, so I reckon we're looking at:

1. Lomax
2. McGillvary
3. Percival
4. Gildart
5. Makinson
6. Williams
7. Myler
8. Graham
9. Hodgson
10. T.Burgess
11. Bateman
12. Whitehead
13. O'Loughlin

14. G.Burgess
15. Connor
16. Hill
17. Thompson

Not what I would pick, but what I expect.

I'm surprised Tomkins isn't in the mix because he has a lot of experience and shared wavelengths of Madge and the Kiwi's and would have that extra bit of anticipation compared to Lomax. IMO he also has better game management.

Swap the centres around and you may well be right.

I'll be disappointed if Lomax starts at 1 and Tomkins isn't featured. It's a really key position for England's attack given the gulf between their 3/4s and that of NZ. I haven't seen anything to convince me that Lomax can consistently be an attacking threat from FB at international level.

In the last series v NZ England had recently crowned MOS Zak Hardaker at 1 and he was made to look well out of his depth with ball in hand.

Who then?

And Myler hasn’t done too bad considering how poor a team he was in this year, up near the top of the try assists list.

I would have Tomkins in over Lomax because Lomax is crap full stop, show pony nothing more, he is only inn the side because for some inexplicable reason he is on a central contract. i would have Ratcford in over both of them and he is not all that.

Having stopped to think about that I’m struggling. The only one I could come up with is Sneyd.

Has Myler been good? He reminds me of Tony Smith a few years back at Wigan, ok player but rarely creates space with his passing game.

We don't have many good consistent half backs, never mind any international class ones. Having said that, I cannot recall Andy Gregory, Shaun Edwards or Shaun Long (to name but three) getting the better of the Aussies when it mattered. These days, were reliant on our pack to win games with brute strength.

Rathford injured or dropped?

Probably not good but those other terms we’ve used “ok” and “not bad”....unfortunately that’s the reality of the depth of English HB’s.

Edwards no, long definitely not,(apart from one good game in Sydney) Gregory plenty, second best British scrum half ever behind Ale Murphy, best in my lifetime, and finally got the nod for the Hall of fame.

Gregory - 2 wins versus Australia
Edwards - 1 win versus Australia
Long - 1 win versus Australia

Long - 04 in Wigan and 06 in Sydney, arguably the man of the match in both

But not when it mattered.

Gregory ripped to kangaroos apart in the 3 rd test in 86, we was robbed by the most outrageous penalty try ever given.
close to winning series in 88 and should have won in 1990 unlucky with injury on 92 tour he may have been the difference in deciding close 3rd test, fact is we have not really looked like beating them in a test series since 1994. o to be playing the kangaroos as GB every 2 years again.

Thing is that we've had better half backs over the years, but have not managed to win a test series decider, world cup knock out fixture or 4 nations match when it matters against the Aussies for a very long time.