20 better aussie second rowers than Westwood??? Go on...

I don't like Westwood but he's a decent player, not one who will scare the Aussies but one who has done well for England so far and one who can play in a couple of different roles...his is one of the least surprising selections for me.

As I've said before, Paul Sykes is the big one that bamboozles me...how he can get in ahead of Tony Clubb, Kirk Yeaman, Leon Pryce, Stuart Littler is beyond me.

And Lee Smith is contracted to Leeds RL til the end of November too which explains his selection.

Better get a Kiwi top then

Ooh. I'll have a go, Corey Parker, Sam Thaiday, Jamal Idris, David Stagg, Tom Lleyroyd-Lars, Chris Flannery, Luke O'Donnell, Anthony Laffranchi, Glenn Stewart, Anthony Watmough, Ryan Hoffman, Nathan Hindmarsh, Luke Lewis, Paul Gallen, Eddie Pettybourne, Neville Costigan, Ben Creagh, and Dane Laurie. So, That's 18 second rowers that are better than Ben Westwood imo.
"20," that's just crazy talk...

OK OK I'll give you at least half of them...but Chris Flannery????
And there's a few in there that are only nominally 2nd rowers too...whenever I've seen Idris play he's been at centre or wing, Gallen i've always seen as a lock forward same with Costigan (who I don't rate either!) and a few others (Lewis, O'Donnell, Creagh, Laurie - wouldnt be first choice 2nd rowers per se though they can all clearly do a job there)

We all know that there are far more players for the Aussies to choose from in all positions...maybe the more pertinent question is, are there any 2nd rowers available who haven't been picked for England?? Apart from The Terminator Ian Sibbit of course

Luke Douglas
Paul Gallen
Yilleen Gordon
Andrew Ryan
Glenn Stewart
Anthony Whatmough
Shane Rodney
Corey Parker
Sam Thaiday
Ryan Hoffman
Dallas Johnson
Steve Southern
Carl Webb
Luke O’Donnell
Neville Costigan
Ben Creagh
Anthony Laffranchi
Nate Myles
Willie Mason
Shane Shackleton
Eddie Pettybourne
Mick Crocker (?)
Nathan Hindmarsh
Dane Laurie
Alan Tongue
Steve Simpson
Trent Waterhouse
Gavin Cooper
Corey Payne
Chris Heighington

That's 30. Believe me, I am being kind

You haven't watched him much. Prior to playing lock he played second-row. I was at the game in which he scored his first try in first grade. He's basically a second-rower asked to play at lock, and very occasionally as a stand-off.

Typical Aussie flexibility re their official positions. So dynamic. Hard to say who the dead-set 2nd rowers are they tend to shift positions so frequently.

Lewis, O'Donnell and Creagh have all played 2nd row in origin this year in an arguably dominant NSW pack.
Idris swaps between 2nd row and centre depending on the state of the game. He's still better than Westwood even in a part time capacity. As for Costigan, I've seen him play more than any other this year and wow, he's been cracking for St George. Has played prop, 2nd row and once at centre which wasn't his best game to be fair.
Gallen, yeh, I was being a bit cheeky there as he's probably the most orthodox lock of the lot. Is he better than Westwood at 2nd row though. Pretty sure he would be...

Willie Mason. After this year, erm, no! Truly dreadful until around round 20 when he scraped mediocrity.
Carl Webb. 2nd row? Well, if Carl Webb wants to play 2nd row or any other row for that matter, I wouldn't tell him otherwise. He scares people even when he's trying to be nice I'm sure....

He can do a job at both, and has played second-row effectively. Who would you rather have at Salford: Carl Webb as a second-rower or Ben Westwood?

Paul Gallen simply doesn't have the ball-handling skills to be, what I would call a proper 'No13'. If memory serves, he broke into Origin as a second-rower, and he broke into the Sharks team as a second-rower.

He's still far better than Westwood

Well, if you put it that way... Yeh, I'm with you. Ha. A bloke who has struggled to maintain a 1st team sot in the wooden spoon club is arguably better than a current England squad member. And they go on about the Aussie's backline.


You just watch. The Kangaroos will show up, get drunk for a month, play dreadful and England'll win the bloody thing, followed by months of 'experts' on the game such as Barrie Mc heaping praise upon the state of British rugby league...

You seem to have confused their bodily functions - they will actually be pi55ing themselves?!?

Ratchford has been ommitted from the wales game

Myler and Tomkins will start.
Would have liked to have seen Myler and Stef in the halves but I had a feeling it would not happen.

Myler and Tomkins were the obvious starters. Stef probably had a better chance on the bench. You'd have to say Chris Bridge has been preferred over him in that role.

And who does he play for I wonder


Almost 2 yrs out but still picked.
The fact that he was in the squad for Ireland in the WC but now decides he wants to play for England is also a joke.
And there was me thinking Tony Smith would show no bias

Previous international coaches that weren't even at clubs too showed some bias. Which is why I've never been a fan of the dual role, unless there's a selection committee.

Far too sensible a idea for the RFL to use.

So it starts, Stefan, if you were playing for a "big" club I would have put you in, Smith not picking on form just on club or "new" club, how much longer can we hold onto Stefan. Its the Coley situation all over again

better get ur new zealand flag out then