the only players to come out of yesterday's debacle with anything approaching international credit would be, err, none of them.

yes i beleive so

unless

Australia + PNG beat NZ

and we really destroy PNG i think

It's centres + FB I think we're really lacking tbh. We have wingers who can finish and have pace, Briscoe will be one of the wingers for the next 5-10 years and then there's a few others out there who can fill the other spot.

Bridge is a player I like and think he would be in were he available, I just don't rate Atkins for some reason though, I see him as more of a winger playing as a centre than the other way around. He's got enough pace + size to trouble anyone on the wing.

Tomkins
Atkins
Bridge
Gleeson
Briscoe
McGuire/Pryce
Eastmond

Would have been my backline. Halves are ok, but I think (where possible) you want to get a partnership from club level at international level due to the restricted playing time at internationals. Aus have SOO to play together and gel whereas we don't.

You calling for that counties thing back?

Nothing gained with that IMO if we keep up a mid season international. It's more being able to field the same spine of the team year in, year out. Both the Kiwis and Kangaroos have that advantage over us. Only four players from the world cup are playing in the England team this year and last year's team was different from this year. We can't hope to compete if we keep on changing the line up so drastically. Ok, so this year was slightly different in that Eastmond and Sinfield were injured; but even so, we need to solidify our spine so that as a group of players they get to know each other and get confident in playing the opposition.

That wasn't really what I was getting at but again I wouldn't be particularly adverse to that. But with the RFL in charge you know it would be shocking effort and pointless.

I was just meaning that the key figures in the Aus side get to play together on a more regular basis even though they play for different sides.