Are people really suggesting that a half back pairing with a handful of SL games between them and one game at any level as a pairing should have been able to better Lockyer/Thurston? Get real! Smith had the balls to play young players all across the park and deserves credit for it. Let's not forget it's what everyone has been crying out for and we've been hammered by the Aussies enough times playing far more experienced players. It's only a week since we beat the World champions with the same players FFS! The Aussies are simply miles ahead in all departments at the moment, not least player depth.

Thought Alfie Langer was the Aussies best player last night, always up there when they were on the attack

you`ve got to be taking the p this lot would have still got walloped.....

You must have been watching a different game to me. I thought we dominated the Aussies for long periods last night particularly upfront. Where we didn't were in the hals where Thurston was outstanding & after the Shenton injury we lost momentum & they got back into the game & for the last 20mins were brilliant & blew us away.

Westwood for me had a decent game, strong running and as normal his tackling was spot on.Bridge was picked because imo, no one was good enough to play in .

Overall Smith did what everyine has being calling out for,bring in fresh faces and new ideas.

Absolutely spot on and as was pointed out on another forum, let's get back to using some ball-playing skills, instead of employing a boring kicking game, that's more akin to Twickenham.

Thought James Graham was our best player last night.

Tomkins and Eastmond are our best half back pairing at the moment so the decision to play them was the right one IMO.

nah burgess by a mile....and as for tomkins being a good to great player..another nah..average at very best..

Tomkins was not really involved, he will learn from it though and so will all the young players. I just wish we would of had some more experience out there, some players did not deserve to miss out this year IMO. Senior had one of his best seasons and Pryce is a very dangerous player but not a half back he should of been on a wing. Gleeson (although you lot probably won't agree) is the best defensive centre we have and althouh he has done nothing in attack all year he should of been included for his defence, it's not like trying to play attacking centres would of worked anyway! Tony Smith having the balls to play so many young players was great and I applaud him for it but I think he should of thought a little more about experience ad what the aussies would actually be serving up. I am happy about this Tournament as it is an improvement on the WC and there are loads of positives to take from it, well done Tony Smith and the boys. They now have to go to aus next year and get to the final and either beat aus or have a lower points margin, we must improve again next year, no backwards steps from now untill the WC could see us in with a chance.

I have more faith in Tomkins and Eastmond, than I ever have in Burrow and McGuire.

Tomkins does need to become more of a team player though.

Hey lets not write Myler off just yet, or for that matter Ratchford. my problem is whos going to replace peacock and morley cant be 2 many years left in them at top level

If he keeps progressing, no reason why Cooper can't.

Mossop is definitely one for the future. He's already a monster and still only 20 years of age.

Like Peacock & Morley I'm sure he will move up to the front row in a few years.

Graham and Burgess will be the mainstays, like Morley and Peacock have. I think Crabtree may have played his way into becoming a regular too.

Louis Mccarthy Scarsbrook looks big enough to develop into a quality prop, he certainly has a great pair of ball playing hands and pace. The last time he played for England he looked impressive, he`s always improving the more you see him. He looks to be going the Jamie Peacock route, a quality 2nd rower that looks just as comfortable at prop.

As for Sam Tomkins, he will improve a lot more when he doesn`t have to play 2nd fiddle to the likes of Thomas Leuluai at club level and Kevin Sinfield at international level, the more game time he has as an organiser and a 1st reciever then the more i think he`ll improve.

Wigan need a decent coach to bring the likes of Tomkins along and develop him as a better all round team player, he`s certainly an exciting prospect just like Eastmond with ball in hand, he just needs that raw youth coaching out of him which will help him mature as a player.

I think there's a few forwards kicking around that if they progress look to have decent futures.

I was surprised that Luke Burgess didn't make this squad to be honest, add to him LMS, Cooper, Prescott, Adamson, Harrison, Lunt, J.Tomkins and a few others, I think the future of the pack looks safe.

ok

Hate to say this but there was a HUGE mitake in selections under smith.

MYLER - Not ready/ little experience.

TOMKINS - paper thin (just look at ausies 6 and 7), tackled with ball too often, terrible kicking to hands of slater.

BRIDGE - Absolutely ludicrous.

to start.

6 and 7 were major failings in the team. Eastmond for me shows more than TOMKINS.

It should have been dare i say it.

BROUGH - He is an awesome place/goal kicker and slater would have been made to work, Has plenty experience, good defender and takes on the line well. About the best british hb re: goldthorpe last 2 years.


PRYCE - would be an ideal partner for brough and has more presence on the filed.

ATKINS - shame he was injured.

If it was on form Brough awould have been in and MYLER and BRIDGE nowhere near.

poor

If we had more young players of Tomkins' quality, the future of English Rugby League would look a lot brighter than it currently does.

Until John Kear is the next England boss you can only wish.

seconded

goes missing against when it matters...do you want to borrow the cc semi..or saints semi play off..or even last nights game...nuff said

Probably why Tim Sheens rates him. If only he'd checked with you first, eh?

may be he should....what this lad needs is to grow up and lose that chip on his shoulder then he may become better than average....

You? Saying someone needs to lose a chip on their shoulder? Now that is irony! Do you actually ever make a post or start a thread that isn't about Wigan?