Ratchford's defence isn't as good as Mathers was and doesn't play as positionally well as Hodgson.
No where near as strong as Bridge right centre.
Goes missing when at 6/7.

He for me is fantastic with a tired defence. I would play him off the bench. Good at everything, master of nothing.

I wouldn't have thought they we're thinking of including Hodgson...

Though he probably had more chance of inclusion than Mathers.

I do enjoy your posts though

I feel for Lunt and dare I say it Crabtree. Plus there is Wilkin along with Moz, Mickey Higham & Atkins et all. Atkins is never going to get a shirt whilst McNamara is around. The squad creates debate and you can see reasons for and against players. Mickey McC could become a liability or he could rattle players and put them off their game. Time will tell but one thing is for sure come the last 4 we will need a little bit of lady luck along with playing out of our skin to be in with a chance of winning it.

Potentially massive pack, as good as Aus or NZ but any momentum they give will be totally negated by the usual problem - no half backs selected.

Sinfield & Chase will be the halves, so you have a loose forward who masquerades as a stand-off and spends half his time at hooker (where he looks much better these days) and a wildcard risk-taker who will win some games and lose some.

O'Loughlin is nowhere near fit, Mossop, Ablett & Farrell aren't anywhere near international class and are in by virtue of the club they play for.

Ratchford as a utility back, Myler & McGuire should have been in.

McGuire? he's garbage at the moment

McGuire has looked a little tired and slow of late in my opinion. I'm aware he's had injuries and came back from them but ideally for him the break will do him good. I would use Burrow ahead of "Tiny temper" Mickey Mc. He could end up being embarrassed by someone if he starts with his antics.

thanks....i was going off topic a bit there....thinkng about Warrington.

Dear me, did someone mention McGuire? He was pathetic against Wigan last week. His international ship sailed long ago.

Including Matty Smith in a World Cup squad would be ridiculous. Let's be serious about this tournament if we're going to enter it. I'd rather see Richard Fairbrass out of Right Said Fred play. I appreciate that Smith won the Lance Todd, and I accept that he could have a "wow of a game" on Saturday and win the Harry Sunderland trophy - but he's not an international standard class player.

I say let's stop having a dig at the England squad selected and get behind the bunch of knights grade 2nd rowers playing out of position to cover a lack of depth in other positions...oops, I sense some irony there!

Utterly desperate to put neanderthals like McIlorum and Hock in the squad. Astonishing.

You can take multiple views on the squad. The summation is, we lack sufficient numbers in the halfback and centre positions.

+1