England Side

1. Briscoe
2. Briscoe
3. Smith
4. Shenton
5. Hall
6. McGuire
7. Tomkins
8. Graham
9. Roby
10. Morley
11. Peacock
12. Ellis
13. Sinfield

14. Burgess
15. Crabtree
16. Westwood
17. Eastmond

Expected that, I'm guessing that Eastmond will go to hooker when Roby comes off? I'm glad that Moore has been dropped after his shocker last week.

I still don't think it's good enough to win though...

Got there before me, Mr Messy.

Looks like the kleenex boxes will all be sold out in the Wigan area with the news that Tomkins starts.



Think Carvell should have come in for Westwood though, beef up the interchange bench a bit more.

It would have been pointless having 3 props on the bench, Westwood is there for his workrate.

We look painfully light in the backs though.

I take it Hall is at 5?

No, Tony Smith has picked himself on the wing

That team isn't even good enough to give the Australians a half decent game. I'm guessing Ryan Hall will be on the wing instead of the other Smith brother

. We need to replace those in red to even have a serious chance.

Especially with 3 props already on the field. I would have replaced Westwood though but I don't see anyone in the squad to replace him with. JJB may have been a better option.

The backs, particularly the centres, are painfully lightweight.

Not too much pressure Sam..

In probably Englands biggest game since the World Cup 12 months ago its interesting to see TS has backed Tomkins Maguire and Eastmood. No room for Myler !!!

He will do well hopefully and tear the aussies appart. I am pretty gutted Myler is not in the team, 3 young half backs would of been exciting to watch. MaGuire better have a good game otherwise Myler will be in for the NZ game.

Replace them with whom?

Even Smith can see Myler is out of form and short of games, i think thats the only reason he started last week to give him some game time, and it was only the French, so Smith could afford to take the risk.

I agree the backs are NO match for the aussies and i fear a spanking.

I truely hope were all wrong. But we are going to get battered. Inglis will have a field day in the centres, we will only match them or be better than them is the front row, which on its own isnt going to win us anything. I agree with the gerneral concensus, the backs are just not good enough and will not trouble the aussies. Too lightwieght and inexperienced.

But like i say, id like to be proved wrong. Well see come 4pm Saturday.

Are we saying we need our friend Martyn Gleeson back in the fold?

What about Paul Wellens too? Surely the former Best Full Back in the World would make a difference.

Im surprised Briscoe can even breathe properly given the state of his hooter.

It doesn't matter if we play Wellens, Briscoe, Gleeson, Shenton or bring back Mick Sullivan because we will still get battered like a fish in the market.

Alot of pressure to play well though from the media and from the fans he's been tagged as the man to give the Aussies problems going to be an interesting game.

Glad he's not playing Myler, but thought he'd have played Eastmond instead of Maguire. We need 2 creative halfbacks.

the back line is terrible and higham should be in with roby end ov .

This way Myler escapes any blame for involvement in a humiliating defeat, and is recalled for the game v NZ which England have an infinitesimally greater chance of winning.

no bias there my friend

That has to be the weakest centre and wing selection ever fielded by this nation against the Aussies. Scary.

On the other hand the pack looks very strong and is more than a match for the opposition.

Tomkins had better have a good game after all the hype

If he'd have picked just one of either Gleeson or Senior it would look alot stronger, Lee Smith could be moved to the wing or full back - his best positions.

Surely it would have made sense for Tony Smith to pick Super Leagues most successful centre / wing partnership this season in Senior & Hall.