Had a think about this and here is my team

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Tom Briscoe
3. Michael Shenton
4. Jack Reed
5. Jamie Foster
6. Gareth Widdop
7. Richie Myler
8. Sam Burgess
9. James Roby
10. James Graham
11. Gareth Ellis
12. Joel Tomkins
13. Sean O'Loughlin

I am ready to be shot down

Jack Reed?

english centre, plays for brisbane.


personally it would be a choice between shenton and bridge for the right centre spot.

although myler is improving i dont think hes quite there yet so widdop and brough in the halves, westwood in at second row with joel tomkins on the bench.

Shenton over Atkins or Bridge?

Not shooting you down, Doc, but the RFL/McBanana would never go for something as adventurous/green as that side.

You could argue a case for all of them, Ellis excepted, as he's never really (imo) transferred his excellent club form into an international shirt, so you'd probably swap for Westwood. Also, isn't Burgess on a long term injury (I'm probably wrong).

There'd be mass uproar if Myler got anywhere near the side, without picking the likes of Burrow, McGuire or Sinfield (no anti Leeds bias here, honestly) ahead of him.

I fear another whooping (unfortunately) come October/November for the internationals. Hope I'm wrong though.

tomkins over westwood

Most of the team picks itself but Foster should be nowhere near the side, problem is who else to pick? Briscoe is our best winger but after him we lack another international quality winger.

1.tomkins
2.hall
3.shenton
4.reed
5.briscoe
6.lomax
7.brough
8.graham
9.roby
10.burgess
11.ellis
12.westwood
13.oloughlin
subs
14.robinson
15.carvell
16.tomkins
17.crabtree

People have been argueing for a while now that the England/GB team should be picked on form, suprised nobody has picked Kirk Yeaman as he's been the in form english centre this year.

I'd go for something similar to this, yeh a few picks are brave but it can't do any harm rewarding form players like Jodie Broughton ahead of the likes of Ryan Hall, and yes no Widdop as i see Lomax as a more natural stand off than him and Widdop isn't going to replace Sam Tomkins. Ben Jones Bishop is another winger knocking on the door.

1. S Tomkins
2. T Briscoe
3. Chris Bridge
4. Kirk Yeaman
5. J Broughton
6. J Lomax
7. D Brough
8. G Carvell
9. J Roby
10. J Graham
11. B Westwood
12. J Tomkins (Compliments Westwood well, workrate and pace in the back row)
13. S Burgess (sorry can't have O'Loughlin at this level)

14. Luke Robinson
15. G Ellis
16. P Wood
17. E Crabtree

1. S.Tomkins
2. T.Briscoe
3. C.Bridge
4. K.Yeamen
5. R.Hall
6. G.Widdop
7. D.Brough
8. J.Graham
9. J.Roby
10. G.Carvell
11. G.Ellis
12. B.Westwood
13. S.Burgess

14. L.Robinson
15. S.O'loughlin
16. J.Tomkins
17. E.Crabtree

S Tomkins
Jones-Bishop/Charnley/McGilviray
Bridge
Yeaman
Briscoe
Widdop
Brough
Carvell
Roby
Graham
Westwood
Ellis
O'Loughlin

Robinson
Mossop
J Tomkins
Wood

Spot on apart from Charnley. Awful defensively.

The sad thing is, the teams listed in this thread are as good as we're going to get and the most wouldn't even get in an Austrialia 3rd team(if they were aussies).

Average, just average.

1. S Tomkins (Wigan)
2. T Briscoe (Hull FC)
3. C Bridge (Wire)
4. J Reed (Broncos)
5. J Foster (Saints)
6. G Widdop (Storm)
7. D Brough (Hudds)
8. S Burgess (Rabbitohs) (Out all season - Carvell to start, Crabtree on to the bench)
9. J Roby (Saints)
10. J Graham (Saints/Bulldogs)
11. G Ellis (Tigers)
12. B Westwood (Wire)
13. S O'Loughlin (c) (Wigan)

14. L Robinson (Hudds)
15. G Carvell (Wire)
16. D Griffin (Hudds)
17. B Harrison (Wire)

I don't think we have the quality in the outside backs to beat the Aussies straight up. Keep it simple, big team, big bench. If we get the opportunity to play ball, we have good enough players out wide with the required skill set to score from an overlap or hole in defence but otherwise I'd look to bully them out the game.

I'd have Sarginson (Quins)at centre, what i've seen of him so far he won't be at Quins long.

1. Widdop
2. Hall
3. Bridge
4. Yeaman
5. Briscoe
6. Brown
7. Brough
8. Morley
9. Roby
10. Graham
11. Ellis
12. Westwood
13. Sinfield (C)

14. S. Tomkins (purely for impact, his step running at tired players would be devastating)
15. Burgess
16. Harrison
17. Heighington

1.Tomkins
2. Jones-Bishop (Really impressed with this lad)
3. Sarginson
4. Yeaman
5. Briscoe
6. Widdop
7. Brough
8. Carvell
9. Roby
10. Graham
11. Westwood
12. Burgess
13. O'Loughlin (c)

14. Robinson
15. Sinfield
16. Ellis
17. J Tomkins (utility value)

Those picking Crabtree, give your head a wobble, average this season.

Not a single prop on the bench, surely you aint expecting our front row to try and do the full 80 mins against Australia and the Kiwis ?

Not a dig here at all, Reidy
but this shows why we're a thousand miles behind the Aussies. They could put 15-20 back rowers/auxilliary props, who are at least as good as/miles better than Harrison

As I've said before, on other threads, the squad we'll have, will be full of v. good SL standard players, but few and far between GREAT international players

Where are the Hanley's, Gregory's, Lydon's, Ward's (and more recently) Farrell's, Sculthorpe's etc, of yesteryear.

We have Roby, Graham (maybe Westwood) and (potentialy) STomkins, who the Aussies would take a look at.

The Aussie coaches must "widdle their pants" at the thought of facing some of our makeweights.

Ellis and Tomkins are strong guys that could easily do the work of a prop, Graham isn't the biggest of props and has more of a back row physique, yeah why not, plus Burgess has played prop.

Quality! Only one Wigan player and thats Sam Tomkins ON THE BENCH! some top class tinted glassses this really tickled me!

While I do think we're behind the aussies some peoples belief that our guys wouldn't make their third team are talking cack. Luke Burgess looks brilliant over there FFS, they're not supermen. Tom Briscoe is as good as Yow-yeh imho

I agreed right up until...


But that's just plain stupid.

Jharal is an absolutely amazing talent, and even though Briscoe looks good in SL (don't get me wrong, the best English winger bar none) he would get well and truly abused by the Aussies week in, week out if he was in the NRL.

We can compete in the forwards, I'd even go as saying our starting pack is better than the Aussies, but we are light years behind in the backs.

No the aussie presentation and the way they talk makes them seem like supermen. Theres a few freaks who stand out as head and shoulders above, who usually play for Australia but any one of Englands starting 17 would get a regular NRL gig easily. If the Aussies were 'three teams could beat us' then the simple fact of the matter is they wouldnt be poaching blokes born in Fiji to play. Both King and Monaghan have played for the Australian national side, King will return next year 30+ and get a go and if Tom Briscoe isnt better than both of them by his early/mid 20s i'll eat my underwear.

Knife and fork for Dico!!!!