21K tickets sold as of last Wednesday,heading for a sell out - great news.

Watching the test match yesterday,Jerry is going to have his work cut out on both a&d,that left edge of NZ is very strong,Aus threw everything at them but couldn't crack Leuluai,Kata and Nightingale.

Not sure who Jerry's centre will be but they better not drop off even 1 tackle or it will be fatal.

Come on England,if super coach Bennett can't sort it out who can.

got my ticket! cant wait

4/1 for England to win the comp... not bad on home soil and under wayne bennett , got to reach the final minimum at anfield.

As ever Aus will cruise through to the final which makes the game at ours vs NZ the decider.

Got tickets for Liverpool,hoping that England will be there.

About the right edge,can see Rapana running all over Ryan Hall,it could be embarrassing for England on that flank.

havent new zealand had the edge over the aussies in recent comps?

maybe its the aussie game that will be the decider!

just got my ticket , only 15 quid great bargain , side on view

Got our tickets, treating ourselves to one of the hospitality packages.

hope the club dont miss any opportunities they may have to attract more fans to the club with a sell out game on our doorstep

posters should be up all over the stadium and flyers handed out etc (if they are allowed!)

Leaflets on car windscreens in the carpark and around the usual parking spots in the local area, A nice big banner at the exit doors in the train/bus station, folk handing out leaflets outside the local drinking establishments. Lots of opportunities if they choose to take them.

yep good ideas , im at the game so will see if anything is done.... be disappointed if theres not much of a giants presence there, other clubs would jump on it

Robert Hicks will ref this one.

Noticeable watching the Aus vs NZ test last week with just one ref,and a couple of knock on's got missed.Test football should have 2 refs.

Don't suppose anyone has a couple of spare tickets for Saturday's game do they? (long story....)
A bit of a long shot, but if so please pm me
Thank you

New Zealand 19-man squad:

Gerard Beale Adam Blair Jesse Bromwich Lewis Brown Greg Eastwood Tohu Harris Shaun Johnson Jordan Kahu Solomone Kata Shaun Kenny-Dowall Thomas Leuluai Isaac Luke Manu Ma'u Jason Nightingale Kevin Proctor Jordan Rapana Jason Taumalolo Martin Taupau Jared Waerea-Hargreaves

England man for man as good as the Kiwi forwards,if not better in some positions.On the edges is where this game will be won and lost.Then there is Johnson who can be brilliant if given the space.

1. Lomax
2. McGilvarry
3. Sarginson
4. Watkins
5. Hall
6. Widdop
7. Williams/Gale
8. Graham
9. Hodgson
10. Hill
11. Bateman
12. E. Whitehead
13 S. Burgess

D. Clark
T. Burgess
G. Burgess
M. Cooper/Farrell

2 of Farrell, Cooper, Gale or Williams to miss out

Outside/Inside backs I'd stick with Bennett's French pick.Let's see if they are good enough on defence,that includes McGillvary. Widdop for his kicking game.

Think I'd start with a Burgess in 2nd row.

Out for me Sarginson,Williams,Farrell.

Just found out he's left Percival out of the 19 so Sarginson left centre.

Looking forward to this. Long shot but taking my son to first game and trains haven't been overly kind in timings.

Any recommendations for a quietish, child tolerant public house?

If you want quietish Sportsman round the corner from the station is a real ale pub that are very welcoming- that will probably be your best bet. Not many that close to the stadium itself- Yorkshire rose on Leeds road next to costa is very child friendly but will be heaving. Ropewalk next to stadium likewise. The Gas club is another (busy) possibility.

Williams and Farrell have missed out.

widdop and gale get the nod to play in the halves then

hope it comes off! great pack to work behind

Thanks, sounds perfect.

Now i just need to convince him that he likes rugby somehow...

Just get them to enjoy the experience first- My 10 year old daughter, unlike my son, is rather "meh" about what goes on on the pitch- but she has been going along since a baby and enjoys the "day out". Meal out, rare pack of sweets at half time, kids zone, the atmosphere, an opportunity to make lots of noise, for her the rugby is just an aside!

sounds like my missus!

Decent conditions,dry and 14/15 degrees C.

It's got to be better than the last time I saw these two teams live which was at the Olympic stadium London last year.That was one of the most dreary games of RL I can recall watching.

What to say,a grindfest we sadly came out of on the wrong side of the scoreboard.

Worst advert for along time in regards to enforcing a quick play the ball.