For me i would have Eastmond in for Briscoe,And Carvell on the bench,with Burgess coming on at LF and Sinfield Going to hooker where he shone today.

Put anyone at centre other than Lee Smith.

Put anyone at 6 other than McGuire.

Give Tomkins and eastmond the ball and play them at 6 and 7.

Get the forwards more fired up.

I think Tony Smith went to the same slow start, lose an important game by half-time and get some pride back in the second half school of coaching that Noble did.

McGuire is crap and it showed today.... HB`s need to be Tomkins and Eastmond with Myler on the bench........ Roby didnt do any better than Moore at 9 IMO (wouldnt mind seeing Roby starting at 13 with Sinfield at 9).

Roby has been found out in the last 12 months in SL our hookers have shocking passing games simples.

If thats the best right side defense we can offer it embarasing. Gleeson may have been poor in attack this year but is stronger than Smith. McGuire was terrible considering he was our experienced half back. Passes were terrible and defense was awful. Tomkins and Eastmond next week please.

How he ever won MOS I will never know



Cunningham, Randall, Casey McGuire, Fisher, Diskin, Riddell... don't have poor passing games from what I have seen but often it is the distribution from the PTB which is poor.

Eastmond/Tomkins partnership for me too. McGuire has to be dropped, Smith either moved to wing or dropped with McGuire.

Don't agree with Myler on the bench, not good enough. If you must choose a back for the bench I'd go with Bridge who can cover halves, centre and full back, but I'd prefer 4 forwards.

While he should NEVER have been awarded MOS i do think he was superb at keeping the Saints attacking pressure rolling the year he won. Momentum was the saints phylosify (sp) in those days and he played a major part in it.

He is a very good player IMO (and a likeable person). He is still only young and can only get better.

I take no joy in seeing an honest young player being over hyped and then struggling to live up to the pressure.

I am not having a dig Owdem by the way!, its just my opinion

Ellis should be at right centre.

1) S. Briscoe - 7/10 - Couldn't do much in the first half apart from return the ball and get smashed. Linked well in 2nd half.

2) T.Briscoe - 6/10 - Didn't see the reason in pulling him off at half time as he did nothing wrong IMO.

3) L. Smith - 4/10 - Awful in defence, however took his chance well, and the only player to try and 'biff it up' with the elbow to the face to Slater.

4) M. Shenton - 5/10 - Did well in defence, but didn't particularly shine, as usual.

5) R. Hall - 6/10 - Wasn't bad, but didn't do enough to help the forwards in our own 20m IMO.

6) D. McGuire - 3/10 - Seriously, how can anyone pick this guy for Englands no1 Stand Off? He was gash today, purely a support player, i have got as much creativity in the hairs on my left nut than this man.

7) S. Tomkins - 7/10 - Only person actually trying to create anything on the field, didn't always come off, but can't knock the ad for trying. Also, great in defence.



A. Morley - 5/10 - In a word, Sh!te.

9) J. Roby - 4/10 - As above, The scoot master is found out yet again, awful service from dummy half.

10) J. Graham - 7/10 - Good, hard working shift, looked keen to get involved.

11) J. Peacock - 6/10 - Looked for some kind of leadership from Peacock as he hates the aussies as much as most of us, didn't really deliver.

12) G. Ellis - 8/10 - Didn't take a backwards step all match and also rattled a few bones in the Aussie camp, looks a far better player after his season in the NRL.

13) K. Sinfield - 6/10 - Didn't do much (again) due to the forwards being battered, however, when he switched to hooker, service was alot better and we looked more like a team.

14) S. Burgess - 8/10 - My MOM, completely took the game to the Aussies and shook them up with big hits and well taken tries, I bet Russell Crowe is rubbing his hands together with a big grin on his face.

15) E. Crabtree - 8/10 - was extremely cynical in Crabtree's place in the team, however was the most effective forward on both sides of the pitch, one of the few who actually showed some aggression and some pride.

16) K. Eastmond - 7/10 - Why is this young man not playing half back with Tomkins? Probably the most dangerous runner of the ball in the whole of super league.

17) B. Westwood - 7/10 - Again, i was suprised in his inclusion, but took the game to the aussies and one of the few who didn't look threatened by them.




This is my un-cherry-and-whited-specs reflection of the game. I think some of the selections of todays match more or less showed the aussies we were throwing up the white flag even before we kicked off. Why is the england squad the only squad where the strongest players from each team aren't selected? My team to face the Kiwi's (i know T.Smith can only pick people from the squad he has chosen, but to be honest the squad he has chosen is gash):

1) Briscoe
2) Fox
3) Gleeson
4) Senior
5) Hall

6) Tomkins
7) Eastmond



Graham
9) Diskin
10) Carvell
11) Ellis
12) Jones-Buchanan
13) Burgess

14) Peacock
15) Morley
16) Crabtree (on performance v aussies alone)
17) Fozzard (purely for the biff)

Next week:

Briscoe
Hall
Shenton
Smith
Fox
Tomkins
Eastmond
Graham
Sinfield
Morley
Peacock
Ellis
Burgess

Crabtree
Westwood
Carvell
Roby

I think we have to have all our main biff out there for the start, and I believe that pack can go toe to toe with the Kiwis. Go out there all guns blazing and we may have a shot. They struggled today early on against a very weakened france side. I think roby deserves a space simply for his versatility. You can swap that pack around, sinfield moving to LF, burgess moving to front row, to accomadate the interchanges, as and when they happen. Eastmond & Tomkins showed a glimpse today of what they can do as a half back partnership and I believe this is something we should go with. Two players who can break the line almost at will, with good kicking games and good organisational skills.

McGuire should be nowhere near the side next week, neither should Tom briscoe. Smith keeps his place by virtue of there being no other backs. Maybe a late call up for Senior or Gleeson? Could add some experience to a very young back line.

Good shout.

I was screaming for this to happen mid way through the first half

It was absoutley shocking that it took coach Tony Smith 40 minutes to change the right hand flank as the Australians were running through like a knife threw butter. But it wasnt just the god awful defending on that side what let us down. When we did have the ball we didnt control it properly at all and to be quite honest it was a complete and utter disgraceful first 40 minutes.

However...

In the Second Half we showed fight and belief. A great second half performance by Sam Burgess who was outstanding. Kyle Eastmond has to start next week because he looked lively and dangerous when he had the ball in hand. Tomkins certainly showed some great promise at International level when we had more of the ball in the 2nd Half. I certainly dont believe the Aussies took the foot of the gas and they were certainly rattled without doubt. Personally I feel Jamie Peacock had a poor game and really needs to step up to the plate next week. For sure he is a World Class forward but today he didnt seem to rally the troops behind the sticks and got smashed everytime he took the ball up especially in the first half. Talk is cheap action is what is required now.

Team for NZ

Briscoe
Smith
Eastmond
Shenton
Hall
McGuire
Tomkins
Morley
Moore
Peacock (capt)
Ellis
Burgess
Sinfield

Bench

Roby
Westwood
Graham
Crabtree

Another one finally seeing the light.

The death of the scooter hooker, Alleluia

Briscoe
Fox
Ellis
Shenton
Hall
Tomkins
Eastmond
Graham
Sinfield
Morley
Peacock
Westwood
Burgess

Carvell
Crabtree
Roby
Myler


Tony Smith has to stop playing sinfield as main playmaker and and tell stick to his position.He played well at hooker in 2nd half and it gave tomkins and later on eastmond chance to play their natural games.In the first half it was all sinfield and mcquire and tomkins hardley got a pass.L Smith is going to RU and I dont know what he is doing in the squad when we have players who are better than him at centre not even selected.

For me Sinfield can't play 13 next week against the kiwis we need a massive pack, he was organising our attack in the first half which was none existant and when he had that roll taken off him when he went off or to 9 and Tomkins had the free roll to do what he wanted we showed signs of breaking the Aussies. For me I would play Burgess at 13 with Peacock and Ellis in the back row.

Plus, what are the chances of calling a player up who wasn't in the original squad? This would be my team if I could call up anyone through squad players being 'injured' (dropped). By the way I haven't seen the France/Wales game as I was in Cuba so I am going off yesterdays game with regards to form but I was told Fox and Moore had shockers the other week.

1- Briscoe
2- Smith
3- Gleeson
4- Senior (for the way he hates NZ)
5- Hall
6- Tomkins
7- Brough
8- Morley
9- Sinfield (Kicking from hooker to get better field position)
10- Graham
11- Ellis
12- Peacock
13- Burgess

14- Crabtree
15- Carvell
16- Westwood
17- Eastmond

To those selecting Gleeson & Senior....Are you on drugs???....



Yes, we had so many years of success with those two in the side, let's bring them back!!...



Simply, as a rugby league nation, we are not good enough, whichever team we put out on the pitch, and Tony Smith has been bright enough to see this, realising that he has to perform some sort of 'trial and error' system with our national team, with the theory that come the next World Cup we can actually have a half decent side out on the pitch.

For example, what good would dropping Shenton for either of Gleeson & Senior serve, except prove once more that neither of those two are the world-class players that the Sky hype team would have us believe??

You have to persist with the youngsters, even if, at the moment, they aren't quite up to the job.

The only gripe I have is that Lee Smith is there.... How can you plan for the future with a guy who won't be there??

Who said I was playing for the future? You play your best available team, if you really want to plan for the future play our academy who will get leathered. Gleeson is better in defence than Smith so we need to shore that side up and Smith showed he knows his way to the line yesterday too even if he isn't the best in defence also he has that bit of mongrel in him which you need at International you can't respect the opposition.

Also even though Senior is a biddy I would play him as you know he will give everything and not respect the Kiwis, we can't go in nicely nicely like we did with the Aussies and let them play we need to smash them in the first 10 mins and let them know they are in an international against England.

You are seriously deluded if you believe Gleeson & Senior would have made a difference yesterday....It'd have been 26-0 at half time whatever side we'd thrown on the park....



We are simply not good enough....Bringing back oldies who weren't even a success in their prime, won't disguise that fact.

We have to face the fact that Super League, whilst entertaining enough, is technically poor, something that is highlighted everytime we have an international series and our players have to mix with genuine 'class' players.

Nah I don't think Senior would have been the best option yesterday either and everyone is an expert in hindsight but I woud have played Smith even though he is going to union.

Superleague would be better if the big teams were rewarded for their on and off the field work by letting them spend half of what they earn so that we could keep hold of a lot of our youngsters and sign the odd superstar therefore making the team and league better with better players.

For instance we could sign Locker for next year and that would develop Sam ten fold but we will have to settle without because we need the money for a prop.

Right I'm setting 5 as my anonymous score.

1. Briscoe - Had no chance at returning their kicks because they put him in his own 10 and chased well. Had no chance defending because they always had someone in support. Would have liked to see more of him in attack though. 5/10
2. Briscoe - Looked a bit slow running back for kicks and could have taken a couple on the full that he didn't. Was left on his own in defence and responded with indecisiveness, leading to most of their tries. Didn't really get any ball to attack with either. 3/10
3. Smith - Left his young winger to defend on his own rather than shifting across and calling more players over. Missed a tackle or two as well. At least he could attack though. 4/10
4. Shenton - They didn't really attack his side so can't comment on his defence, we didn't really push the ball that way either. So an anonymous game from him. 5/10
5. Hall - See shenton
6. McGuire - Needed to shift over in defence, got run over or round every time. Feel he's got a bit too much stick off here though, at least he had a go in attack, things just didn't go his way. He gets a better score than Briscoe, Shenton and Hall for not going missing. 6/10
7. Tomkins - So proud of the lad, was like a terrier in defence and gave them loads of trouble when he attacked. Shame he didn't get more ball in the first half really. Would love to see what he could have done in their side. 8/10
8. Morley - Didn't really trouble them apart from a good hit or two in defence, went straight down every time and can't remember any good offloads. Narrowly avoids the anonymous score. 6/10
9. Roby - Anybody seen him? 5/10
10. Graham - Got more than a little annoyed with him when he threw that interception but he did a few good things. 6/10
11. Peacock - Seen better from him, he threw a good offload or two but not really one for his scrapbook. He should have been dangerous playing in second row. Expect better from our captain. 6/10
12. Ellis - Did lots of good stuff, one of the few players who looked up for it all the time. 7/10
13. Sinfield - His best game in an England shirt, very dangerous in attack but not sure that loose is best for him because he's not a big lad. 7/10

14. Crabtree - Never rated him before this game, certainly proved me wrong. 7/10
15. Burgess - Did everything right, didn't deserve to be on the losing side. 7/10
16. Eastmond - Looked dangerous every time, must play 80 next week. 7/10
17. Westwood - Didn't do that much. 5/10

Jesus wept....

I thought Westwood was alright when he came on. Deserves his place, at least.

Correct. The lad got stuck in and certainly wasn't out of his depth or awe-struck, unlike a few out there.

Even as a Wire fan, I've had my doubts over Westwood, even at club level, but yesterday he did a decent job.