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.

Shaun Briscoe
Tom Briscoe
Martin Gleeson
Michael Shenton
Ryan Hall
Sam Tomkins
Kyle Eastmond
Adrian Morley
James Roby
James Graham
Gareth Ellis
Sam Burgess
Kevin Sinfield

--------------------------------
Eorl Crabtree
Jamie Peacock
Gareth Carvell
Ben Westwood

I've gave my reasons on the International and VT forum.

Martin Gleeson??....Not a chance...



1. He isn't even in the squad.

2. The coach doesn't rate him. If he did, he'd never have robbed Wigan of £100k for him....

Then why make him England captain and play maker only last year?

I'd be tempted to give the following a go

Shaun Briscoe
Tom Briscoe
Chris Bridge
Michael Shenton
Ryan Hall
Sam Tomkins
Kyle Eastmond
Jamie Peacock
Kevin Sinfield
James Graham
Gareth Ellis
Ben Westwood
Sam Burgess

Subs

Eorl Crabtree
Adrian Morley
John Wilkin
James Roby

Maybe 2 or 3 weeks working with him on a full time basis finally opened the coaches eyes????...

I'd go with Smith outside Bridge or preferably but Fox outside of Smith. He's going to union but he's a decent player, at least he offers something attacking-wise and he won't be facing Inglis next week.

Peacock has to go back to prop either starting or on the bench.
He was supposed to be the right sided back row man as Ellis was left side.

Lockyer saw him out of position and the long pass went out. it found Inglis in 10 yards of space. McGuire and Smith were caught out but it was Peacock's absence that caused the gap and their first try.
Lockyer tried the long pass going right but Ellis was in position and the defence shifted across, tackle made.

Everything came off down their left side attack, nothing happened down their right side.

Morley and Peacock were below their best, Burgess and Ellis were very good as was Crabtree who has to be picked again.
Tomkins and Eastmond for 6 & 7. Smith to the wing.

We could also do with a new coach. Who though?

Having watched the England v Australia game on television and the France v New Zealand game in person, I really think we can win next week. Moi Moi was up for it and allowed himself to get distracted. Fakir put him on his backside big style which lifted the crowd no end. Still don't rate Lance Hohaia in defence. Tommy played at hooker and looked more than comfortable. Some of Benji Marshall's passes and dummies were superb and Sam Perrett was outstanding, but the scoreline flattered the Kiwis in my opinion. France handed them two tries on a plate and the ref matched that.

It all depends on which half performance we bring to the game, cant afford the start we had yesterday, but saying that they dont have an Inglis playing for them

Don't get me wrong he didn't look out of place or anything, he just didn't trouble them at all, maybe 6 would have been a better rating.

France were more than a match for them in the first half. They should have been ahead but for the referee.

France ran out of steam on a grand style which is understandable with all the injury and ilness problems. The Kiwi's had alot more of a struggle overall against a similar standard French side then England did in the mid season test. We have huge hope imo if we turn up from the first whistle and play without fear.

The team selection has to be spot on aswell for the first time in Tony Smiths England career and after watching the Oz game on the internet just now for the first time i'd go-

Briscoe
Smith
Ellis(to steady that right side which will be targeted)
Shenton
Hall
Tomkins
Eastmond
Graham
Sinfield(got us rolling from 9 in the second half)
Peacock
Westwood
Burgess
Roby(just ask the lad to run himself into the ground and trouble the kiwi's without having to distribute from dummy half)

subs
Morley
Crabtree
Wilkin
Myler

FB Shaun Briscoe
RW Lee Smith
RC Kyle Eastmond
LC Michael Shenton
LW Ryan Hall
SO Danny McGuire
SH Sam Tomkins
P James Graham
H Kevin Sinfield
P Adrian Morley
SR Jamie Peacock
SR Sam Burgess
LF Gareth Ellis

S Gareth Carvell
S Eorl Crabtree
S Richie Myler
S Ben Westwood