If it's about development and additional coaching and not a playing squad as such then why pick Maurie, Peacock etc? Guys who've been in the international set-up for a while.

This 17 seems like a halfway house between an England Development Squad and a Stick With What You Know Squad.

I'd guess it's an Elite squad that means it's a group of players you see as your best and a group of players they may get to hook up for training sessions throughout the season so they can get to know each other abit better.

I think this comes from the supposed problems between Saints and Leeds players during the world cup and it's noticable that it's not solely loaded with players from those clubs.

Perhaps in the future they'll be some form of central contracts similar to England RU and Cricket? i.e A pool of players is announced each year and England have access to them for training sessions & get togethers.

[i"The 17 will also form part of a national registered testing pool of players which the RFL have had to nominate under new World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules."[/i

might explain some notable absentees.

works wonders for RU and the cricket s doesnt it

1.269/10

I thought about that myslef but without regular mid season games it seems pointless.

Maybe a small scaled central contract where you could rest players on them for 3-5 superleague rounds per season to keep them fresh but no clubs would vote for it.

James Graham would though and would volenteer to sit out the Magic weekend

What do you mean? There are never any disagreements!

KC retired from int rugby along time ago.

indeed he did. and he is Welsh, which also possibly explains why he isnt in the England squad.

Team I'd like to try for England

Briscoe
Ainscough Shenton Atkins Briscoe (or another young winger)
McGuire Burrow
Graham Diskin Peacock
Wikin Lockers
Westerman
--------------
Hock LMS Roby Burgess

If it isn't the actual squad, isn't full of youngsters and includes players like Westwood and Mary then what is the point of it



All seems a bit pointlesss and embarrasing to me

Looks like he has pulled the 17 names out of a hat.

Give that man a big orange. At last! someone who can read. I salute you.



edit: oops

You need to read that it says that other playes i will added and changes will be made for the matches

Don't understand this squad at all.

Either it's an elite squad for the elite England players, in which case Hock, Pryce, Gleeson, Sinfield etc. should be in (and Briscoe, Atkins etc. shouldn't).

Or it's an elite squad for inform and up and coming players, in which case Fa'asavalu, Westwood, Morley etc. shouldn't be in it (and again, the likes of Hock should).

Elite is not what I would call the squad selected.

I do not understand that selection at all.

Mary, are you having a laugh.

Its stupid!! I could have understood the top 25 players.........or the top 25 YOUNG players with a view to running the 'elite' squad to the future...but this.....as you a hotch potch of class youngsters and established quality players as you rightly said....plus 2 random no marks.....who i can only thing are in as 'a favourate' and a 'token' respectively. Makes no sense.

I mean if myler is in surely Tompkins should be? Whats the point in having mozza in who is on his way out of selection and surely in either his last or penultimate season? One thing thats good tho is at least smith has realised pryce for what he is...a one trick pony who super league makes look good and is nowere near international standard!! Other than that there are no positives in that squad for me....it is just silly and senseless.

Nail....Head!! exactly and straight to the point!

i would be happy if we had none in it as the game they play in june is on the same day as our celtic game

For this game I would go with

Briscoe
Smith
Shenton
Atkins
Fox
Mcguire
Burrow
Burgess
Roby
Peacock
Hock
Lockers
Westerman

LMS
Myler
Graham
JJB


Going with the squad also I would have the likes of

Sam and Joel Tomkins
Ainscough
Moore
Wild
Owen
Riley
Hall
Clough

For the experience. They are the future.

Given the fact that this squad is about giving players extra coaching and access to the "best facilities", i am shocked that Ainscough and Hock have not been included, both could do with the extra caoching and an extra input from external coaches in my opinion. Players like Westwood workhorses essentially are never going to change or improve significantly or be able to change style, so why put them in this environment?

still can't understand his inclusion

Westwood?
Morley?
Fa'asavalu?

Laughable.

morley would walk into your starting line up!! and most in sl!! still a great prop