That must mean us Leeds do then?

Not if you look at the stats.

Scruton has made 3 times the amount of tackle busts than Coley. Everywhere else they look quite similar.

As for Peacock he's played 4 fewer games than Coley and still made more metres.

Stats only tell half the story and if they are taken from the Engage Sl site I would say they are less than accurate at best.

Can't see anything else that's impartial out there. You've obviously seen a lot of Coley and he's played well. Likewise me with Scruton. I'd say Scruton has improved by miles on last years showing and is a really aggressive and destructive runner now.

He deserves a chance IMO.

I'm glad Joel's in the squad


He's been outstanding this season and should be playing in 4 Nations if he carries on.

I could quote stats but there's no point. Peacock and Graham's stats over Coley's. However I thought Coley and Scruton's stats maybe a little closer, but no, Scruton again [ilooks [/i like the better player at the moment on paper.

TBH honest if there's one prop who should consider himself very unlucky not to be in its Andy Lynch. I also think Crabtree is unlucky to miss out. Coley is way down the pecking order.

Thats the rule yeah. Whether your clubs takes up that option is up to them.

Don't Lynch's stats tower over Scrutons though? I would check but I cba, but he's impressed me more out of the two when I've seen them played this season, but obviously you've seen more than me.

Would you have picked Lynch or Scruton?

Well we must have some outstanding backs to be in a position 4 points clear at the top of the league, to have no quality up front.

Its a well know fact that good teams do not need a platform laying by their Props..........oh hang on.......

I agree.

Lynch is carrying a knee injury. If he continues with his form though he'll be in the squad at the end of the year.

This for me too, haven't really seen much of Widdop, is he any good? I think the right squad has been picked except I'd have had Crabtree instead of Scruton because he proved he can take on the best when he played in the four nations.

It's more to do with how poor our fullback options are.
Wellens, Briscoe, Mathers etc.

That's true, Shaun Briscoe's had a stinker every time I've seen him this season, Smith and Pryce would be out of position, Wellens is past it and the less said about Mathers, the better.

Just watched a highlights video of Widdop from last season and he looks pretty handy with his support game and playkicking, made a couple of good one and one tackles too. I wonder if we have our eye on him? Not likely to get many games at Melbourne with Slater in front of him but here there is a spot waiting for him, he'd be with his old assistant coach, probably on better money than he was in Aus and Melbourne are presumably looking to offload some players to stay under the cap this year.

yeah just saw that, a lot of toyota cup highlights but he didn't look bad. Would like to see him in a full game but with Slater ahead of him there isn't much chance of that. Good for him, nice to see an Englishman impressing over in Aus, and there isn't anywhere better for him to learn and grow than with the Storm

Scan is tomorrow.

He played at 1 on the weekend just passed live on MSK 433 on Sky it will be repeated in the week, he went well took some big raps from the commentary team, at one point they called him an Aussie, to which someone said he is still classed as English, to which the typical response from the Aussie calling the game was along the lines of, if he is as good as we hear and have seen thus far we will take him as an Australian.

I did read an interview with him where he said that he was a Bradford fan and if he came back here he would play for Bradford.

He probably still thinks that they are a top team drawing 10k + with Bullmania going strong.

It doesnt exactly reflect well on the game in this country that Widdop, a player that has played 2 NRL games, gets picked for England. If he had only played 2 games for a club in Super League then he wouldnt have a chance in hell of getting picked and I dont see why this should be any different. I am sure that a selection like this will have the Aussies quaking in their boots.

sam had only started 7 games in SL before going away with england last season. the difference there is that he was taken for experience, and not to play. but he still got in the squad.

Widdop is as much an RL political selection as a form one.
He's played for England so it will now be difficult for him to play for the Aussies. That's if he ever got that close.
He is also with Melbourne who develop young players better than any other club either over there or here. He could improve to a top class 1 with the Storm, something we are lacking in England.
Next year, with Melbourne having to let players go Widdop could play first grade as centre as well as full back. He is also a good goal kicker.

There will be two to miss out, I hope Joel isn't one of them.

I would have picked Tansey at fullback.

Pryce (Leon) could have been the best fullback in this country by a long chalk if he'd had plenty of games there a few years ago but we've probably missed the boat on that one.

In the 80's, didn't Hampson play for GB on the Saturday against the Kiwis and get sent off. Then turn out for us on the sunday and get sent off again?

Widdop



Just because he is in the NRL does not make him a worldbeater

Tansey or Leon Pryce would have done a better job at FB