The side step is still another way of beating the opposition rather than slam bam thank you mam.
Thank you Zack Hardarcker
Try of the season.

Hardaker has to be a certainty at fullback for England in the NZ test series

I normally watch the Friday games on my laptop, but somehow forgot all about it last night. Seems I missed one the games of the season.

That begs the question, what do you do with Tomkins? It's inconceivable that he won't play. I would play Hardaker in the centres. He has to be in the team and, after all, the Aussies have filled their back line with fullbacks and it works for them.

I would put Hardaker at full back with Tomkins & Widdop being the halves.

Not a problem for me but possibly a creative leap too far for our coach? Personally, I'd play Kevin Brown in the halves. Now, where the hell did I put that flak jacket?

Widdop must be a shoo-in at 6, but rightly or wrongly, I expect McNamara will still prefer Sam to Hardaker at full-back. I can't see him playing him at 7.

Will Hardakers antics on and off the pitch and the problems he caused in the England camp in the past count against him ?

My bet is yes.

me too Widdop at 7 Tomkins at 6

I'd be tempted to go with Sam at centre and Zak at FB.

Widdop was outstanding for St George this weekend ...and he can kick goals! Tomkins isn't playing as well as last season but he has been injured. I'd definitely have the two of them at half back. However, Hardaker at centre is a possibility. A good problem to have...two excellent fullbacks.

Too tough in the centre for Tomkins with rampaging back row forwards.

Good try but the kiwis aren't going to give him a pat on the back as he goes though like Wire did. I think if you have to include both, Hardaker should move to accommodate Tomkins.

Well, yes, if the question is, would Hardaker make the a better makeshift centre than Tomkins would, I think the answer is probably yes.

But do we want to go down that road anyway? We have (for a change!) 'proper' centres after all.

It's not justified to pick Sam over Zak as much as it pains me to admit it. Or even more so playing Sam in the halves (which he's not played for years) or even more so as a centre just to accommodate him.

Hardaker's success has come from playing FB, so I don't see the point of moving him to any other position.

Totally agree

So do I. But it's all ifs and buts now, there's a lot of footy to be played before then.

Might help Banana with regards to picking Sam at 6 www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/708 ... t-warriors?

Might help Banana with regards to picking Sam at 6 www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/708 ... t-warriors?

The Warriors are screwed. I think they need to win all four of their remaining games to have any chance of making the 8. And that ain't going to happen, regardless of who plays full-back.

Both have to be included, but as a Leeds supporter I have to say Hardaker MUST be at FB against the Aussies and NZ if only for his defensive qualities over Tomkins. He is superb under the high ball; great at kick returns and unmatchable on one on one tackles (whether that's because of his strength against hard nosed forwards or speed to get across for quality cover tackles on the speedsters like Burgess).

I would have Tomkins at SO.

Both are too classy to be left out.

Well I've just seen the try for the first time and all I can say is "terrible defending"


Seriously though, I think it would be criminal not to have him in the England team, preferably in his best position with Tomkins in the halves.
It's just nice to have a glut of quality backs available for a change.

This is so difficult.
As a Rhinos supporter watching Zack regularly, I think his defence and fielding of high balls is the best in Super League, but the current trend seems to be to select the best attacking players in this position, and where Zack is deficient is in his passing, and this often makes him reluctant to pass. Sam, on the other hand, is more creative and very elusive and is good at releasing other players.
Maybe, just maybe, Zack might go ok on the wing, where he could give some defensive backup to Sam.

I think that's a fair assessment. ZH is undoubtedly a very good player but I think Sam's full skill set puts his clear. Tomkins can be a devastating runner, he's got silky hands a decent kicking game and can drop into first receiver when required.

ZH needs to improve his understanding of the game and his handling in order to be a realistic option imo.

That's one thing to take in to consideration (Hardakers link up play) because he won't walk through New Zealand like he does superleague defence so he'll need to be able to put others in to space.

When Sam Tomkins was bossing superleague and making three times the breaks, try's and assists Hardaker does he wasn't ripping the Aussies/Kiwis to shred with his running but he produced some magic moment to assist other scorers.