The spineless RFL have struck again, after all the moaning by the Aussies about the inexperience of British ref's, and after only 4 months experience in reffereeing in the NRL, we now have to put up with, not only an Aussie ref but one who is an ex player. So not only do they fly over here together eat and sleep together (in the same hotel, thought i'd better clear that up.), but they have also played together. The collective at Red Hall and IRLF need their bumps feeling. Can we please, just for once have a neutral referee, for crying out loud... www.foxsports.com.au/league/form ... 6183364948

The spineless RFL have struck again, after all the moaning by the Aussies about the inexperience of British ref's, and after only 4 months experience in reffereeing in the NRL, we now have to put up with, not only an Aussie ref but one who is an ex player. So not only do they fly over here together eat and sleep together (in the same hotel, thought i'd better clear that up.), but they have also played together. The collective at Red Hall and IRLF need their bumps feeling. Can we please, just for once have a neutral referee, for crying out loud... www.foxsports.com.au/league/form ... 6183364948

As for how many class international halves I can think of around 3 since super league started.

Sean Long
Paul Deacon
Leon Pryce

Its the people outside them that have been pretty poor. We do produce some class players and hard workers but just don't have the skills or the chemistry like the Aussies. I mean the main 'triangle or square' in a team (Numbers, 1,6,7 and 9) for aus:

1. Billy Slater (Melbourne,Queensland)
6. Darren Lockyer (Brisbane,Queensland)
7. Jonathon Thurston (NQC,Queensland)
9. Cameron Smith (Melbourne,Queensland))

So they have played together since at least Origin 2007 including the ANZAC Tests, Intenationals and World Cup. And thats not including.

Boyd
Inglis
Scott
Thaiday
Cronk
Shillington

Do the england team play together as much as them? No and that's why we are behind them. If our playmakers and outside backs played together as much as them above we probably wouldn't be far off them at all.

I'll give you Sean Long, when his head was in the right place he was as good as anyone.

Deacon was a decent half back but lacked the x-factor of a truely international class half back.

I never rated Leon Pryce as a half back, he's undoubtedly a phenomenal athlete but I never saw him as anyone who could guide a team around the field. He was on the other hand a top quality centre.

When Pryce was on form he could rip teams to pieces. And deacon was more of a distributor whereas Long was a mixture. When we beat the Aussies 23-12 was it? Long ran at the Aussies as well as just take them on then pass.

That was the game when we beat them in Sydney and the Long fell out with Noble and retired from internationals? That game and his line break in the "Wide to West" try, in my opinion the greatest Rugby League try ever, are my abiding memories of Long.

If you had a player with Pryce's size and speed with Deacon's distribution and kicking and Long's off the cuff play and you'd pretty much have the perfect half back.

Aye Long's contribution for Raynor's try was one of my favourite moments in an international.

Long's part in the Wide to West IS the best SL try no two ways about it. Shame it was against us.

And yes although Pryce and Deacon in the halves (in their prime) tore teams apart left right and centre. No one good enough to do it now except Widdop. But I do agree, mix all them together and you get Lockyer