vatuvei is injured

But he had that potential a couple of weeks ago. I just find it strange that Fox seems to have been dropped unceremoniously and Briscoe rushed in with slightly unseemly haste. I absolutely wish Briscoe the best though - this is England RL, not Rovers-Hull.

I've not seen all that much of Briscoe to be honest, Hull fans, how's his defence?

He's a big lad and going forward he appears to be able to bump people off at will, I agree that he could hopefully be very special.

Correct decision to pick him over Fox, not done enough to merit selection, against the Aussies, playing on the wing you need to be able to make a half chance a try under the sticks and on current form Fox won't do that.

His defence is pretty good. Sometimes caught out of position, but pretty good in this respect for his age. His big attributes are his size and his leg strength (freakishly strong for his age) and he has a very good attitude. Agar was saying last night that Smith had said he was in with a chance of a callup to the 24 (if there were injuries) if he played well v Wales, but apparently he was still disappointed to have missed out in the first place, not in a cocky way, but just has a nice confidence and ambition about him. As said, whether he's ready at 19 is questionable, just hope if he has a bad game or 2 at this level it doesn't knock his confidence too much.

Briscoe's selection ahead of Fox for this game does not surprise me.

It will be a more intense game than against Wales , but not have as much pressure as a game against one of the Southern hemisphere sides.

It will give Smith a good opportunity to assess him in a game that will be competitive for some period.

Sounds good.

In top level sport with nutritionists, strength conditioners, sports psychologists and the like I'm a real believer in players having to have a natural will to win and born desire. In that top 10% players have to have much much more than "being a big lad with a bit of pace".

Whether it's under 12's on Pearson Park or an ashes series players [ishould[/i have an unswerving belief in their own abilities.

As long as he can muscle up, positioning can be coached. I really hope he goes well, when was the last teenager to [itruly[/i front up to the fecking Ockers? Pains me to say it but stand up Lee Crooks!

So thats your opinion is it?

tom deserves his chance , if he had been fit fir the full season think he would of got the nod over fox anyway , talking to rovers fans at work and almost all of them said give him a gap and he wont be caught , but his defence is pretty poor and he drops far too many balls ,

I think fox was maybe seen as the least worst option. Briscoe missed most of last season but has maybe shown enough in the training camp to give smith the confidence in him.. either way it's a sad indictment that it seems to be a choice between a 19 year old witth only a handful of SL games under his belt and a winger who really isn't of international standard

And according the OPTA stats was still the backs biggest metre gainer in the game

OPTA and most other stats are rubbish

84% of all stats are made up

Its actually 86% according to FHGJ

good luck too both Briscoes,(Briscoe showed up well against Wales, Fox didnt IMO) hopefully theyll both do well and England will get off to a good start.
would like to have seen Tomkins playing thou tbh.

Agree with most things said about Fox and Tom Briscoe but in my opinion they've both got a long way to go to match the standard of a fit Raynor from one or two years ago, he was a superb performer on the half chance and matched it in defence, had he been in that sort of form lately, the injuries haven't helped of course, he would have still been the obvious choice, in my opinion of course !

T.S. has imho made a big mistake in putting a young player with massive potential in at the deep end ,his confidence could be shot to pieces especially if he has a good game tonight and is pitched in against the two teams that will target that naivety.
I hope i am wrong because talent like he undoubtedly is should be nurtured.

The best winger on the pitch last night was Pelo (even though Hall scored a great length of the field try) and a higher rate of mobility and work-rate from the wings will be needed.

The closest player/winger (in terms of style) England have to Pelo is Fox and I'd definitely play him against the Aussies & Kiwis even though he's been in poor form for a long while.

Tom Briscoe is a really strong, solid unit who I'd play in the centre in years to come. I even think he may end up playing second-row a few years down the line because he doesn't get shifted in the tackle.

Smith picking Myler above Tomkins was absolutely criminal cos Myler cannot control a game. I'd move Sinfield into the halves with McGuire and use an extra prop at loose-man.

Not a bad idea that although I'd also lose McGuire, his kicking was awful at times last night and there's no way the Aussies and Kiwi's will let him get away with his usual mince across the line and then wang a speculative pass out hoping his centre will make something of it.

Sinfield at 6, his job is solely to organise and run the kicking game. Eastmond at 7, take on and break the line.
Burgess to loose.
Lose Westwood, just not good enough.
Bring in Carvell and Crabtree.
Basic game plan is to attempt to make it a forward dominated battle, it's pointless trying to take on either backline.
We'll still lose, but we shouldn't take an absolute hiding.

Couldn`t agree more mate..he seemed clueless.

How can this year's stand out prop not be played?

Especially when we needed to match a bit of France's size. I;d have had crabtree in the back row instead of westwood who just looks out of his depth.

I'd definately have Crabtree and Carvell on the bench for the next game.

This is the team ive put on the VT, ive gone for a big pack and a youthful exciting backline.

It would be suicide to have Eastmond, Tompkins and Myler all in the same backline against the Aussies.

Why?

Myler will play. Mcguire probably will but i'd choose Tomkins, both are equally weak in defence.

Eastmond has shown that he can play centre and do very special things for saints, defensively he may get found out but then so might any other centre we have. Wouldnt you chance your arm and go for the flair players?