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?

I wouldnt play Myler and Tomkins together at half back against the Aussies but I would find a place for Eastmond without a shadow of a doubt.

Mcguire has pretty much under performed his entire international career and Myler is going to be 7. I wouldnt see an issue with playing Tomkins, he has something special.

Only other option i guess would be to alter the team i said and play Sinfield at 6 and bring Ellis off the bench to 13.

No he hasn't, he's looked the one player of the 6s, 7s & 13s who's proved himself.

Anyway, why would you choose Smith ahead of S Briscoe with T Briscoe ahead of Fox?

It just goes to show how bad thing's are in the back's when we have to look at people who can play their; but it's not the position they play for their club week in week out. Our centres will get creamed.

Because T Briscoe has played the last 2 and hasnt done anything to be replaced and S Briscoe is injured isnt he? Dont de-rail the thread with your FC v Rovers ramblings, some of us are trying to have a decent conversation here.

He hasn't done anything wrong granted but look at what Pelo did for the French - Fox is the only winger who can offer this type of threat.

Why would you replace S Briscoe with Smith?

Fox has offered no threat and by your own fans admission been way off form for the last couple of months. Dont see how he would get the spot back when Tom Briscoe as done all asked of him. Thats my rationale.

Regards to S Briscoe, did you read my reply? Go back and re-read it.