Because I was told by an Australian player that while Lee Smith is on the team sheet England/GB will never win any major trophies! When they line up with the likes of Slater, Minichello, Inglis, Falau...etc they are hardly going to poo their pants at the sight of Lee Smith, Mark Calderwood and Gaz Rayner are they?!

I see what your saying as they wont of heard of Briscoe and Fox the team could have the surprise element and Ingls,Slater etc would be sat in the changing room thinking WTF!. I couldn't imagine the aussies pooin their pants at any of GB/Englands backs

Aye no team will win anything with Lee Smith at fullback, no GF wins, no GF MOTM performances, the aussie knows his stuff eh

Lee Smith is an international class player though not a great one, Calderwood is trype but Raynor is world class.

What does that make Fox then?

Cobblers!

Your telling me he is a better than Fox because our idiotic national coach thinks so?

You telling me Fox is better because biased Rovers fans think so?

Yes

A winger who has more potential than any other English winger at the moment.

I think Kosh knows the craic!

agreed just needs to get over his nerves.

True but this time last year It was penny but look was happened to him.

Potentially a top winger i agree. I just find it laughable for some on here to knock Calderwood when he is a current international and was chosen in front of Fox. Fox will be a future international IMO.

Get some perspective.

Calderwood was selected on the basis of his form at the time (good kick chase performance for Wigan in the play-offs).

Wellens & Gardner were selected, even Sykes was selected FFS (not to mention a few others) and the England team failed miserably (as they have done for a few years now) to a point were it was clear to many Smith's selection policy was a joke.

So imply that selection from a (so far) total failure of international coach holds much weight in terms one players ability over another is a flawed idea.

Fox is a better winger than Calderwood already and will prove so again this season.

perspective is that Calderwood was one of only 4 or 5 players to come away from the tour and receive praise for their performances. I'll take that thanks.

Topic = Shaun Briscoe.
Thanks.

It doesn't matter which players smith took to Oz, the result would have been the same. I think fox is a decent enough player but it's a sad indictment of the quality of GB's outside backs that him, calderwood and gardner are considered to be the only realistice options open to the GB/England coach. As you say, Raynor is head and shoulders above any other British winger. Shame he is so injury prone.

As for briscoe, a real 110% player who I admire for lots of reasons, but just think he's missing something extra which would make him an international class player

Yeah, a contract with Leeds or Saints.

he had one didnt he? maybe there was a reason he was let go from a top SL side? maybe the same reason he doesnt get picked internationally?

maybethere is a part of his game which is missing something and the top coaches can see how found out he would be at the top level

Come on any full back in the SL last season playing for Leeds in the GF could have won a GF medal. Maybe not got MOTM but when you think there is Greenshilds, Webb and numerous others that are better than Smith in this country that cant get into any NRL sides at FB it makes you wonder how we are going to ever win a tournament!

Its only my opinion but I do feel Briscoe would have been better than Wellens or Smith playing for England but agree the results would still have been the same or thereabouts.

I have no sour grapes about Fox and Brisk not going, for selfish reasons i'm glad they didnt! Just like I say we'll win nothing with him in the side he's just not big enough.

the balance of the squad was a disgrace. the amount of backrowers we took meant that players with 'utility' were taken instead of players who could realisticly challange fo places.

i dont think the calderwood v fox was a relevent discussion as both should have gone instead of gardner.

injuries and form permitting fox should play for england in the 4 nations to give him big game experience and if i was hkr i'd get a long deal in front of him asap.

Billy Slater is hardly massive. We won't win anythng as the team are not good enough, Smith is a very good young player who is improving all the time. Briscoe is the same player he was 5 years ago, he is not going to get any better imo, he is what he is, a good SL fullback.