No that's the squad, hence Tomkins, Charnley etc being in already.

2008 WC Squad -
Peacock (Leeds, capt), Wellens (St Helens), Smith (Leeds), Gardner (St Helens), Calderwood (Hull), Gleeson (Warrington), Senior (Leeds), Sykes (Bradford), Purdham (Harlequins), Pryce (St Helens), McGuire, Burrow (both Leeds), Roby (St Helens), Higham, Morley (both Warrington), Graham, Fa'asavalu (both St Helens), Ellis (Leeds), Hock (Wigan), Westwood (Warrington), Jones-Buchanan (Leeds), Langley (Bradford), Wilkin (St Helens), Sinfield (Leeds)

If you start to count Briscoe as a Leeds player then you have to discount Ellis from 2008 as he had signed for Wests.

A terrible shame, Julie would have done a good job. She isn't tainted with past failure and doesn't play for leeds.

Yep got to agree with that Bill.
Julie would make a fine hooker and probably better than MM.

It's a big "if" with Hock though. But it's a gamble I'd have taken too.

The only 2 people I would have maybe had in that squad over what's already there are Myler and Lunt. Apart from that I'm happy. It's much stronger than 5 years ago anyway.

Teddies flying all over the shop on the giants forum

Bet the Aussies aren't "gambling" on anybody



Lunt and Ratchford should be in for me.

......instead of McIlorum and Chase/Burrow

2013 team by plenty to be honest.

ENGLAND:
Paul Wellens v Sam Tomkins
Ade Gardner v Josh Charnley
Martin Gleeson v Leroy Cudjoe
Keith Senior v Kallum Watkins
Lee Smith v Ryan Hall
Leon Pryce v Kevin Sinfield
Rob Burrow v Rangi Chase
Jamie Peacock v Lee Mossop
James Roby v James Roby
James Graham v James Graham
Gareth Hock v Ben Westwood
Gareth Ellis v Carl Ablett
Kevin Sinfield v Sam Burgess/Sean O'Loughlin

Danny McGuire v Gareth Widdop
Maurie Fa'asavalu v George Burgess
Adrian Morley v Tom Burgess
Jon Wilkin v Gareth Hock/Liam Farrell

I bet they're not. And why would they? They're the best team in the world. We, on the other hand, are going to have to take some chances if we're going to have a chance. On paper there's no squad that could have been picked that would have frightened the Aussies.

I would also have gone for Lunt. I'd probably have Burrow as back up "hooker" though. Not because I think he's better on current form than other options, but because he offers a different threat as an impact sub to anyone else we can pick. Whether it's a threat that can still work at Test level I have my doubts, but again, we're in a position of having to take some risks.

Blimey, no pleasing some people is ther? www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/24362723 Most mums have no sons in the world cup squad.

Blimey, no pleasing some people is ther? www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/24362723 Most mums have no sons in the world cup squad.

I'd probably have had Crabtree instead of a Burgess brother or Mossop, Higham for either MM or possibly Burrow(if he is playing at hooker) and Goulding in somewhere. Other than that can't really complain.

I like Crabtree, but I have suspicions about him when the chips are down in big games. Haven't seen any NRL so don't know about the Burgess brothers, but I think Mossop's a terrific player so I wouldn't be leaving him out. Him and Hill wouyld have been the first SL props on my timesheet.

McIlorum is, I think, an0other of those gambles. He'll be aggressive in defence and spiky in attack. He comes with a risk of brain implosion, but again, we have to take risks.

Goulding probably lost out because McNamara has gone for 2 out-and-out centres and the cover comes from the versatility of players like Hardaker, Widdop and Ablett. Again, bit of a risk, but meh. 24 man squad means cover will inevitably be thin in some positions.

Quote ="El Diablo"Blimey, no pleasing some people is ther? www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/24362723 Most mums have no sons in the world cup squad. '" Leaving the mother's disappointment aside, Luke is by some distance the least dynamic of the four brothers. Not that convincing as a starting option and adds much less impact from the bench compared to his younger twin siblings. On this one I think McNamara has got it just about right.

Quote ="El Diablo"Blimey, no pleasing some people is ther? www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/24362723 Most mums have no sons in the world cup squad. '" Leaving the mother's disappointment aside, Luke is by some distance the least dynamic of the four brothers. Not that convincing as a starting option and adds much less impact from the bench compared to his younger twin siblings. On this one I think McNamara has got it just about right.

Were none of you lot watching the game on Friday then?

Not think that Matty Smith deserves a place?

In the Dream Team, Lance Todd winner, MoM on Friday. I'd say he was a big game player and certainly the best of a poor bunch. Not exactly have Cronk and Thurston quaking in their boots but worth a place surely?

Yes I was.

No, not really.

Would be a safe and steady option. You can read my points on gambling above. Offers little that Sinfield doesn't. The second half back has to be some sort of threat with the ball in his hands. In my opinion, of course. Myler would have been the man I see as most unfortunate to miss out.

Apart from dropping Chase theres no need for another half. But I think Mcbannana would go for Sinfield and Chase in the halves with Widdop on the bench.

I think Mossop has been poor this season (although he did have a good game on Friday night). I think that MM and Roby are too similar and Higham can offer something different that Roby and MM dont. With Goulding and Charnley partnership at Wigan I think that the sum of the whole is greater than the parts which it wouldn't be with Watkins or Cudjoe as Charnleys centre partner.

I thought one of the few positives from the meaningless Autumn internationals last year was that the opposed training sessions seemed to show that Wtkins and Charnley understood one another pretty well. If everyone's fit then only an insane person would select Goulding ahead of either Watkins or Cudjoe.

Roby and Higham are just the same type of player, only Roby is miles better.

Roby and MM are nothing of the sort alike. MM is not a runner in the slightest, he is a defender, wheras Roby excels more at running.

Ask yourself why Charnley is the only winger to score 30+ tries in the last two seasons. Watkins hardly gave him a pass worthy of the name in the autumn internationals. Plus Goulding's defence is better.

Also re Matty Smith. He is the TOP scrum half this year. Both half backs should be able to kick. Chase cannot play to structure and Widdop has had a poor season when fit. Most people think that because he plays for Melbourne he must be good, but don't realise he was a work in progress there. Anyone could play alongside Cronk, Slater and Smith and look good. He wasn't really asked to do a lot for Melbourne. IMO Ratchford is a better player.

I agree that Mossop has generally had a poor year and that Crabtree should have been nailed on.

I suspect the fact that Charnley is a very good finisher and Wigan have a wll structured attack that creates plenty of overlaps might have played a part.

Opinions are a bit like that. I'm not going to tell you your opinions are wrong. You asked for opinions, I gave you mine.

I don't agree that Smith is the "TOP" scrum half this year. The Dream Team selectors do agree with you though.

Chase is another risk. But I think we have to have the potential to do something different if we're going to beat a technically superior Aussie side. We could pick a steady Eddie, safe squad and reduce the risk of an absolute pasting, but also decrease the already fairly small chance of winning. In my opinion.

Not that my opinion or yours really matter, but that's what the internet is for. That and the distribution of pornography.

Id rather we took a few risks. Not stupid risks, but calculated ones. On their day Hock & Chase could cause the aussies problems. McIllorum could get under their skin.

Its good that we can have a decent discussion about who would be best in our backs, because last time out we were pretty much down to the least poor options.