Oh come on, you're not including Paul Sykes? Makes Slater look dreadful that guy, all class.

Good post, I haven't seen any Leeds fans defending Danny performance, he had a very bad game, very bad but IMO he was one of England’s better players in the disastrous WC last year.

But talk of applauding his subbing and he should never play for England again is just ridiculous, and these people call themselves England "supporters".

I'm guessing if Tomkins & Eastmond fail to get us to the final and beat Aus they should never play for England again?

I never applauded or cheers his subbing, I jsut stated that a huge amoutn of folks around me stood up and clapped and cheerd as soon as it was announced he was departing.

wrong to cheer a player off, but i admit a huge sigh of relief when he went of.

I love the international spell at the end of the season. If only it didn't bring out the worst in RL supporters.

McGuire was toss on Saturday, no doubt about it, but the onrush of delighted fans salivating at the opportunity to score points over the fact is frankly embarrassing.

Unfortunately I suspect a large part of this has come as a result of the Leeds fans that regularly post here that take any possible opportunity to score points over anything that goes remotely wrong at/with Saints.

It used to be wigan and/or warrington fans but the dreadful level of posting that has been happening as a result of the above seems to have driven even them away.

I wonder if McGuire will be dropped. To be fair that's probably the worst game I have ever seen him have and it's not typical of him.

Do you remember a few years back Brian Carney having a nightmare game for GB.

Noble who was coach at that time stood by Carney and Carney repaid him by having a blinder in the next two games.

No one said you did sydney but those who did should be ashamed.

That's all im doing it for. Yes it may be childish, but they didnt hold back in saying how crap Wello was last season and Pryce.

Only difference being the majority of Saints fans on here agreed and said the above 2 players were below par. Where as with McGuire, the Leeds fans still blow bubbles up his backside.

They shouldnt give it out if they cant take it.

Besides, i like calling out their keyboard heros who call me a d*ckhead and such.

Completely agree and I would probably still start with him on Saturday because it's too big a risk going for Eastmond at scrum half given his lack of experience in that position at first grade. Have Eastmond coming off the bench otherwise he'll be blamed, as will Tony Smith for picking him there, if we lose.

You just summed up his international career very well.

It is Sean Long you are talking about isn't it ?

Sean Long didn't prove himself at international level.

I take it that you don't disagree then...

2004 Tri Nations he was outstanding in the games against NZ at the Galpharm and against Aus at the JJB (we won both those games)

2005 was out injured

2006 Didnt do much wrong and played aswell anyone (bar Roby who was outstanding)

2007 Both he and Burrow were outstanding in the whitewash of the Kiwis

2008 as aluded to before McGuire can hold his head up when a lot of players couldnt

2009 had a very poor game against the aussies.

Peoples judgement is being clouded by one very poor game and the fact he has played in many GB/England sides that had their @rses handed to them.

He was voted englands joint second best player behind Peacock by the press for last years world cup, not a very high benchmark but better than the rest.

Mcguire's treatment by the crowd on Saturday was absolutely disgusting! The lad was trying his best but it just wasn't his day and everything he tried didn't come off, its 1 of the worst games i have ever seen him have.
However, i would be very surprised if Tony Smith drops him for this 1 on sat because it is just like him to be outstanding on sat.

The people that booed him off are not rugby fans, you never ever treat 1 of your own players who is trying his best like this! Why do these idiots even go to watch the game. Just because he's a pro rugby league player it doesnt mean that the guy isnt human and he doesnt have feelings.

Mcguire will be playing on sat so if you lot dnt like it, then dont turn up!!!!

His kicks were pretty effective in this year's grand Final.

McGuire had a poor game Saturday, I won't argue with that. He deserved selection because, quite simply, over the course of the season he was head and shoulders the best stand off. Whether one poor game last Saturday means he loses his place remains to be seen.

I think 'judgement' on this site is clouded simply by which club he plays for. There are some Saints fans who are desperate to get one over on Leeds, and this will do nicely.

McGuire has a good deal further to sink before he reaches the performance abyss standard set by Ade Gardner's comedy efforts in the WC last year.

Except in the last 15 mins of that game the half back combination was actually Sinfield and Tomkins, with Eastmond playing a roving role from the right centre. But you're right, we did look better with Sinfield and Tomkins as halves. Just as we looked better with Sinfield at 9.

So has every other GB/England player, can that excuse be used for the likes of Pryce and Wellens for example? He's also had two poor games this series, I also think your definition of outstanding is different to mine.

He's never looked to be anything more than a support player at international level for me, whilst he has added other skills to his game at SL level, he hasn't been able to transfer them to a higher level with anything near the quality or consistency necessary to be labelled as 'outstanding'. His decision making has been mostly poor, and is worse when he has to think about what he's doing. That's no good when you are in one of the three key creative positions on the pitch. He's getting past the age where the term potential can still be used, he should be reaching his peak around now. He's not lived up to his early potential so far, no where near.

It's not helped him however having been part of a half back combination that is chopped and changed every other game. For one series I'd like to see a coach pick a half back combination and leave them there for the duration.

Putting long slow kicks in to Wellens and Meli is completely different to having Slater underneath them.

It was the correct decision to drop Gardner from the squad this year, you'll not find many Saints fans disagreeing with you. Though what do his poor performances have to do with McGuire?

It is but that doesn't make the statement that he "has no kicking game" any more accurate.

He does have a kicking game. A decent one. At international level, when playing against the worlds' best his kicking game might not be good enough but then again when has any aspect of any English/GB player been good enough when up against the Aussies in the last 30 years.

We can only go with the best that we've got and that is what we've done. No point getting knickers in a twist if the best isn't good enough, which it isn't. We must recognise that the whole game needs to improve and that all other clubs must follow the lead set by leeds and Saints in producing young, British players. From an England standpoint I am pleased that there seems to finally be some competition for the halves with McGuire, Eastmond, Myler, Tomkins, Burrow and if he gets back on form Pryce. think back a few years when it was either Long or deacon and .......erm.....well.....erm.

We need that kind of depth and more besides in all positions.

That is the discussion we should be having.

Alternatively, keep taking some perverse pleasure out of McGuire's failings as an England player because you couldn't scratch that itch while he was a Leeds player.

because the thing that all these comments on here, the VT and Wigans' forum spectacularly miss is that McGuire, Smith Sinfield and other others are playing for the team you support as much as I now and I gain no pleasure from the failings of any of England's players.

There is a pot, kettle & a bit of black in there somewhere.

Nail head.

Come on admit it, you've been waiting for the ideal opportunity to have a go for the past 3 season. Mcguires crap performance has done nicely.

More teams should be doing more to promote youth development. Seeing as pretty much everyone wants that, discussion over





I take no pleasure in him and Sinfield being average/poor for England. I did not cheer McGuire off, I want to see the team win and be champions. Whilst any player is wearing an international jersey I will support them, even the likes of O'Loughlin and Westwood. That doesn't mean I won't criticise after the match when they have a stinker, just as I do when Saints players do it.

The fact that I want any player to have an utter stinker every time they play against Saints doesn't alter that fact, so direct you ire in that respect elsewhere.