Yes, he's very fond of the heritage centre

He went there on a school trip once

As the RFL have now removed the link as they were only supposed to put it out tomorrow

I theorise

that this may potentially be the squad
Ryan Atkins
Sam Burgess
Shaun Briscoe
Tony Clubb
Eorl Crabtree
Peter Fox
James Graham
Ryan Hall
Gareth Hock
Danny McGuire
Scott Moore
Adrian Morley
Richard Myler
Sean O’Loughlin
Jamie Peacock
James Roby
Michael Shenton
Sam Tomkins
Ben Westwood

Maybe i'll get lucky with my guess of the squad

I agree with you ONE HUNDRED PERCENT - I just don't see what the fuss is about Mr McGuire great support player but nothing else and I don't think thats enough in the International Game.

Waits to be shouted at!!!!

Briscoe
Hall
Atkins
Shenton
Fox
McGuire
Myler
Graham
Roby
Morley
Peacock
Hock
O'Loughlin

Moore
Burgess
Clubb
Crabtree

I'd like to see that.

For me

1.Briscoe
2.Fox
3.Shenton
4.Atkins
5.Hall
6.Tomkins
7.Myler
8.Morley
9.Roby
10.Peacock
11.Hock
12.Burgess
13.O'Loughlin
14.Moore
15.McGuire
16.Crabtree
17.Graham

Clubb and Westwood to miss out

A compitent stand off??? He's done alright whenever he's played for his country.

He didn't in the Tri Nations a few years back, he looked well off the pace in every match he played. I'd still have Pryce over him.

I'm a touch surprised that Tomkins has been picked, unless it's for experience only (which is something I think we should be doing with a number of young players), it's his first season and he can't hold down a shirt in an average Wigan side as yet.

You mean in 04 when GB won every game he started (3 in a row IIRC), until Noble bottled it and picked Harris in the final? Or 05 when he missed over half the season with injuries?

Are they seriously suggesting McGuire and Tompkins are better options than Leon Pryce? It's ridiculous.

Wigan as ever are treated so favourably. They are running what 9th in the competition yet pretty much all their English players get picked.

loads of things obviously

it could be!! and im just say it could be!! so dont jump down my throat that: pryce has showed on more than one occasion that he goes missing in big games and has struggled at international level.

perhaps smith thinks he is not the man to take england forward as a player and maybe as a person too. tony smith may have an opinion on what type of person should be pulling on an england shirt!! pyrce's off field actions might not sit well with TS

im not trollin, im just saying. because pryce has been playing well and you would think he would be in on club form??

I see a one dimensional Weasel who occasionally shows a good bit of footwork, but mainly piggybacks off his team mates.

the last time mcguire played 6 for his country he was probably the best player on the field!! (WCSF)

i always find this strange!! mcguire is one of the nicest lads you could meet!!

his passing game long and short and his kicking game long and short are light years infront of pryce. and he plays his best rugby in the biggest games,

that might help too

Or the tournament in 2006 when we lost every game he played at 6 in and won the one game Pryce was 6 in?

Did you forget that year?

Only if you only remember the last 2 grand finals (as all Leeds fans seem to do these days, and Wiganers accuse us of having short memories) alos ignoring the fact that the entire team was well beaten on both occasions, and forget every other big game he's played in when he's played through the middle. He was a key factor in the GF wins for Bradford in 2005 and us in 2006.



That's quite possible, also Smith knows McGuires game far more.

pryce is just not an international six!! he's a runner and a bloody good one but is there a place for a guy like this against defences that are tighter than sir alan suger's bum hole.

i think pryce fitted into ando's game plan of playing a pure runner at six, thos worked great in sl but ando has tried to do the same in the nrl by moving hayne to 6 who is everthing pryce is and a hole lot more and it failed as aussie defence is too good.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 080206.stm

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 080206.stm

i was also thinking about the world cup semi final, mcguire has out played pryce when they come up against each other and when they play together when it counts the most

pryce didnt play 6 for the bulls in 05 or at all really thats why he left isnt it? no doubt pryce is a good player! i just dont know where he fits into TS plans.

the next england coach might not like mcguire and want pryce.

Now, [ithat[/i I think is the real reason Pryce is missing. I don't believe it was just a coincidence that his buddy in dodginess was fired from Wire once Smith was in charge.

yep for sure

I'd suggest that the squad is as it is to allow three things, a) to spread the load on the teams, b) to avoid the squad divide seen in the world cup, c) to get a look at/give opportunities to the younger players who may make up the team at the next world cup.

As such it was inevitable some players would miss out its not just Leon, there's no Peacock, Burrow, Gleeson, Ellis, Sinfield, Wilkin who i'm sure many would've imagined in a squad.

Lets not forget this is against the French not the Kiwis or Kangaroos.

peacock is captain against france so i think you missed his name.

ellis is in australia

burrow is injured

wilkin just come back from injury

sinfield's form has been up and down and not as good as others picked

Plenty of 6's in Australia are mainly runners.

They expect their 7's to be able to do their job properly though.



And Pryce has outplayed McGuire. CC semi last year, play offs last year, SL game at Leeds last year, CC game this year, SL game this year.

When they play together? Both can't play at 6 at the same time, so how has McGuire outplayed Pryce? Oh yes, Pyrce has been moved to accomodate McGuire as he can play more than one position. Unlike McGuire.