Watching the England game at the weekend, it got me thinking.
Saints have fewer representatives in the England than usual, probably on the back of a couple of disappointing seasons.
With a few good signings in the bag, we're hoping that we can perform better as a club next year. If we do, who do we think will be knocking on the door of the England squad for internationals next year?

Johnny Lomax is our star, but plays in the most competitive position for England, with Tomkins, Hardacker (sp) and Ratchford.
However, Hardacker will get negative points for his actions this year and Ratchford will probably move to 6 given Briers retirement.
Lomax should get taken in the squad as minimum 2nd choice full back with added utility value. If we have a good season, he may also be able to convince that, because of his potentially better ability with kicks, he's got a decent case to start (that would take a season free of injuries and a good campaign by saints, though).

Given Eorl Crabtree's omission from the England squad, you'd say prop forward was a very competitive position, but T Burgess and Mossop aren't exactly untouchable. We have Walmsley, Amor and, if he continues his form from the end of the season, LMS who could all make serious claims on a prop forward shirt for England.

Are there any other guys you expect to be challenging in the next year or so?

Makinson and Swift are unfortunate that there're two very good wingers in front of them in Hall and Charnley. Turner has an outside chance too I think, as Cudjoe and Watkins aren't untouchable in the centres. As you say, Amor, LMS and Walmsley have the best chance of making the squad. I don't think Mossop deserved to be in the squad, his move to Australia got him in the squad, in my opinion.

Hasn't Walmsley declared for someone else?

Walmsley was due to play at this World Cup for Scotland but withdrew because of an injury IIRC, Amor was also due to play for IReland but opted to have surgery on his hand to be ready for start of next season.

However this seems to mean very little when you consider the whole Brough - Scotland, England, Scotland saga, McIlorum has previously played for Ireland before England I believe...players can change especially if an opportunity for England arises over a lesser home nation

Give it a couple years and I reckon Percival will be challenging for the #4 shirt.

If Jordan Turner continues improving at the same rate he will be a shoe in in the next eighteen months.

I've thought a little bit over the past few weeks about what sort of team could take us forward after this World Cup and Lomax going in at fullback with Sam Tomkins moving up to 6 is certainly the way I'd go. I think Tomkins has shown in this World Cup that he's developed his game to be a creator for others. We would then retain that attacking threat from 1 by putting Lomax there.

In all honesty I'd say he's the only Saints player not in the squad that is anywhere near ready for the step up at the moment. I'd say Walmsley is next in line if he wants to play for England.

I agree. Chase has been disappointing this World Cup, I don't agree with him playing for England anyway but that's another matter. With Lomax, Tomkins and. Brough at 1, 6 and 7, I think we'd be so much better, but that won't happen given Brough's situation with England.

I think most would probably agree with you, which is quite a damning indication of our season last year. We had plenty of players who were good in patches and awful in others (LMS is a prime example) and many who show great potential (like Adam Swift), but on the whole, the season was just a bit of doss about for the majority of the time.

If we're in gear from the off next year, then the above opinion should change and if Walsh has the desired effect, then the likes of Swift and Turner could find themselves really in the spot light.

We have some very exciting young talents but I think most of them are a couple of years away from international recognition. Been a tough year for our younger players with a lot of injuries to senior players and no halfbacks to speak of and I think they did superbly considering, but IMO there's a very strong England squad already in place (halfbacks excepted) and that's without the likes of Ratchford and Crabtree who somehow missed out this time.

I'd expect Lomax and Walmsley to be in the ETS next year, maybe Turner if he can keep up last years form. Mind you if Ben Cockayne can get into the ETS I'd have no problem making a strong case for all of our younger players.

England are not weak in the halves. It's the coaching that is completely lacking. We've got a blundering idiot in charge who insists on picking Sinfield. Gareth Widdop is one of the best 6's in the world, he has played 6 for the best side in the NRL for years. It's a joke that he's not playing there for England. Were it not for that fool McNamara England's halves would be Widdop and Brough. The likes of Chase, Myler and Ratchford would be in or around the squad as well. The future is actually looking okay for England, the more players in the NRL the better as far as the national team is concerned. We just need to focus on getting an appropriate coach.

Sinfield's had a pretty good World Cup IMO, he is the leader and organiser of the team and has done well in his role. The issues we have had with the ball stem from the players outside of him, Chase in particular has had all the time he should need to make the right play but has taken the wrong option far too often, against defences we should be doing much better against.

I'd have picked Brough over Chase but I barely rate either at this level, Brough's attitude has been shocking however and he ruled himself out so more fool him I say. Haven't seen too much of Widdop but he is hardly the main man in that Melbourne team and I think we would need someone more enigmatic at 6 with Sinfield at 7. Pity is we just don't have anyone with the skill set so I can see why he has stuck with Roger.

McNamara is the problem, as has been said with an International coach Widdop and Brough would be England's halves, Sinfield and Chase would be nowhere near.

As for your future Intls. Re Lomax, his Intl future may depend on what happens to Hardaker. If he's out for good than Lomax comes straight in. If ZH is considered again then Lomax might have to fight for the 2nd behind Tomkins. Either way Lomax will be in, just a matter of when.
Makinson was in the England Knights team that played Samoa, I'd expect him to stay in the squad. Purtell fielded a massive Knights squad so he may look to Walmsley pretty soon. England are well off for props and Crabtree could be selected next time pushing younger props back in the queue.
Centre is a problem for England but I don't see Turner as the answer. Atkins will be in front of him and Goulding can't be too far away.
There should be plenty spots available when the next England coach takes over. Let's not forget, McNamara managed to lose three players from his squad, Brough, Hock and Hardaker. It really does take some level of incompetence to do that. Then he told the media Hardaker was ill and subsequently Leeds fined him for indiscipline.
McNamara and shambles do fit very easily together into the same sentence.

Turner was one of our most consistant players this year, managing to look ok when everyone else was shocking.
He did throw in a couple of very impressive efforts - he skinned Yeaman out of sight to score a lovely try against Hull and, towards the end of the season, he put Mak in for some tries with some very difficult passes.
It will be interesting to se how he performs if we get the ball moving better next year, now that we have a half back.

Current and possible internationals within the next few years:

James Roby
Jonny Lomax
Alex Walmsley
Kyle Amor
LMS
Josh Jones
Tommy Makinson
Adam Swift
Jordan Turner
Mark Percival

These are the lads who judging off what I've seen have a shot at becoming a full international, some depending on their development. I think it'll be difficult for the likes of Makinson and Swift because of the players in front of them. I genuinely feel that Lomax is a better all round Full Back than Tomkins and I'd probably move Tomkins up to 6 and bring in Lomax at 1. If Walmsley continues to progress at his current rate then he's a shoe in within the next couple of years and both LMS and Amor could be pushing for places. Turner and Percival both have good chances for me, Turner is very under rated at the moment by other clubs fans and Percival could be a star.

Tbh, I don't think it matters if we have any players in or all 17. England have really good depth now, so it's not as if they aren't good enough. Some players just have to take their chance in the England team or get lucky with the coach.

Hardaker got a chance and he took it last year and again vs Samoa for the knights (obv may have blown it now...) Lomax could easily have had that chance, but he never. Walmsley could (maybe should) have got his chance over T Burgess but he's unfortunate not to have that surname.

We have some very good SL young players. That's good enough for me. If they push for international selection in the future, then that's great for them personally.

What is with the love for Turner? He can't defend for toffee, I'll never forget that Wakefield centre making him look like a ghost at home and his attack consists of jogging to near the line, stopping and doing that embarassing goose step thing and then collapsing under the tacklers. Turner has only impressed me once and that was a flick pass somewhere (Possibly Wigan?)

Towards the end of the season, he put makinson in for a couple of tries with some very good play in the opponents' 20. He'd run a line back towards the ball and hit a gap, which would persuade the winger to come in, before getting the pass to mak to score. In that situation, its very a hard pass to make without it going forward.

See!!!!! There you go again trying to explain rugby league to an idiot!

It doesn't make him Paul Newlove, but its something that so-called superstars like RYan Atkins would continually fail to do.

Its always hard to tell with the younger players coming through until they have performed consistently well for a few seasons and fully proven themselves. 2 years ago, I would have backed Foster to mount a challenge for an England wing shirt in the near future and now I wouldnt even rate him in the top 10 English wingers in SL. The likes of Swift, Percival, Jones, Walmsley etc all definitely have the potential but are nowhere near ready for the England squad just yet imo and would rather see them develop more before throwing them in.

I think (Roby aside), the other Saints players who could be ready would be Lomax (would rate him a far better prospect at 1 than Hardaker), Makinson (although dont think he is quite ready to dislodge Hall, Charnley or Briscoe just yet), Amor and LMS again (if he performs like he did back end of last year). Judging on the current plight of centres, I would also add Turner to that list as whilst he struggles defensively, he is no worse than Watkins is (who has been a big disappointment in the World Cup for me) and a lack of quality competition at centre could see him given chance if he has a good enough season (a la Cudjoe this year)

I was just checking some super league stats (I know they can be misleading) .
Percival in only 72 carries made 13 clean breaks - so nearly 1 in every 5 times he touched the ball , which looks totally off the scale . The next best I could see was Charnley with 35 from 383 or roughly 1 in 11.
If he can keep up that sort of attacking flair and strengthen up , surely he is nailed on for international honours - let's face it , he hasn't got much to beat at centre.

I'm still concerned about his size and it's fit in the centres. I can't imagine what Francis Meli and Junior Sa'u would do to him if he was defending in the centre. It'll be interesting to see if he's grown any by the start of next season. He could do with eating his tea at Sia's every night.

He kept Ablett quiet on his debut. I know he's not great or a natural centre but he's a hell of a lot bigger and better built.

As impressive as Percival has been I agree that he needs a fair bit more size before he becomes a regular. He doesn't need to be massive, similar to Goulding would be plenty big enough without taking away any of the pace he has. Really excited by his future.