absolutely spot on, great post!

its attitudes like that which keep our game from growing and reaching our potential as an international sport!

The actual squads for the Quad Nations and other events I would assume are selected by more than just one man. He has a team of people he will sit and discuss but ultimately he is the one that gives out the game plans and he knows which players will play out his game plan the best.

Australia may have a selection board and the coach just works with what he is given but he is usually given the same players as he would have selected himself so no great dramas. Here we have so many good players that SM wouldn't know which ones he'd get given. Australia have alot more exceptional players which makes their coaches job of using what he is given so much easier than what SM would get given.

The coach picks the players he thinks are the best for the job , if they fail , he gets sacked , all of you out there suggesting " this player is better than that player , he shouldn't be in , he should be in " go out , get your coaching badge , find a team , have a go at it

Then you might realise why he is the England coach , and you are not



If you dont think you're up to that , try ' reffing ' , then you'll relise how ' easy ' it is



Armchair coaches

Something I did actually do, got the badge the same time as Andy Last, unfortunately for him he ended up having to coach retards while I got the pleasure of coaching the Kingston Amateurs!!!!!

It really isn't easy but as much as you have at stake in the pro game at least you know your players HAVE to turn up every session, you can plan to have group sessions, one to one training, forwards and backs you even have the luxury of being able to have a light contact game with an under 20's side. The amateur game allows you none of those and some teams struggle to get 5 players down when it is wet and windy.

Then not to mention it is still winter rugby and there are very limited number of floodlit pitches for training. The expense of hiring an all weather pitch for 5 people to have a pass around is one sure fire way to get yourself in debt.

So no coaching is not easy but I'd sooner be picking and coaching at the top than having to struggle through at the bottom.

Like yourself I bit the bullet and got the badge , not easy as you say , I even missed a NFP Grand Final because of it

Point being though is SM has ' earned ' his chance whereas the vast majority of armchair coaches havent , and would be much worse

Yes SM has earned it I give him all the plaudits, he got a rough stick at Bradford, his selections may have been a bit out there but he had his reasons and he seemed to be the only one putting his hand up for the England job.

I like the look of both squads considering the aim of them and it is only people reading too much into these selections and probably seeing the word 'squad' makes people think its final... If SM wants to he could pick a completely different team at the end of the year than what is in either of these squads. He wont but he could.