Is biz.

Rubbish, he shouldn't be playing next week. We've looked a far dangerous team with Robinson at scrum half and Tomkins at full back. He's missed numerous tackles and he's dropped plenty of ball, useless.

Missed the game did you?

nowhere near good enough at the moment.

keep him in the centres

Seems simple. Drop him, and atkins. Get Westwood on the pitch to kick goals (and because he was our best player) and reshuffle. The problem is, who plays stand off then?

Get Burgess to Loose forward again like last year. Westood into 2nd row and O'Loughlin...... stick him in the centre can't be any worse than Atkins. No idea why crapbanana had 2 2nd rows on the bench when Burgess and Ellis are 2 of the fittest players we have.

WE NEED MORE PROPS ON THE BENCH!

No, looks like you did. Backing up for the try doesn't make up for him being crap.

The Coach selected him with a handful of first grade starts.
Is the problem his or the Coaches?

How much pressure has been put on his shoulders as a young kid with limited experience to be a World beater for England at TEST level.
Give the poor bugger a break.

Hit and miss game for me....looks as though he will be the whipping boy when defeats come our way.....id keep him at FB only so that Brown doesnt play,

Read the game thread... lol

I have no time for Widdop at FB and didn't before the game.

My thinking on this guy is entirely consistent.

Add Burgess aswell. Doesent this guy usually tear the superior NRL up? Looked like a plodder tonight. Westwood played him off the park.

I put this before he was chosen for the france game and got this response. We should have waited until he has proven himself at club level.:

ads7fax wrote: Look what we have come to clinging on to an average 21 year old who is unproven.

oxford-pie-eater wrote: Have you even seen the kid play? Sure, he's no world beater, but he's only 21 and one of the best junior talents in the NRL.

He's good under the high ball and in 1-on-1 defence, he's got a great kick return and promising short kicking game, and his ability to find a gap and put himself through it is so far this season unmatched by any English fullback in SL


It seems once again we have bigged up an average player into a world beater. Let him prove himself before talking about him like a proven international. He got exposed today and Tomkins is twice the full back atm.

He was playing Westwood at prop again wasn't he? Like he did against the Maori's?

I thought he played quite well considering his lack of experience. Looks more dangerous with the ball in hand than most of other options, not quite as safe defensively but loads of potential. Might be a risk at fullback against Aus though, but so would Tomkins.

Westwood wasn't our best player, James Graham was, although he had a decent game.

Tomkins
Goulding
Atkins
Shenton
Goulding
Brown
Robinson
Graham
Roby
Fielden
Westwood
Ellis
O'Loughlin

Burgess
Crabtree
Griffin
Harrison.

Thats what i'd go for. A massive bench, with Burgess and Harrison able to cover anywhere in the pack except hooker, with Crabtree and Griffin rotating at prop. Also, if injuries occur to the backs, then the likes of Ellis or O'Loughlin can slot in if needs be. Joel Tomkins was rubbish when he come on, IMO, and doesn't deserve to be picked on the bench.

We should be allowed to select 24 players with unlimited interchanges.

He looked alot more of a threat in the , id go with for next week

Tomkins
Briscoe
Widdop
Shenton
Goulding
O'Loughlin
Robinson
Fielden
Roby
Graham
Westwood
Ellis
Burgess

Lunt
Harrison
Griffin
Crabtree

he's a reserve grader ffs, what's he doing in an England shirt?

Because he's better than anything else we have... Shows what problems we have. He would be in the first tea, of just about every superleague team

Would he though? We don't really know that until he's come and played over here or played regularly over there. The kids got talent but looks like he hasn't played first team a lot.

he hasn't, about 5 games in his entire career. Your right we do have problems!

He played well, he made a couple of mistakes but you have to expect that from such a young player. He threatened the defence and returned the ball well.

Given the alternatives he is the best option.

You have to remember that the aim is to have a team ready for the world cup in 2013. Players like Wellens and Briscoe will be too old then and are not good enough now. Given the other options Widdop was a good pick and had a promising game given his age and experience.

I agree Goulding was good but can he really play 2 positions at the same time?

Kris Inu had played 1 game of first grade when he made his debut IIRC.

Anyway FWIW I think Widdop looked totally out of his depth today. Im sure had we had a fully fit squad though the combonation would have been 1.Tomkins, 6. McGuire, 7.Eastmond anyway and Widdop wouldnt have had a look in.

and what has Inu done since?

I hear what your saying about 2013 but surely have him in the squad to get experience, play Briscoe who is safe at the back if offers little going forward and let the kid at least get some 1st grade experience before throwing him to the Lions (or in this case kiwis).