I think people need to have in mind that we have a top class Australian coach in charge now, and he'll have a different mindset to judging players than typical British fans. I suspect Bennett will be a lot more concerned with the efficiency with which the players can enact his game plan than with the often flashy superficial stuff that British fans often overvalue. We should probably think about which players can handle an NRL style game plan.

Obviously who is actually fit will be important, but Whitehead and Hodgson will be in because they are playing well in the NRL. S Burgess and Graham will be in as proven performers, the Burgess twins and Cooper will probably also get in. I expect Widdop to be there, although it wouldn't shock me if he did play fullback given lack of true quality elsewhere (Shaul and Lomax have probably been better this season than Tomkins or Hardaker who have been average and mediocre respectively).

I would expect Chris Hill and Ben Currie to make the squad, the former probably the starting 13. I think Hall and McGillivray fit the bill nicely as the sort of powerful kick returning wingers they like in the NRL. For the hookers behind Hodgson then I think it's not a foregone conclusion that Roby or Clark will get in ahead of Houghton, I'm sure Bennett will be well aware of the benefits of a rock steady dummy half who can give you 50 tackles a game.

And what we finally need to consider is how many Australian players he may poach based on eligibility. I'm sure some people will scream about it, but only idiots would contest that the likes of Trent Hodkinson (likely) or the Morris twins (highly unlikely) wouldn't strengthen the team in areas short of true class.

Yup, pretty much agree with that, except for Hodkinson. I think he's bang ordinary and certainly no improvement on Sneyd or Gale. Widdop at f-b is certainly an option.

Not sure i would feel comfortable at all with the Morris twins representing us as they have played for Australia several times. And i also don't think Hodkinson would improve us a great deal at all.

I agreed with everything else you put BTW, spot on.

I don't see the point in chasing Hodkinson when we've got Widdop, basically offer the same thing, kicking game, defence, some organisation. Not much else. Both playing for two of the worst teams, ball in hand, in the NRL this year.

Widdop to Fullback is interesting, I think he could offer the closest skill set to Darius Boyd, whose whole career has basically followed Bennett.

I'm not keen on playing Widdop at Fullback, if he isn't good enough to play at 6 I would leave him out altogether.

I don't think we should dismiss players that aren't born here but I would like them to want to play for England, rather than being "recruited" or seeing England as second best because their dreams of playing for Oz or NZ have gone or aren't realistic. If players have a real desire to play for England and the shirt, I have no issue whether people consider them "English" by birth or not.

Not keen on trying to shoehorn the Morris brothers in, sends a completely wrong message and I doubt they have ever held ambitions of playing for England. I don't think Hodkinson is very good, had one half decent season with the Dogs and was bang average before that and has been ever since.

not bashing tomkins for the sake of it, but has he shown that he should play for England this year? even some wigan fans want him to concentrate on a full pre season instead

I always forget about Lomax, as he has been so unfortunate with injuries, best FB in SL for me, if he stays fit id have him at FB for England

Lomax the best fullback in the league? Strongly disagree there mate. He's good but no where near the best.

Who is better and English, I really like Shaul, but Lomax has the edge with his passing game as he shown last night. Good runner and very safe also.

Shaul is too small for England. He will get man handled by the Aussies and Kiwis.

Lomax is the best fb in the league imo, wouldn't swap him for anyone.

Tomkins will get picked though, despite any number of horror shows this season.

Totally agree with this

Personally I think he will pick Sam so with that in mind i'd go

Tomkins/Lomax

McGilvray
Cudjoe
Watkins
Hall

Hodkinson (people may not like it but hes the best of a poor bunch for me seriously lacking in halves)
Gale

Hill
Hodgson
Graham
Whitehead
Bateman
Sam Burgess

George Burgess
Cooper
Roby
Westwood

Gone for some big misters to come off the bench. The problem with these threads are people ask for opinions and people shout down other peoples opinions as if they are fact and wrong. Not everybody will like player X and peopel will always back player Y fropm their own club. I personally dont mind bringing heritage players in if they havent played internationally before and have a direct heritage such as hodkinson with his dad. I dont like the grandparents rule. With regards the wings McGilvray definitely deserves a go after his performance last year his go forward out of the back is phenomenal like Hall and is needed against the Aussies and Kiwis

Jamie Shaul is 5'10" 88kg

Sam Tomkins is 5'11" 83kg

Billy Slater is 5'10 89kg

That's just to name a few, so no I wouldn't say Jamie Shaul is too small.

What just in Super League?

Like you said yes Lomax has a better passing game but Shaul imo of course is Safer, faster, brilliant support play and solid in defence.

I'd also have Ratchford, Tomkins, I'd even consider Evans although he's out of favour at the minute. That's not even mentioning Hardaker who is out on loan.

Lomax
Manfredi Watkins Atkins Hall
Gale Widdop

Ellis
Bateman Whitehead
Hill Hodgson Graham(c)

Clark SBurgess Taylor Watts

Manfredi is injured and out for 9-12 months.

I'm always very skeptical of players weights. If you believe them, Joe Burgess, John Bateman and Sean O'Loughlin all weigh 98kg. Sam Burgess apparently weighs 116kg. Is Sam really 18kg heavier than O'Loughlin. Highly doubt it.

That said, I don't buy that Shaul is too light. If theres any position you can afford to be light in an international it's full back. It would be nice to have someone with pace and weight but we don't have anyone.

My only concern with Shaul is inexperience, but hopefully a CC and GF will give him some big game pressure experience.

Yeah 98kg is 15.5 stone, no way SOL is that light as a solid 6" 2 guy and built like a bodybuilder these days i would put him at well over 100kg, 98kg was probably what he weighed when he burst on the scene.

Lomax is very safe, has good defence and a very good runner, Shaul is quicker and more elusive, but think lomax is better FB overall.

Ratchford is a poor FB, too many mistakes, better at 6, Tomkins and hardaker have been poor this year, no idea who Evans is, can't think of a SL called Evans?

Best two English FB's this year have been Shaul and Lomax, so it should be one of those two.

Sorry was meant to put Evalds not Evans. It depends what you want from a fullback really some act as an extra pivot and some don't. With Shaul he's the latter, and I don't think he'd need to be playing for England with the likes of Williams, Gale, Sneyd or Widdop as the halves.
Imo Lomax lacks top end speed which the rest of them I mentioned posses.

1. Darius Boyd
2. Brett Morris
3. Josh Morris
4. Dave Taylor
5. Joe Burgess
6. Trent Hodkinson
7. Daly Cherry-Evans
8. Mike Cooper
9. Josh Hodgson
10. James Graham
11. Chris McQueen
12. Elliot Whitehead
13. Sam Burgess

14. George Burgess
15. Tom Burgess
16. Chris Heighington
17. Gareth Widdop

I think part of that is down to Hull's performances being all-round team efforts. Are any of the FC players eligible the best in their positions? I'm not sure, but they've stood up well as a team. Ellis is probably the one world class player, but he is arguably too old now and I believe he has retired from internationals. Taylor and Houghton have been fantastic, but they play in positions where England are strong. Shaul, Sneed and Yeaman are playing well but are they really good enough against the Aussies and Kiwis? FWIW I'd have Minichello in the England team if he was eligible as for me personally he's been better than Bateman, Currie, Ferris and just about every other back row in SL this season.

England programme from 2013 WC puts SOL at 103kg. He may be a bit heavier now as weight is more likely to go up the older you get. I can well believe 116kg for Sam Burgess as he is a good 6'5 and not slightly built.