Bring in Westwood for Farrell

Long term Westwood's international career is over, but this is a test series decider, a one-off, so his aggression and ability to play 80 minutes should get him in the side ahead of either Farrel or Whitehead, who offered nothing in attack. McGilveray 's extra grunt deserves a shot on the wing over Burgess who did nowt wrong but doesn't suit these tight defensive encounters. Pity Shenton is not in the squad, but Cudjoe has to replace Bateman if we're to have any attacking threat in the centres. Not sure about the halves: after two games they are hardly 'bedded in' but a change now could completely destabilize the team structure that worked quite well in Hull.

McGuire isn't even in the squad.

I'd bring in Westwood for Farrell who is just being ran at constantly by the Kiwis, as he'll add some much needed aggression and an offload game in the back row (saying that Whitehead had 53 offloads last season and I don't recall a single one in two games for England in the last two weeks - again must be down to the coach).

Start Roby, maybe even play him all game and bring on Hodgson for stints as a second hooker option.

We do not need wholesale changes. Hall and Burgess have been fine for the paltry space and service they've been given. Watkins Hardaker Bateman similar, they've been provided with no platform to play with by the back row and HBs.

The biggest change should be in he tactics. We haven't had a better opportunity to show how much more exciting our game is compared to Union after the World Cup and how terrible the England Union side were yet England RL have been more boring to watch in the last two weeks (especially yesterday) than any game in that World Cup. Yesterday was a disgrace!
We need to be far more expansive and actually have something different to one or at most two passes and a drive six times every set all game!

Change the game plan completely.

Speed up the tempo considerably.

Stop playing one up football.

I

The prestige of an NRL contract, and the love and admiration of Mr Raymond Warren.

The Sydney Roosters bound Wigan star Joseph Burgess has done nothing wrong and does not deserve to be dropped. He has received little ball and no opportunities to run far with it.

The problem is in the halves.

Matthew Smith is a proven incompetent. The successful combination of Daniel McGuire and Robert Burrow needs to be employed immediately.

Luke Gale has been the most consistent, influential English half back in super league this year. A real poor decision from Mac to overlook him for the first two tests. An actual centre should be playing too, not a makeshift.

You mean the same Burrows who has been playing hooker?????

People keep repeating, Bateman's no centre, like it's a mantra (and because facile parallels with Sam Burgess and the RUWC are too tempting?). Well, watching the game back on TV last night, I'd say Bateman can certainly be criticised for some individual errors; it could be argued he partly at fault for Nightingale's try, he didn't manage to keep Widdop's (rather ill-directed, to be fair) diagonal kick in play on the touch-line in the first half, and he lost the ball in contact once or twice. What I didn't see was him being a 'poor centre' by failing to release his winger when he had him outside him space. Because this didn't happen. Bateman had a busy game (surely saw a lot more of the ball than Watkins, who was criminally under-used), but that's hardly his fault. he made decent ground with the ball in hand. Watkins and Burgess should have seen more of the ball anyway, but that's a reflection of how the team were directed. Or weren't.

And I'm one of many who was delighted to see Whitehead in the England side, and yet he's offered nothing. Ferres, on the other hand, had a busy afternoon, and was superb in defence.

You mean the same Burrows who has been playing hooker?????

I'd switch Hall and Burgess over so Burgess will play on the same side as who he's played with all year, stick Hall with his team mate and we know he can play on the right too.

Hardaker

Burgess
Watkins
Cudjoe
Hall

Williams
Smith

Graham
Hodgson
Hill
Westwood
Bateman
Oloughlin

Roby
Burgess
Cooper
Ferres

Williams and smith have played together all season, and whilst smith has been quiet, they can just slot in and work off their partnership.

Westwood brings experience and aggression which I don't think whitehead provides, and Farrell is not up to the job I don't think. Bateman is but he is a second row and not a centre so he goes in for Farrell.

However it wouldn't surprise me one bit if we had exactly the same 17 as the last 2 tests.

So bring in smith because he is average and quiet but plays for Wigan. I've no doubt thats what Mac will do sadly.

Hardaker
Hall
Watkins
Cudjoe
McGillvary
Widdop
Gale
Graham
Roby
Hill
Farrell
Ferres
O'Loughlin

Houghton
Westwood
Burgess
Cooper

TBF using already established pairings is the way to go. Smith despite his obvious polarising effects on other teams fans has formed a good solid halfback pairing with Williams this year in a pretty dominant team, he knows him inside and out, what he can / cant do and the confidence of playing at home, in front of his own crowd and a familiar playing partner really is the way forward, he will have more confidence in being vocal with Smith than perhaps being more timid around the NRL Superstar in Widdop perhaps being a little overawed by him and leaving a little more decision making to him than he probably should have.

Using tried and tested partnerships surley should be a no brainer.

same with Danny Brough in 2013, McNamara has previous in not selecting form players over his "club England" mates.

that's burrow isn't it?

Bateman has struggled which surprises me. I'd potentially move him in to the pack but I think I'd make a straight change for Cudjoe.

I wouldn't drop Burgess because there's not much any winger could do with so little ball. He could look to be a bit busier though.

It's tough to single anyone out as being poor after yesterday because they all were. I think in the main they should be given the opportunity to turn it round.

As a one-off for this Wigan Test, there is a case to be made for playing Smith and Williams together, just like there's an argument for playing Hall and Watkins together, and Bateman and Burgess. But really, it's a lot more about tactics and attitude than personnel. The Kiwis tightened up for the second game, and didn't drop the ball they ball they dropped in Game #1. So bashing it through the middle isn't going to give us the platform we need. Kicking game needs to be vastly improved. I don't recall anyone from either side even attempting a 40/20 during the whole game. England have match-winners out wide in Hall, Watkins, and Burgess. They need to get the best out of them.

Hardaker
McGilvary
Cudjoe
Watkins
Hall
Williams
Smith
Graham
Roby
Hill
Farrell
Bateman
O'Loughlin

Hodgson
T Burgess
Westwood
Ferres

With this being a decider I'd go for partnerships or atleast players together who know each other inside out. Cudjoe/McGilvary Watkins/Hall then a combination of Smith/Williams/O'Loughlin. Having Bateman more involved at SR will help to up the intensity, for Wigan on numerous occasions this year he has made multiple tackles on the spin. I'd play Westwood as a prop, his aggression paired with T Burgess size should hopefully bring an impact from the bench alongside Ferres who can hopefully replicate his impact in the first game. The other argument would be to start Ferres at Left SR alongside Cudjoe and McGilvary which would be fine by me also. If that was the case I'd drop Farrell completely as he isn't a bench player and would bring Cooper back in and use Westwood as bench SR.

"Burrows" is an enigma and not know to me, other than in a James Bond script.

Robert Burrow, by contrast is an experienced scrum half, just as Daniel McGuire is an experienced stand off. They have played together often.

Why on earth wasn't Percival selected? Has been an absolute class act all season in a side that has starved him of decent ball a natural centre if ever I've seen one. I have no doubt this kid would already be on a par with Watkins if playing in an expansive side ala Leeds.

Regardless of what 'the squad' is, we haven't picked our best team and that's why we've looked weak.

Hardaker
Hall
Watkins
Cudjoe
McGillvary
McGuire
Gale
Graham
Roby
Hill
Ferres
Farrell
O'Loughlin

Burrow
Burgess T
Cooper
Whitehead

He'd have been in my squad for sure. He's a class act and easily a better centre then Bateman or Cudjoe.

His time will come.