My 25 man squad (I'll do it like the above):


FB : Briscoe

Wings : Hall Fox Halley (for FB cover too)

Centres : Atkins Shenton Yeaman

Halves : Tomkins Brough Pryce ( Can cover other areas too)

Hookers : Moore Roby Godwin

Props : Peacock Morley Graham Burgess ( Back Row too) Carvell

Second Row : Ellis Westwood Langley Wilkin Wild

Loose : O'Loughlin Westerman

I like the idea of Pryce at centre. He's been absolute pish at half back internationally.
Still makes me sad when I see Ben Westwood in an England squad. Are we really that bad?

From my point of view,

He's excellent in defence

He offers a bit more aggression

He always seems to play with pride


I'd love to see him play over JJB anyday.

Brough not being picked should have nothing to do with morals. Its just common sense, he's played for another nation (other than England), therefore he shouldn't be picked for England.

I'd pick the squad that gives us the best chance of winning.


If that includes Brough then so be it.

this would be my squad of 25.

Full Back - Shaun Briscoe , Matty Blaymire
Wingers - Ryan Hall , Shaun Ainscough , Leroy Cudjoe
Centres - Ryan Atkins , Michael Shenton , Lee Gilmour
Halves - Sam Tomkins , Danny Brough , Rob Burrow , Luke Robinson.
Props - Andy Lynch , James Graham , Adrian Morley , Jamie Peacock , Sam Burgess.
Sencond Rows - Gareth Ellis , Jon Wilkin, Stephen Wild, Carl Ablett
Hookers - James Roby , Scott Moore
Loose Forwards - Kevin Sinfield , Jamie Langley

1) Shaun Briscoe
2) Ryan Hall
3) Lee Gilmour
4) Ryan Atkins
5) Leroy Cudjoe
6) Danny Brough
7) Rob Burrow
8 Adrian Morley
9) Scott Moore
10) Jamie Peacock
11) Gareth Ellis
12) Jon Wilkin
13) Kevin Sinfield

14) James Roby
15) James Graham
16) Sam Burgess
17) Stephen Wild

Salford half-back Stefan Ratchford was the surprise inclusion when England coach Tony Smith announced the first batch of players for his Four Nations train-on squad.

[urlhttp://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/09/09/17/RUGBYL_England.html[/url

Rob Burrow....

Ill wait and see what the squad is.

Even the frogs could win by 20 against that lot

New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney today ruled eight players out of his squad for the Gillette Four Nations series.

Melbourne forward Sika Manu, already out with an ankle injury, has been joined on the sidelines by South Sydney prop Roy Asotasi, Newcastle back rower Zeb Taia, Wests Tigers winger Taniela Tuiaki and the New Zealand Warriors quartet of Simon Mannering, Sam Rapira, Jerome Ropati and Manu Vatuvei.

[urlhttp://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/09/09/17/RUGBYL_New_Zealand.html[/url

Briscoe
Fox
Gleeson
Shenton
Hall
S Tomkins
Burrow
Morley
Roby
Peacock
Ellis
Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook
O'Loughlin

S Burgess
Graham
S Moore
Wild

1. S Briscoe
2. P Fox
3. M Gleeson
4. R Atkins/M Shenton
5. R Hall
6. D McGuire
7. R Burrow
8. J Graham
9. S Moore
10. J Peacock
11. S Burgess
12. G Ellis
13. K Sinfield
14. J Roby
15. A Morley
16. E Crabtree
17. JJB/Wilkin/Wild
I'd expect the likes of Myler, Tomkins/Ratchford to play against France but Burrow and McGuire to play against the Aussies and Kiwi's.

Oooooh, Jarryd Hayne.

Four Nations presentation video.

[urlhttp://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,26691,12780_5564358,00.html[/url

Sh*t, that's some blow. Starting to wonder if rookie, Daniel Vidot, may snag a squad spot. If I recall correctly, they blooded Inu after one first-grade match, mostly based on his Premier League performancs.

The final Kiwi squad will be interesting.

Vidot deserves a spot more than Luke Covell, he's been lucky to keep his place in a shocking Sharks team this year so how he gets in the NZ squad is beyond me.

As it stands ATM, I would pick

Pryce
Raynor
Senior
Shenton
Hall
McGuire
Brough - Goalkicker
Graham
Moore
Morley
Ellis
Peacock - Capt
Burgess

Fa'savalu
Carvell
Roby
JJB

I would go for the biggest pack availale as I feel this would give us the best chance to compete with NZ/AUS.

One thing that stands out for me when picking this team is how short we are on quality centres and wingers. I really didnt want to put Senior in there as he has come up short on many occasions against the aussies but the fact i sthat this season he has been the best british centre by a mile, and all the other ritish wingers mentioned would just get murdered when returning the ball from the backfield.

Also only picked pryce at 1 as if we are playing with Burgess at 13 we need a 3rd pivot, a role which any of the Briscoes, Wellens, Blaymire etc wouldn't be able to do.

Wild etc. Think I would go for Gilmore as he is the best defender of that lot and also a very elusive runner!

England centre Ryan Atkins has pulled out of this autumn's Four Nations tournament.

[urlhttp://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/09/09/21/RUGBYL_Atkins.html[/url

As i scrolled thru all the pages of posts & selection options it really became obvious of the lack of quality backs.
Just no depth, wish there was!

A point I made on the Wigan board five minutes ago.

I was hoping someone would come up wqith a couple of names that i hadn't thought of, but unfortunately not. It looks pretty dire TBH.

Theres not much depth in many positions. Like ive said many times, we struggle to put to together a quality 17 whereas the Aussies struggle to get down to 17. Its scary how much more quality they have then England does...

National sport vs minority sport. It's no real surprise they have a bigger pool to choose from.
Before someone says it, New Zealand benefit greatly from a having a team in the best league in the world and numerous players playing first team rugby in both the NRL and Super League.
More Europeans in the NRL please.