I would have promoted Danny Houghton to the elite squad been outstanding last season and has started this season well, better all-around player than Mcllorum IMO.

Not sure how Atkins is not in the squad should be in before Yeaman that's for sure.

Exiles team for would be:

Hodgson
Richards Carmont Millard J Monnaghan
Dureau Dobson
TP M Monnaghan O'Meely
Delaney Waterhouse
Menzies

T. Leuluai, Kaufausi, Soliola, K. Leuluai

Atkins is clearly England's best centre, so his lack of involvement pretty much has to because of the issues in his personal life that made him request he wasn't selected for the previous series. There is no way he could be left out of both squads given his form last season and this.

What are Morley and Peacock doing? Why haven't they retired yet? I think it's very, very silly they've been selected and accepted the call ups. Why couldn't they let someone else who will actually still be playing when the next meaningful series is played?

And Gareth Hock? What is going on there? He was an utter mess last season when he returned and completely disrupted Wigan's tilt at the title, so is 5 games this season enough to be selected for England now? He must have been outstanding in those?

Not sure how Atkins has been left out of the squad, he's a quality player.

Also not that I condone it but if we are in the business of taking players that are not English then we should try get Brett Delaney. He is one of the best second rowers in the league. It is an area where we do have a lot of dept though.

JP and Morley wont retire till after the World Cup but with no real end of season competition I wouldnt bother playing them against the Exiles. The need to preserved as much as possible before the World Cup. They are the best 2 props in SL. Prop isnt a position where you need to develop combinations with your outside man like you would as a hooker/half back or wing/centre.

Going from that squad what do you think the England team will be against the exiles? I'd go:

Tomkins
Hall Watkins Yeaman Briscoe
McGuire Brough
JP Roby Morley
Westwood JJB
Sinfield

Mcllorum, Carvell, Mossop, Hock

Imo Sinfield needs to play loose against Australia next year or not at all. Man for man we are not as good as them so there is no point in trying to beat them at there own game. We need to be tactically different if we are to beat them and a ball playing 13 over a direct 13 is he way to go imo.

Sinfield is a stand off that wears the number 13. Always has been. He's just too small to play loose forward against Oz and New Zealand

I'd have similar apart from O'Loughlan to LF, Sinfeild to SO, and Burrow as interchange hooker instead of Mcllrorum. In burrow and Tomkins we could have a deadly combination which can terrorize even the best defences in the world. I am very excited to have the possibility of these two lining up together.

Tomkins
Hall
Watkins
Hardaker
Charnley
Chase
Brough
Peacock
Roby
Mossop
Westwood
Wilkin
O'Loughlin

Burrow
Hock
Carvell
Morley

Thats why he should play! A direct 13 doesnt work, this has been proven time after time. Sinfield has never been allowed to play his traditional Leeds game when playing for GB/England. I agree Sinfield is too small to play as a 'natural' 13 if you want that kind of player go with O'loughlian. For me he has to play 13 or not at all. I would also make him captain but thats a different issue!

In the World Cup I would go:

Tomkins
Hall Watkins Reed Briscoe
Widdop Brough
Graham Roby JP
Burgess Ellis
Sinfield

Burrow, Morley, Westwood, Carvell

Lots of scoots from dummy half with burrow and roby. 2 good kickers with the ability to control the game in Sinfield and Brough and a 6 who has played consistently well in the NRL! A quality set of forwards 3 of whom a currently ripping it up in the NRL. A bench that offers us different options all over pitch.

If they keep playing like they have started

Moon
Patten
Holdsworth
McPherson
Feka

All could be in with a shout ask any Salford fan you won't find one that disagree's !

Morley should be nowhere near the squad. Thank you for all his great work and let a younger forward come in.

WTF is Mcguire in there for. Never done anything as an international and never will

I seriously wouldn't be playing Morley and Peacock. We really need to look towards the future.

I'd love to see an England team which looks like this for the end of year internationals:-

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Josh Charnley
3. Jack Reed
4. Kallum Watkins
5. Ryan Hall
6. Gareth Widdop
7. Danny Brough
8. James Graham
9. James Roby
10. Sam Burgess
11. Gareth Ellis
12. Ben Westwood
13. Sean O'Loughlin

14. Lee Mossop
15. Eorl Crabtree
16. Gareth Hock
17. Kevin Sinfield


the props are in their prime and at the top of their games in the NRL.

Peacock and Morley will be claiming their pension either this year or the next so its time to look to the future.

Neither has our international team, funnily enough.

England team for World Cup for me atm plus others who could challenge ...

Tomkins
Charnley (McGillvary, BJB, Tom Briscoe.)
Reed
Watkins ( Atkins, Shenton, Cudjoe.)
Hall
Lomax ( Widdop, Gaskell, Chase.)
Brough
Graham
Roby
Burgess ( L.Burgess, Prescott, Carvell.)
Westwood (JJB, Watts, Wilkin.)
Ellis
O'Loughlin

Burrow ( McLlorum, Robinson, Henderson.)
Crabtree
Mossop
Hock

I'm pretty encouraged with some of the players coming through at the moment.

Exiles team ...

Brett Hodgson
Pat Richards
George Carmont
Joel Moon
Joel Monaghan
Finch
Leuluai
Lopini Paea
Michael Monaghan
Tony Puletua
Sia Soliola
Steve Menzies
Chris Bailey

Dureau
Kaufusi
Mark O'Meley
Waterhouse

Have to say the Exiles are looking strong this year.
A few questionanle decisons, but there always is.

He'll do more for England and show more passion for England than Chase and Heightenton(?) did.

You mean the same Rangi Chase who showed more passion and effort than half the team?



Forced into a rigid system that doesn't suit expansive players....and played out of position and didn't do bad when you stop being blind and just pointing out the mistakes he made.

Take you cas tinted glasses off mate. Chase did bog all last four nations. He is a quality player in SL, but I expected him to do more than stand around like a headless chicken. Gareth Widdop did more and he played from the bench! Chase and that auzzie loose forward couldn't be d to sing the national anthem. English my ! No passion whatsoever. Brough and Sinfield to be the halves.

P.s I see Arundel is in England Knights again. Good on him he looks quality.

Because he wasn't brilliant that meant he didn't show effort? Wow



Oh and Chase was one of the few players who sang the anthem at every single game.

Go on then...Wakey tinted specs or BNP voter?

Effort? Don't talk bull. And he never sung a word . And like I said I think Chase is quality and that he deserved his MOS - no wakey tinted specs there mate. As for BNP, I don't believe I have said anything racist, only that he is NZ and not english.

When was the last time Sinfield played his natural game for Leeds? He's been playing stand-off for the last 18 months, which is his best position. But we saw in the last Four Nations that he isn't good enough at stand off at international level. Sam Burgess is our best option at 13 IMO

My problem with squad as a whole is that it's too old, something which many have already said on this thread. There are too many in there that will be very lucky to still be in the international picture by the time the World Cup comes around in 2013, so why pick them to play against teams that the England Knights could give a good hiding to?

Can't believe that Jamie 'The David Beckham of Rugby League' Foster hasn't been picked

The two were in direct opposition last Friday. One looked like a clueless headless chicken and McGuire looked class.

Lets not pretend Chase looked comfortable against the Aussies and Kiwis, He looked out of his depth.