That seems to be his priority!

Ridiculous statement of the year.

To be honest the selection is not as bad as people make out, we have no idea about what people have been doing in training etc. I though it was bad at first but we will put out a much better side than that at the end of the year.

The only thing that baffles me is the amount of Leeds players. JJB and Sinfield have not been better than Brough or (insert the name of an english second rower here)... Sinfield should not be near the shirt.

At the end of the day he has picked Tickle who is a FORM player, we have been asking for this for so long. Ablett is in good form in my opinion but he is being played out of position, perhaps he just wants to see how he will go at this level?

Don't forget though, this team will change so much for the WC, I wouldn't panic, I still think we'll put out the best 17 for a long time once we get to october 2013.

We will have the likes of Ellis, Burgess, Reed, Heighington, Graham and Widdop.... all of which would be straight into my 17.

Tomkins
Charnley/Briscoe
Reed
Atkins
Hall
Chase/Widdop/Lomax
Chase/Brough
Mossop
Roby
Graham
Ellis
Burgess
Lockers

Westwood
Heighington
Crabtree
Carvell/....

I don't think we would struggle in the forwards with that lot to be honest.

Still baffles me some of the selections but we don't know enough about what they have been doing at training etc. to know why he has made those calls. If Steve Mac has seen those 17 players putting in the most effort and showing the most pride in the shirt, I suppose I back him, but like I said, the 17 will look far different come the end of the season and the WC.

why has he picked abblett in the centre when he isn't even a centre when he could of picked goulding who is an inform centre and everyone under the sun knows sinfield can't play 6 at international level and he can only just play 6 at club level

sometimes i wonder if are kid steve knows what he's doing

A pile of crap as usual, "picking players in form" is a load of bull. Peacock & JJB in form? to name but two. McNamara can't even talk a good game! Talks alot and says nothing, can't stand the bloke!

I could be wrong but I reckon Ablett has played more at centre than 2nd row the last few years. He played there in the CC and GF IIRC and scored a try. He's not a bad centre by any means. I wouldn't have picked him though.

I don't understand why JJB is getting so much stick, he was one of our better players in the last 4Ns.

Thing is, though, I don't think it will. With McBanana in charge I think Sinfield will still be 6, Chase still 7 and Peacock still playing while shuffling behind his zimmer. It's discouraging.

I would have gone with something along these lines:

Tomkins
Charnley Goulding Atkins Hall
Lomax Brough
Crabtree Roby Mossop
Hock JJB
O'Loughlin

Burrow, Prescott, Hill, Tickle

Burgess, Westwood, Graham, Reed, Ellis, Mcguire, Widdop all to come in after injury and availability for the world cup (obviously this would change upon form). now should be the end of the road for the likes of peacock, sinfield and morley as we need to build for the WC and beyond. Roby as captain for me!

I know the Giants have not been on form but Brough has been one of our better players. Don't think he's injured and had worked hard for his place. Just seems certain players can just walk into the England squad!

Only just had chance to reply to this.

Complete rubbish, i'm not the kind of person to jump on someones back, but has Sinfield not proved he's a very good Super League player and a very average International player?

Ablett isn't a centre.

Peaock is past it, and will be more so by next year.

JJB is recovering from injury.

I don't want to Leeds bash, I think Watkins is a huge miss.

Agree on McIlorum, he's a decent player well coached. Also he's played for Ireland, sorry play for them instead, you made your choice.

Also I think Danny Washbrook, Andy Lynch, Chris Hill, Greg Eden and Darryl Goulding deserve a shout from what i've seen, and none of them are in either squad.

Kris Welhams missed 45 tackles this year, saying that Abletts missed 39.

Another criticism is Rhys Evans being in the Knights squad, he's played 2 games this year, and is Welsh.

Thinking about it, i'd rather have Matty Smith at HB than Sinfield. At least his form deserves it.

Rhys Evans nailed his England colours to the wall very early on, he's eligible to play for England and didn't want to play for Wales.

But he hasn't earned his place in the squad either way.

Typical Rugby League fan at my work, he doesn't agree with the England squad so he wants the Exiles to win. It must be the only sport were English people want England to lose. Baffles me

I do like the cries of Sinfield is a poor international player. He's won MOM against the Kiwi's in '09 at hooker and in 2011 at 6, he helped set up 3 of the 4 tries England scored at Wembley vs the Aussies including one from a kick. He didn't play well in the Final but then again who do in a white shirt?
And as for the 'he's proven he's not an International 6'........how many players in the SL era have 'proven' themselves in the halves for England/GB exactly??? Or actually how many players in any position???

I love how Matty Smith is suddenly in the frame just because he's been linked with Wigan. He's done love all this season.

I'm a massive fan of Sinfield, as a player, as a captain & as a person. I agree his best games for GB have probably been at hooker, but he is not the best option at 6 in this game or in near or distant future IMO. No one would agree exactly with any team Banana put out (except some Pie fans if 17 Pies were picked), some of the reaction on here is pathetic.

oww shut up will you. not one single wigan fan has mentioned matty smith should be in the england squad, he was already in the knights squad.

has he picked 17 wigan players? no, so whats your point?

A right hand side attack of Brough, Hock, Goulding and Charnley with Tomkins chiming in would have been mouth watering. Sinfield, Hock, Ablett, Charnley doesnt quite have the same appeal to me!

last year sinfield wasn't even close to being the best player against new zealand.

Well if i remember correctly i think it should of been James Graham but Sinfield got it so he must of played well, and he did.

I'm not even saying Sinfield should of got the nod for this game but these claims that he's been really poor at International level when their has MANY worst for GB/England in the SL era is OTT. You just have to look in the direction of the guy who'll be wearing the number 7 shirt.

Did the likes of Long, McGuire, Pryce, Brown, Horne, Deacon, Orr, Burrow, Robinson or Myler perform any better at International level in the halves? And even some of are very best players of the last 20 years Farrell, Sculthorpe and Harris may of played a bit better but certainly didn't rip it up at International level like they did at club level.

If we'd have had a decent half back pairing against NZ in last years 4N we'd have put a score on them. They were there for the taking and we actually made it more difficult for ourselves by not being clinical in attack and converting possession in to points. Sinfield is not an international 6.

Yes but we had Sam Tomkins and James Roby, the best 2 talents in English RL atm, the guy who won Man of Steel in Rangi Chase, as well as 2 of the best wingers this country has had since the days of Offiah and Robinson. Are you trying to suggest the difference between scoring a bucket load more of points against NZ simply rests on perhaps playing a Brough or Lomax instead of Sinfield?

I'm a fan of Danny Brough, but I think Huddersfield fans will agree he loses form dramatically at times.

I just think it's time for us to play attacking half backs instead of going for a safe option.

Apart from players like Hanley, there are very few players who stand out in every game (except Goulding & McIlorum obviously). Brough is light years ahead of any other British scrum half IMO.