What, in the same way that Italy beating England in a 2013 RLWC warm up game saw RL take off massively in Italy ?

[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/39804623team announced[/url heighington and mcqueen both in the 17. no place for arguably 2 of the form players in superleague, taylor and percival

NRL will be picked over SL everytime. NRL players play at a high intensity on a weekly basis SL players don't.

It's two average Aussies over two of our own

Chuffed for McMeeken fully deserved

Form SL Centre not picked.
From SL Full Back picked at Centre.
2 Aussie's on the bench
Scott Taylor not in the 17

Very odd.

So Liam Farrell and Scott Taylor sit the game out whilst two aussies, one of them 35 years old, get a run out? Terrible decision.

Liam Farrell isn't even in the squad. The 3 missing out are Warmsley, Percival and Taylor.

i find it odd that hardaker has been moved to centre - albeit a position he has played in before - from his usual position of fullback this season, especially when he could have put percival there and played zak at fb and put ratchford to non playing squad member, given that ratchford was a late addition to the squad. i'm not going to be too critical with the backs selection until the game pans out though, as the injury to widdop has probably thrown a big spanner in the works.

So being average in the NRL is better than being outstanding in super league?
Do we need to tell Bennet about the long list of average Aussies who have come to SL and completely flopped? (as I am sure Heighington would do)

Also Hardaker is a terrible centre, he never knows what to do, the fact he is playing Ratchford tells me 2 things:
that Bennet was going to play Widdop at fullback despite being the form 6 in the NRL
and that he clearly hasnt been watching SL to see how much Hardaker has improved his passing

Don't have a problem with this, if it'll answer a question of "Will this 35 yr old do a particular role at this years RLWC?"

McNamara would've been crucified for a team selection like that

It was always going to be the case for someone, but if youre a Saints fan, you gotta be disgruntled about 2 of your key players not playing and on a free holiday mid season with your position in the league.

Saving grace probably jetlag will be the only thing to affect them.

Yet to see the impact missing Hall and Watkins this weekend will have on us but we have the added benefit of an easier CC tie than most next week.

Against the only unbeaten side left in all 3 leagues? Haha. In all seriousness, I hope Leeds go into the game with that complacency as Barrow will give it a good shot! It's just a shame that we have to go to Keighley a few days before due to that being when the RFL decided the re-arranged fixture needed to go

There’s only one other team I’d rather be playing out of that draw after a grueling Easter period and mid-season International. Swinton.

More and more Aussies being sneaked into the England squad. n a few years all 17 will be. It's a farce. England needs some pride.

Hope we lose....the silly old Australian should not be in charge - GET RID !!

wonder if this game will be on a tv streaming channel (i use plex)

dont fancy watching the game on a laptop

Agreed, I hope we loose this so all of the England 'support staff' grow some bottle and tell bennet that he shouldnt pick aussies and that if he wont pay attention to SL (only explanation for the selection) then they should pick the players

Also pretty dissapointed in the England players for defending picking a former Queensland player in McQueen, especially the captain

Obviously Bennett watching loads of SL. probably hasn't seen Hardaker playing ouy of his skin in his proper role at FB and remembers him playing for Penrith at centre end of last year and thinks Kev Brown has been ripping it up since his excellent debut against Brisbane in Feb. A real head scratcher.

McQueen today is a better second row option than most in SL. Heighington isn't. But given the limitations of numbers of players per team I can understand him going with a solid NRL player.

Re Percival and Hardaker, I wouldn't be surprised if the reasoning is the sheer size and strength of the likely opposite, Leilua. He's an absolute beast. Hardaker's a far stronger physical presence. Anyway I guess that's the idea.

Again, please spare me the precious England nonsense. Bennett is the coach and he's going to pick teams to try to win. By far the biggest boost our sport could get is England winning the World Cup. Trying to do so was the whole reason behind getting Bennett on board.

Give over we are not going to win picking a team like that, Heighington is average at best and McQueen hasnt been international standard in 3 years. If we were picking Aussies that were clearly better then I dont think people would mind

Heighington probably been better than McQueen this year but both are nowhere near good enough. Neither is Tom Burgess. Walmsley has clearly been one of the best in England for some time but can't get a look in. A number of good back rowers in England left at home.

Isn't the purpose of this game to give English players the chance to go up with NRL-calibre talent on foreign soil?

I don't normally have too strong feelings either way towards coaches. But Wayne is taking the out of English rugby league and doing more harm than good. Even if he brings some short term success (IE a World Cup final) I'd still want him long gone after this year.

If McQueen and Heighington were players like Wade Graham and Paul Gallen, you could see the reasoning behind Bennett's decision. He says he's only d about winning. But they're not. They're over the hill and never was. It's a disgrace.

Well said Budgie. Agreed 100%

If you pay to watch the game do they send you a link or will you be able to go on the site and log in?