Agreed; he looked solid if not spectacular.
No Oz tries came down his side which speaks volumes. In the absence of Senior he looks the best choice we have.

Spot on. Kevin Sinfield was fantastic yesterday - my MOTM for England.

(And no I'm not a Leeds fan)

Drop Lee Smith he was absolute gash in defence. Improved a bit on the wing but was still giving away penalties. Poor performance.

I'm not confident with Tom Briscoe and agree that he has taken the flack for Smith's awful defending. I still rate him better than Peter Fox so he would keep his place.

For me next week we should go with:

Shaun Briscoe
Tom Briscoe
Martin Gleeson
Michael Shenton
Ryan Hall
Sam Tomkins
Kyle Eastmond
Adrian Morley
James Roby
James Graham
Gareth Ellis
Sam Burgess
Kevin Sinfield

---------------------------------
Jamie Peacock
Eorl Crabtree
Ben Westwood
Gareth Carvell

I still think Martin Gleeson is England's best option at centre. He is the best defensive centre we have and can still offer something in attack. It would add a bit more experience to our back line as well. Kyle Eastmond is anonymous at centre and our only other options Tony Clubb, Lee Smith and Chris Bridge aren't good enough. Gareth Ellis has been doing a superb job in the second row and I wouldn't change that.

James Graham needs to start again and not be used from the bench. He IS NOT an impact prop. He is a grafter and so should be used as such.

Jamie Peacock didn't have a good game in the second row. He shouldn't play there again and IMO should be used as impact from the bench.

James Roby didn't have a brilliant game but he is the best of the limited options we have. Scott Moore and Matt Diskin are way out of their depth and Kevin Sinfield is doing a sterling job at loose forward.

I think Sam Burgess needs to start. We had a sluggish start but when he came on he really lifted us and against a monster kiwi pack we need someone who can put a few big hits in.

I've gone for a monster bench in Carvell, Peacock, Crabtree and Westwood purely for a lot of impact. The kiwis for 80 minutes were constantly thumping the Aussies and it is going to take an almighty effort to match them/beat them in the forwards. So we need to take the strongest pack possible. Eorl Crabtree to be used in the second row with Westwood with Peacock and Carvell coming on as impact props.

I believe there is enough skill in the halfbacks Tomkins & Eastmond along with Kevin Sinfield to create enough problems for the kiwis with Gareth Ellis and Sam Burgess good offloaders of the ball.

Cadders.

He was MY man of the match too.

An I'm Australian




Seriously....I thought he was terrible yesterday

Martin Gleeson is finished at international level. Some good performances yesterday, but Roby is an impact player so should start on the bench. As Scott Moore seems to have blown it I'd even give Higham a chance - remember he was one of very few players who showed any form in the World Cup last year. McGuire is out of his depth and has even lost his former speed - should be dropped for good. I'd run the risk with Tomkins and Myler as we won't defend our way to wins over NZ or Aus. The second half showed what I've said all week - you have to attack them and starve them of the ball.

I don't think Gleeson is finished at international level. At 29 he certainly isn't past it and still has a few more years left in him. We are starved of some experience in the backline (especially if we are to go with Eastmond and Tomkins) and so he would be a very useful asset in that aspect. He was in some decent form coming into the play offs and had his best game in Wigan colours against Hull KR in the play offs where I think he proved that, on his day, Gleeson is still one of if not the best English centre in Super League. But the main asset he has brought to Wigan that I think can bring to England is his defense. Tim Smith was the worst defender I have ever seen in Wigan colours, possibly one of the worst in Super League but when Gleeson arrived he really helped tighten that aspect of our game and with New Zealand having such a powerful backline we really need a top defender out wide and Gleeson would bring that. I can understand that people may argue he has had his chance and let's look to the future but with Lee Smith we are hardly looking to the future as he is heading off to Union. At the end of the day we need to put out the best squad possible. Martin Gleeson is better than Tony Clubb, Chris Bridge and Lee Smith IMO. I understand we must look to the World Cup where Gleeson most likely wont be included but the World Cup is not till 2013 where we might see some new talent emerge in the centre spot like we have seen with Michael Shenton. So with that in mind I would pick Gleeson.

Who would Sinfield pass to then?

Himself?

First of all any centre that can make such a big contribution to keeping the aussies scorless down his side is doing a very good job in defence (and before you trot out that the aussies ignored his side, he made more tackles than anyone in the backline, nearly double his nearest rival tompkins, who was also on shentons side of the field). He also forced two knock ons and pushed a player into touch (which led to us scoring a try) once again any player who can do those sort of things against the ockers is upto international standards of defence. As for attack how many times has he been put into space in the last few games? he is largely starved of the ball, and when he does get it the defence was already on top of him, despite this he was still on of our top meter makers in the backline (only s. briscoe doing better), many of those meters having to be made from running from dummy half as it was one of the only ways he could get near the ball. On the only occasion he was put into a decent amount of space yesterday he was hauled down just short of the aussie line. He didnt get to be the top scoring centre in sl by having a 'non-existant' attack, but in order for him to score tries or set up his winger (another player largely starved of the ball due poor tactics) you have to get the ball out to him and you need to do so when the opposing defence isnt already on top of him.

Tony smith has a number of selection problems, left centre is not one of them.

Shenton and Hall looked solid enough, which at the moment is the best we can hope for. The right side is a real mess though. I didn't think Briscoe did too badly, although I think Fox deserves a chance.

I do understand the comments about Gleeson, but what we really need is some size and athleticism out wide. That's why I would have gone for Pryce and Senior. I do understand not picking Senior, but the same rationale I'd use for that would automatically rule Smith out of the equation. On top of going to Union, that lad won't be a class centre if he plays there for ten years.

Lets all pray that Watkins at Leeds and the one or two other young propsects knocking around can actually develop.

The more I think about it, the more I also agree we need to leave McGuire out. He p*sses me off because he has the raw materials. He can pass. he can kick. He is elusive. But at international level his decision-making and execution under pressure have generally been abysmal.

I was concerned about Shenton before the tournament but he has done more than enough to keep his place & give optimism for the future. Physically he reminds me of a young Keith Senior. Smith I was more concerned about as it is not his natural position. Those fears were justified, play him on the wing or FB if needs be, but I think Fox has been the best GB winger for a couple of years & would have him in. Right centre? Out of those available, discounting Senior, I would probably plumb for Pryce as well but worry he could be caught out positionally.

As crazy as it sounds Keith Senior is still the best home ground impact centre wev'e got available.

Who else has the size and try-scoring/setting up ability?

Shenton scored more tries than senior this year so he certainly has that, last year he had more assists than senior (when he had a better winger outside him) so he can certainly do that well too.

Correct.

Someone who has to face their own try line to pass the ball out to the right should NEVER be in a ball handling position at international level.

McGuire sucked but Ive been saying that for years, if smith was to choose one of the leeds halfbacks it should have been burrow.

Briscoe at FB has added nothing to England in attack, he never beats a man running the ball back and his positioning is suspect not to mention his tackling poor.

Lee Smith believes his own hype now and is a poorer player for it.

Morley and Peacock were poor.

Peacock is not a Captain and never will be.

Next week [ucould [/ube embarassing.

But then again it couldn't.

why dont we just do what the aussies do then and stick a ball handler at full back, then we can play a big 13, eastmond to full back, he would always break the first tackle and get us on the front foot, as for the centre i would have pryce along with fox.

I think that just about sums it up.

If Peacock was a captain don't you think he would be a club captain!!

McGuire and Lee Smith should both be dropped and never under any circumstances be considered again for international selection.

We should say thanks very much for your input over the last few years to Morley and Peacock but we need to move on from picking these 2 - they were both very poor and overshadowed by younger hungrier players on Saturday.

I agree with dropping Eastmond to full back. My 17 for the Kiwis would be;

1) Eastmond (would bring the ball back strong and provide options coming into the backline)
2) T Briscoe
3) Gleeson (much needed defense and experience in the backline)
4) Shenton
5) Hall
6) Tompkins
7) Myler
8 ) Morley
9) Roby
10) Graham (grafter, not an impact replacement)
11) Burgess (we need some fire from minute 1)
12) Ellis
13) Sinfield - capt
Interchanges
14) Peacock (would work better as an impact player)
15) Crabtree
16) Carvell (had a big season - deserves a chance)
17) Wilkin (can cover in either backline or pack)

Any thoughts on this?

defiantly agree with having wilkin in the team, dont think westwood adds anything. good cover for the pack and backline.

id even consider having Wilkin in the centre he played at 6 for saints this season

Wilkin would give us so many options with regard to interchanges depending on how the game is going. At the moment we do not have a player in the side with so much versatility. He also would add a little experience in to the backline along with Gleeson if needed.

Agree with this selction? Not sure Eastmond is any more a full back than he is a centre TBH. No Maguire is right - he's had enough chances and without the pace he had, he is a liability esp in defence.

Id rather stick Jonny Vegas at Loose Forward and have him as Captain rather than Sinfield. Sinfield is a good Loose Forward and Captain at club level but certainly not at International level.

Everyone has their own opinion! My only other thought for skipper was Ellis, but went with Sinfield as I believe he is a natural leader. Out of interest Joynty, what would your selections be?

I like eastmonds eagerness and pace. I think that he is young enough to play anywhere and find his natural position. I would just like to see how his pace would be coming into the line in attack, and I feel sure that he would break first tackles on kick returns.

Thats one of the best i've seen. Only thing would change would be to start with Graham and sue Morley off the bench

She's great.