Why not just pick all the english wigan players because of their understanding?

Watkins is a better centre than goulding.

Correct. Watkins is one of the first names on the sheet.

It's exactly how you should punish them.

If they play then what's the message? If they want to play in the tournament then they have to stick to the rules then the rest of the squad are - simple.

There are some givens in this squad
1,2, 5 and 9 are guarenteed places
All the props have to play, and I wouldn't have both Burgess twins on the bench together so one has to start.
Sinfield has to play
Sam Burgess has to play
Westwood should start

So that leaves a choice of Watkins, Cudjoe or Ablett in the centre
and Ferris, Farrell and Ablett for the SR
With a choice of Sinfield, Chase and Widdop for 6 and 7 depending on whether Sinfield is 13

With limited pack now, I would go with Sinfield at 13
Start Widdup with Chase and have Burrow on the bench

So we put ourselves even more on the back-foot for winning the competition by not playing our best players?

His name is there, isn't it?

I think you are in for a disappointment. Re-read the list

Take the Wigan specs off for goodness sake. He's no more than average and hardly tore up trees on tour in 2010.

Even Michael Maguire left Goulding out of the team in his 2nd year at Wigan after playing him on the wing in his first.

Mis-read, apologies. Widdop starts at 7 for me.

Chase is in the squad and will play its nailed on.

I'd go with this

I don't like Ablett much but he has been very effective at centre when I've seen him and Cudjoe has worried me in the last couple of games I've seen
I like Burrow off the bench too.
I'd have Ferris on the bench but I'm assuming as he was picked first Farrell will get the nod


1 Sam Tomkins (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks)
2 Josh Charnley (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks)
3 Carl Ablett (Leeds Rhinos, Hunslet Parkside)
4 Kallum Watkins (Leeds Rhinos, Latchford Albion)
5 Ryan Hall (Leeds Rhinos, Oulton Raiders)
6 Rangi Chase (Castleford Tigers, Dannevirke Tigers)
7 Gareth Widdop (Melbourne Storm, King Cross)
8 Thomas Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs, Dewsbury Moor)
9 James Roby (St Helens, Blackbrook)
10 Lee Mossop (Wigan Warriors, Hensingham)
11 Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves, Normanton Knights)
12 Sam Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs, Dewsbury Moor)
13 Kevin Sinfield (captain) (Leeds Rhinos, Waterhead)

14 Rob Burrow (Leeds Rhinos, Featherstone Lions)
15 Chris Hill (Warrington Wolves, New Spring Lions)
16 George Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs, Dewsbury Moor)
17 Liam Farrell (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks)

Sorry pal, ignore my above!

Ha no problem mate. My anti-Rangi Chase stance overtook me for a minute.

England’s involvement in this competition will last till the 23rd of November at least and hopefully the 30th which is 5 weeks from now. In that 5 weeks, we want to see the team building up momentum and play for each other as whatever happens on Saturday the real test will start in the semi finals

McNamara has so many critics on these boards but in this instance he has done everything right. Kicking Hock out was a no-brainer (as he has no brains!) but leaving a senior player like Graham out shows that he means business and you have to be prepared to work hard and act professionally if you want to play for your country. Lose a squads respect and that 5 weeks will see the whole thing unravel

I have to say that McNamara has managed this with real strength as he could easily have played Graham and sent the wrong message to the team

Its ok.I feel the same way.

That said he has a golden chance on Saturday to prove us all wrong.And a few players who would have been carrying the water get a big opportunity to claim the shirt for the tournament.Sometimes things happen for a reason, you never know...

He's playing centre inside the top try scorer in SL, if you look at Charnleys tries this season I bet 90% of them have been put on a plate for him by Goulding, he's been our most improved player by a distance since Wane took over. Im sure Charnley would rather have him playing inside him than Cudjoe.

Surprised people not rallying for Westwood to be out of the 17. After all, 95+% of people on here wanted him hung, drawn and quartered after what he did in the Grand Final.

Steve McNamara imposes a drinking ban on his squad for the duration of the World Cup. After the warm-up game, one of his 'senior' players, along with others, goes out drinking. Clearly a lot of respect for his coach and his ways.

I suspect he will get a bit more respect now that they know they will (minimally) be out of the team or out of the world cup altogether

exactly. Picking Graham this week would have shown him, and the rest of the squad, that there are no rules and you can do whatever you want and still get in the team. Graham will get a chance next week, and the week after, to play his way into the team for the big games.

Brett Ferres is starting and Liam Farrell is on the bench.

I hope he doesn't try the same on Cronk or Thurston what with how it knocked Green off his game. Imagine how well he'd have played with 2 eyes.

Considering the length of time and preparation that has gone into this World Cup, involving the same people, the respect should have already been there.

I wonder what McNamara is going to say when asked why he's left one of the best props in the world out. Are they going to acknowledge Graham ed up earlier in the week so is been punished or sweep the whole incident under the rug

With regards to the centres, when the 24 man squad was first named I thought it was a specialist centre short (I'd have picked another centre over Briscoe - waste of a pick when there are utility players like Hardaker who can play if there are injuries). You'd imagine that if Jack Reed was fit he'd have been in, and I have to say Goulding has been excellent for the last 2 years, I rate him better in defence than either Cudjoe or Watkins tbh.

The issue we have got is those 4 centres all play no. 3, on the right. We don't have an international standard specialist left-sided centre. It's a completely different skill set to play on the opposite side of the field than you are used to, both in defensive positioning and passing the ball quickly.