My team is here: leaguefreak.rlfans.com/news.php?readmore=702

My team is here: leaguefreak.rlfans.com/news.php?readmore=702

Briscoe
Hall
Eastmond
Shenton
Fox
McGuire
Tomkins
Graham
Roby
Peacock
Ellis
Westwood
O'Loughlin

Moore
Burgess (as prop)
Morley
Sinfield/Smith/Bridge/Myler

Carvell and Crabtree as backup for props

Sykes shouldn't get a look in

very happy for tomkins, eastmond and myler to be in the squad
bit dissapointed theres no tom briscoe
why on earth paul sykes and chris bridge are in i dont no
lee smith is no longer a rugby league player so dont understand why he's been chosen, dont get me wrong i'd have him in had he not gone to union, but i think this sends out the wrong signals.
i can totaly understand pryce being dropped his form as dipped in the second half of the season, but dissapointed for paul wellens who as been as rock solid as ever and is the best full back we have.

As solid as a rock....and about as fast as one.

Briscoe

Hall
Smith
Shenton
Fox

McGuire
Sinfield

Graham
Roby
Peacock
Ellis
Crabtree
Burgess

Moore
Eastmond
Morley
Carvell

Biggest issues are how the team will be set up in terms of half-backs etc. and the three-quarter line looks inexperienced at international level although it's a million times faster than last year's back line.

I do think the pack looks awesome though and I think the forwards can do some real damage - time will tell...

Crabtree in SR? Shouldn't a back rower be mobile ?

Burgess shouldn't be at Loose either, i'm sorry but he's a prop who can play in the back row, but his best position is prop.

Crabtree has played a bit of 2nd row at Hudds.

Burgess at loose would effectively be another prop as a "3rd middler".

Briscoe
Fox
Smith
Shenton
Hall
McGuire
Myler

Graham
Moore
Peacock
Ellis
Burgess
Sinfield

Roby
O'Loughlin
Morley
Crabtree

That's exactly how i'd use it.
In fact, stick Ellis and Lockers in the 2nd row and have basically 4 props and a tackling ball playing machine all working together. Pick halfbacks that can kick etc etc
I suppose if you did want Ellis in the centre stick westwood in who's the same as above.
No Wilkin, Sinfield etc etc this time please, the next player like that can be Westerman in a few years time who's bigger

Shaun Briscoe
Tom Briscoe
Michael Shenton
Tony Clubb
Ryan Hall
Sam Tomkins
Kyle Eastmond
Adrian Morley
James Roby
Gareth Carvell
Jamie Peacock
Gareth Ellis
Kevin Sinfield

--------------------------------------------------
Sam Burgess
James Graham
Sean O'loughlin
Scott Moore

1) shaun briscoe
2) ryan hall
3) lee smith
4) michael shenton
5) kyle eastmond
6) danny mcguire
7) ritchie myler


adrian morley
9) james roby
10) jamie peacock
11) sam burgess
12) garreth ellis
13) sean o'loughlin

14) james graham
15) jon wilkin
16) ben westwood
17) sam tomkins

My Team now would be

James Roby
Gareth Carvell
Ben Westwood
Earl Crabtree

I have little doubt that the poms will be pushing to have as many Aussies & Kiwis stopped from coming,....it's the only hope for them to have a chance to win it.

The trouble with English packs is their lack of speed,and has been for 50 years,they pick a pack of lumbering elephants expecting to bulldoze their way through the opposition,this doesn't work any more,take a look at the Aussie &Kiwi packs and you will notice that most of their forwards are quick enough to play in the backlines,

Australia will beat England by 25 points at least.
New Zealand will beat England by a similar margin

As for Australia v New Zealand????Would not put money on it just yet.

This excerpt was taken from an article written by an English journo.


Paul Wellens is the one you will probably think is the goal posts at some point. He moves about as fast as one! You'll see him in the background of Leeds tries, out of position, off the pace and out of his depth, even at this level.

I have followed RL for over50 years,and I have yet to see a poorer full back playing at international level,I saw him in the England v Australia debacle last November,and I felt embarrassed for him,...absolutely out of his class even in the English team, if he was over here I doubt whether he would get the job as a ball-boy.

i would..australia by 30+ against NZ and england will beat NZ too.......

the last time NZ brought such a inexperienced & depleted squad up here they got tanked 3-0 and france nearly beat them too...

I can't agree with that at all. That may have been true in the 80s but since then? Not IMO.

Have you had many Aussie or Kiwi forwards were/are as mobile as the likes of Denis Betts, Andy Farrell, Ellery Hanley, Paul Sculthorpe, Gareth Ellis and Jamie Peacock. Name me an Aussie or Kiwi foward in the last 30 years who could match Hanley in terms of athleticism.

If you want an example of big lumbering packs, look at the NZ packs in the mid 80s - early 90s. Hardly mobile. Could Kev Tamati, Peter Brown and the likes have played in the backs? No chance. Most of the Kangaroo forward pack from the mid-80s could have played in the backs? Really? Would you have played Marty Bella on the wing or Paul Sironen in the centres.

England's problem positions have been in the halves and centres. Since the 80's, in particular, Australia have had better players in those positions.

I accept the Aussies have been consistently better than us but some Aussie fans seem to think that makes them more knowledgeable about the game.

Players as athletic as Hanley....wow...thats tough.

Tallis, Fittler, Ricketson, Webcke, Civoniceva, Harrigan, Sironen, Lazarus, Watmough, Lewis......I want to stop now because I'll be listing about 50 players just from the last decade.


You stupid poms hold the likes of Farrell, Sculthorpe and Betts as the standards. You idiots. These players got completely dominated every single time they played against the worlds best!

I take it you never watched Hanley.

For a start, Hanley was quicker than any of those in your list. Civoniceva and Sironen would take five minutes to tie their shoelaces. Webcke more athletic than Hanley? Deary me. Hanley was very powerful, quick as a back, a great step, would regularly break tackles and could easily make 40+ tackles in the game too.

I don't think you even understand what the term 'athletic' means. Those Westie schools, eh?

LF you are fast becoming an unfunny joke. Some of the biased tripe you have posted in the last week or two has blown away any shred of credibility you ever had. Some of the nonsense you posted on the Gareth Ellis thread was cringeworthy.




Are we talking about athleticism or general RL ability now?

You want more athletic...not faster.

If you wanted faster you should have said faster.....


What ever the case...no you are right. All English forwards have been incredible athletes, super humans, and completely dominated by out slow, plodding, takes 5 minutes to tie their shoes laces super stars and winners.

Not sure why people are picking Eastmond or Myler over Tomkins. Myler hasn't played consistently & consistently well for months, and Eastmond hasn't played huge amound either. Tomkins is the reason that Wigan actually ended up with an ok season, not looked out of his depth at one point.

CANNOT believe that LMS aint been selceted!!!!! Northern Bias once again eh?

Whilst i think tompkins is far from the finished article, i would say that he has had the better season. I would say that eastmond has more potential though.

Nothing to do with the fact he isn't half as good as the players picked