Westwood should be sitting out the start of the season for his GF display (should have been a 3-4 game club ban). Lets hope the lucky boy can clean his act up and keep a level head this weekend.

He has done everything right? The proof of that will be the result at the weekend. If we get hammered, has he really handled this well? Dropping his best prop to punish him isn't a good idea. You mention the semi finals, who is to say England are going to reach the semi finals?

The players he brings in are not good enough at this level and will not contribute what Graham would have done. If they can't play him because of what he's done, then drop him from the squad. What does dropping him from one game do exactly? England get hammered by Australia, Graham walks back in for the easier games? What is the punishment in that?

Pathetic and pointless. What on earth is he going to do from the bench?

If you are going to drop players like Graham you might as well do it against a side like Australia where unless a major upset occurs... England are nailed on to lose anyway.

Far better to use him in the other games where at least there is a more likely chance of winning.

you would assume that James Graham was looking forward to playing in this particular game, to get stuck into his mates from Down Under and continue to prove he is the best in the world. Therefore it will be a big punishment for him personally that he is not to be involved.

Q. The proof of that will be the result at the weekend. If we get hammered, has he really handled this well?

A. No, the proof will be at the end of England’s involvement in the tournament – the weekend is just one game


Q. Dropping his best prop to punish him isn't a good idea. You mention the semi finals, who is to say England are going to reach the semi finals?

A. Treating his best prop the same as his worst demonstrates strength of character. England will make the semi finals, we all know that (but if they don’t I suppose it will be good news for the competitiveness of international rugby league which we all agree will be great news, won’t it!)


Q. The players he brings in are not good enough at this level and will not contribute what Graham would have done. If they can't play him because of what he's done, then drop him from the squad. What does dropping him from one game do exactly?

A. It proves that the management team and McNamara has balls – so many people would be critical if he had no squad discipline, now we are critical when he does. My personal opinion is that this discipline will pay off over the course of the tournament


Q. England get hammered by Australia, Graham walks back in for the easier games? What is the punishment in that?

A. The punishment is that he has been dropped from the England team for the opening game of the World Cup – surely he is hurting from that, he should be. He will force his way back and he will play a role in the important games later in the tournament and I bet he will be up for it

Everyone is understandably focussing on the absence of Graham and it is a shock and a savage blow to the team.

But I think McIlorum is just as big a loss given the way he played in the play-offs and especially the grand final.

Would have liked him on from the start against Cameron Smith with Roby coming off the bench.

Not a great way to start a World cup campaign is it ?

Play him and you get disharmony within the group and you get the 08 fiasco again. Mcnamara has done the right thing. One player alone won't make that much of a difference whether we beat the Aussies or not, we have to play as a team and play for one another.

Graham will come back and be even more hungry now, he will play to redeem himself, and his coach and team mates.

Not sure mate but it's true. From the horses mouth so to speak.

Faz is an 80 minute player and a fantastic one at that. I agree that I wouldn't have him on the bench as its a waste. I fear he's not quite big enough for test level but we'll see. He is very good at finding a hold in the defensive line so hopefully he'll cause some problems against a tiring defence.

As for the whole team it would be Chase and Cudjoe to miss out for me. Widdop to start in the halves with Burrow on the bench.

A voluntary decision to leave your team short against Australia and you've probably got disharmony in the group anyway. So much for all the time and money spent on McNamara's project to instill a "club spirit" in the squad.

Yes, the draw is pretty much fixed for England to get to the semi-finals. One win against Ireland, even with a loss against Fiji, then a QF vs PNG/France/Samoa and we're there. McNamara would have to drop another 10 players for us not to get through to the semis. But a thrashing by Australia is a terrible way to start the tournament for the competition's sake rather than just from the England team's point-of-view.

The players missing from this game due to drinking when they shouldn't, have been rightly punished. They put SM in a no win situation and they've been stood down as punishment, I'm not a Mcbanana fan but what else could he do in this "heads you win tails you lose" situation. The idiots concerned have not only let themselves and the coach down but most of all they've let us down, yes us the fans who've been waiting for this match for ages, and hoped we actually had a chance of winning the competition. The biggest game we've had for god knows how long and guess what ?? they decide they know best and decide to sneak out for a few drinks like naughty schoolboys. Do the players actually want to win the world cup ? are they taking it seriously ? If the answer is yes they certainly have a funny way of showing it. Have any of them the guts to stand up and issue an apology to Joe public (us mugs) to say they're sorry for their indescretions, have they ****, hope they're all feeling really pleased with themselves.

Hope the lads selected to play, have great games, play out of their skins, give the Aussies a good game and maybe beat them. Maybe Mcbanana can then stick 2 fingers up at the said idiots and tell them to "get back down to the pub" you're not needed for the next match either.

Doubt any of that will happen but I can dream

Totally agree mate, they're adults at the end of the day and the punishment fits the crime.

McNamara had no choice.

ShelleyGiant, you've written the post I was just about to write - spot on - what a bunch of pathetic individuals!

Widdop can't play 7.

Widdop will be on the bench I reckon, he can cover a lot of positions in the backs.

1 and 6.

It is totally childish to get p***ed (if that's what happened) under the circumstances. If people have done so it is right they should be dropped (if that's what happened). It is also good in that we should have a couple of top players fresh and raring to go for later matches (if the knuckle down).

+1 Losing O'Loughlin really damages the back row, Farrell is not a bench player and lacks size, and I worry that they will be tempted to put Sinfield at 13, which is just asking for the pack to be a pushover.

We missed the opportunity to draft Crabtree with Hock leaving, the props really appear to lack experience without Graham.



Jack Reed plays on the left, though it's moot as he's injured.

The amount of penalties Hock gives away means he will be no loss as good as he is.
Graham is one of the best props in the world and England dont have many of the best players in the world.

This is the first time im 100% England will lose.
OZ team just looks unbeatable and a few of our players are not international class in my opinion although Im sure with their ability will not let anyone down.

yep think this will be it.

cant see ablett having much of an impact from the bench though, hope tom burgess steps up , needs too

Graham missing is a massive loss for our pack against the aussies



oloughlin prob not fit enough

Im ready to be proven wrong, but I dont think Mossop, Hill, Ablett, and Farrell are international class

I'm a huge fan of Graham. But Graham left the coach with no option.

It's the correct decision and the players have let themselves and the country down.

Peacock would have been nice to have in the team