I think Foster suffers from a lack of size and strength to be honest (add to that, he isn’t a real flyer) – he has very good skills and as you say a good goal kicking record

I’m actually pleased that a player has done well on the wing who isn’t a monster as it shows that good skills will get you into pro Rugby League but I don’t think he will crack the international scene as you have to have both the skills and the physical game to excel

8 tries in 11 games this year, 32 games over 4 seasons, slight of hand untouched by any british centre of his age group. Big, strong, fast, good step, good work rate. Still only 19 years old.

You got there before me.

Now Gleeson is at Hull, Yeaman isn't Hulls best centre, let alone the best English centre in SL.

I also think that some of my fellow Hull fans are confusing the fact that Yeaman has scored a fair few tries with being in great form.



Within 30 minutes of his Debut against hkr, Gleeson showed how good he is, when he attacked the line for the try he got the defence didn't know which way he was going to go until it was too late.

Yeaman is all heart and commitment (for which there is nothing wrong and is credit to him). He is defencively very strong but prone to jumping out of the line too often and missing the man. With the ball he is strong but has limited passing skills and doesn't know how to step round a defender. He relies on bulldozing at the line, which against an organised defence will rarely reap dividends.

Atkins and Shenton for me for England.

I really hoped Atkins could step up to international League but last year he was a major disappointment after a good domestic season. He is big, strong and fast but this just isn’t enough in the international game and he simply hasn’t got the skills in his game

As another poster has said, he may be a better choice on the wing internationally but I feel there is too much competition there in players who play wing week in week out

Briscoe has to be in. He is the closest thing we have to the type of outside backs the Aussies and New Zealand teams produce.
As much as i'd love to see him play for England, I dont think Kris Welham is strong or quick enough. Very good player at super league level but not international class. I like the winger from Huddersfield, but I think Charnley is a class act, as is Ben Jones - Bishop and was showing it before his unfortunate injury.

Tomkins

Charnley
Shenton
Bridge
Briscoe

Widdop
Brough

is how i'd go at this moment in time.

(also, how Fox is in the elite squad ill never know)

I like that line up. I think that Charnley is a talented player but I would probably go for McGilvray at this stage

Interesting to compare the backline above to the one that contested the World Cup semi against New Zealand in 2008

Wellens
Gardner
Gleeson
Senior
Calderwood
McGuire
Burrow

I really do think that the potential 2011 backline above is much stronger in the wing positions and the centres are on a par to Gleeson and Senior but would service the wingers better and so make a better backline

Wellens has been a top quality Super League full back but has lacked the cutting edge (i.e. pace) to be international class

The half backs are closer to call but I think that a Brough/Widdop combination could work better at international level than McGuire and Burrow as the kicking game at least would be much stronger

That is potentially a very strong backline though I would probably put McGillivary ahead of Charnley at this stage.

Broughs kicking game is essential in the International arena.

Not at all, not got real pace, has struggled to put his winger away, never really seen any quality footwork from him as he generally just barges his way over the line, jumps out of the line a fair but but he does make good one on one tackles.



Your not wrong!

Yes, because Atkins is the best centre at Warrington? He hasn't even got a starting squad number, he's behind Bridge and King in the pecking order! Atkins is a turnstile.

Fullback: Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm)
Wing: Brett Morris (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Centre: Greg Inglis (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Centre: Justin Hodges (Brisbane Broncos)
Wing: Jharal Yow Yeh (Brisbane Broncos)
Five-eighth: Darren Lockyer (c) (Brisbane Broncos)
Halfback: Johnathan Thurston (North Qld Cowboys)


just to put things in perspective

We'll 5hit 'em!!!

I thought Idris might play on the right with Inglis on the left. That is potentially even more scary.

We don't have any English centres who can put centres away on a regular basis, all our centres are becoming are big, fast steam rollers, second rowers with pace if you like. This is one of my bug bears with our game these days, a lot of the skill has gone and doesn't get coached in favour of games that are too structured so when a game needs turning there is very little a team can do about it...As for Kirk, he is no better nor worse than anyone else at the minute and at the very least deserves a squad place.

There is a long time before the real internationals so lets see who is in form then and trust Macca to pick them * cough *

Does this come as any surprise?

just as scary, jarryd hayne can't get near the team

I have no problems with people worshiping the Australians in the 80’s and 90’s – my own Rugby League idols include Kenny, Sterling, Meninga, Lewis, Miles etc but these days the Aussies are second best to the Kiwi team and we are still in awe of them. I hope our players aren’t

Just as scary is Cooper Cronk can't! Not to mention Dally M winner Todd Carney.

I don't know how you can criticise Yeaman for poor position in defence and then suggest Atkins for England instead.

To suggest Idris is better than Hodges is madness.

and hodges has done sod all at international level...

On the basis I see Yeaman play more than 20 times a year, I'd say I have had a fairly balanced view of his game over the nearly 10 seasons he has played. His defensive downfall is he jumps the line, too often.

Atkins is faster, has better feet and can send his winger away (from what I have seen live and on the TV).

But wouldn't that require you to have watched Atkins for 20 times a year for years to make an equally fair judgement on him? You're criticising a player on his defence (and only one part of it at that, which I haven't seen him do this year) and suggesting a player with who I reckon people unanimously would say is a much worse defender than Yeaman?

Yeaman is solid if one dimensional. He is a decent player and probably wouldnt let England down, but neither is he likely to do anything to win the game and will likely struggle to make any kind of impact at international level as he wouldnt have the space he needed to work and doesnt have the skill to make it himself

Atkins is the opposite. He can do some good things, but he can be god awful and do some of the most ridiculous things.

Neither should be near the England set up. Id rather see Watkins or Lawrence get a shot than looking to Atkins or Yeaman.

As I said about Atkins, it was from the hand ful of games I have seen live and from TV coverage. The thing which stands out is his attacking play, which at the moment is the same for Yeaman.

If you haven't seen Yeaman jump the line this season, you missed it during the opener against Leeds, the Bradford and Wakefield games at home and the away game at Hudds. Those were the time it cost tries, there are probably others.

the team should be picked on form - Yeaman is the form player