It certainly is the coaching, it seems. Wigan scored a few tries this season with Williams making those short-range diagonal kicks for Joe Burgess. Did we see anything like that? Did we hell! I'm sure Hardaker and Hall, say, have some pet plays too.

Just back from that pathetic spectacle. One very poor team (NZ_ against one abysmal one. The highlight of the match that roused the crowd from their slumber was about 70 minutes in when a goal kick was missed. That says it all.

Where do I start? After last weeks' second half I expected us to play tough and hard for 20 minutes and then rip them apart. But after a few minutes we took a goal kick from 10 yards out and we knew then the coach had no belief and we may as well go home. We stuck it out as spectators but why? It just got worse. What the game plan - give it to James Graham and let him take it up whilst the rest engaged in some sort of unfunny slapstick routine of falling over and knocking on? Why didn't NZ keep falling over?

I have seen some bad RL games and inept performances in well over 50 years of watching the game but that was without a shadw of doubt the WORST performance I have seen - simply because it lacked the fundamentals of rugby league. No heart. No running in hard. Utter, utter crap. I was absolutely disgusted. In fact despite the close score line I wanted to leave early (but stuck it out) and didn't ever care whether we won (for the first time in my life).

I had lost interest by half time by which time aside from Graham and perhaps Hardaker I didn't see anyone warranting an international shirt. Surely the worst half back performance (and we've seen some shockers over the years) in British international history? Williams - out of his depth. Widdop - dire. His kicking game was shocking and that was his best aspect!

We lost via the softest of soft tries ever. We were still in the dressing room even though half-time had been and gone.

No atmosphere as nothing to cheer about.

Rugby league had a good opportunity today - after the Burgess publicity, the dire RUWC, a good win last week, being in the capital in front of the men of the press and guess what - we blew it. So many times the players of this great game have come good against the odds. Today was the complete opposite.

Back to the game plan - was there one? Was it to trundle up the middle as slow as we could and then make the opposition laugh by falling over or throwing the ball to them? Were was the desire? The guts? The drive? Where in fact was rugby league today?

Disgusted.

#Wallof sh*te

Worst performance since Melbourne 2008, another hopeless England game when it matters, we won't get all the free publicity from Rugby union next year and this shambles will be in the memory as a reason why people shouldn't give the game another chance. Why did we book the Olympic stadium to serve up that shower of drivel? The game was characterised by too many penalties, one try, scrums that took an age to form as both packs sat around and had a rest and constant one man drives up the middle. They already have that kind of Rugby down south! Not sure what video refs have against England, looked a try in the ground and it would have added some kind of spectacle to the end of a dire game.

The coach should be fired for considering that game plan last week, let alone repeating it this week on the grander scale. We got lucky last week and it was clear both half backs were ineffective and we had no kicking game, they were worse this week. The whole team looked terrible, even the forwards that played a solid game were lacking the skills they have shown in the past.

The match day squad is missing a centre, how can an international coach decide he doesn't need two centres, oh right because the game plan is never pass it outside the pack. We need two centres, you can swap both starting second rows out for me at the same time. Gale must be given a chance next week, McGuire should have been in the squad for his big game experience. Use the strengths in the squad, have the new coach pick a squad that he has confidence in and that can cover a number of options next time!

In 2013 and 2014 we put in some great performances. We were so close to the final, then we learned from that to effectively beat the Australians in their own back yard and pushed the Kiwis all the way a week later. This year the game plan has gone backwards and the players appear to have forgotten how to catch, pass or kick the ball. Let's play the real attractive rugby league we want to see, and then at least we get some entertainment, if not the win.

Couldn't agree more!

If I hadn't taken the wife out for dinner and calmed down by the time I wrote that I would have been more blunt!

So utterly predictable that I posted this last week :

Re: Do you change the team?

Pretty sure that unless injuries occured, we'll keep the same team, and same gameplan, then when it doesn't work, we'll say that the halfbacks are no good and scratch heads for a "Plan B" for the final game.
shinymcshine • Mon Nov 02, 2015 3:23 pm •

I thought it was another iffy performance from England.

I wasn't impressed with us last week really but I thought we overpowered them and I don't think they were expecting that. This week they was.

Another good showing from Graham, Hill and Burgess but I don't think any of the others performed anywhere near the level expected. I think when so many players underperform you have to look at the coach. A group that includes the current man of steel.

I would put it down to the conditions but we played a similar way last week.

Williams and Widdop were awful. They are playing so far away from the line and their kicking was so poor. I blame them for isolating Hardaker and how little ball Watkins is getting but the blame has to be shared with the coach. Because they aren't playing at the line Hardaker doesn't have the space he needs. I don't think they compliment each other either and for that reason I would bring Gale in next week. Gale will play at the line and bring a kicking game that we need.

On the positive side our defence was superb and our front row were dominant and aggressive. I also like how Roby and Hodgson rotate.

Widdop has no idea. First half he threw a poor long ball to Hall when all he needed do was take one step to straighten it up and pass to the man outside him would have then created an easy try scoring position.

To add insult to injury - did you see the pitchsie advertising today? Not your Coca Cola, Porsche, whatever but the headline one was Pukka Pies (I kid you not)! Clearly they think we're all fat Norther b**tards. Then we had Tenerife for £99 and adverts for third and fourth rate universities.

This is what happens when you pick players based on what club colours they wear rather than that players' individual qualities. People saying Bateman isn't a centre, but he plays for Wigan so has to be picked cos he played at centre for Wigan for a bit, Williams isn't ready, but gale is probably the better player at the moment but Williams plays for Wigan so must be picked.
Until we drop the whole who you play for we will always be struggling!

I've often defended McNamara as I think he's taken some unwarranted stick in his time as England coach (especially the silly McBanana stuff) but I can't defend him on this series.
I was concerned at the start of the series with the team he picked but was willing to give him a chance. But virtually everything McNamara has tried has been at best a par, at worst a disaster.

It's obvious that McNamara desperately wanted Tomkins in the team. This was disturbing in itself because if Tomkins hadn't been injured McNamara would have shifted the current Man of Steel & SL Dream Team fullback to a position he hasn't played since 2012 in order to have a full back who hasn't played well for 2 years.

But then why on gods green earth you'd put Bateman at centre over an actual centre I have no idea.

Then why you'd persist with the failed strategy from the first test of starting with Hodgson instead of Roby.

Why, when your gameplan was so simple and rigid, you'd pick centre's and wingers of whom only 1 has much impact in getting our sets started following a kick.

Then why you'd pick 2 halves who aren't good at a passing game including 1 who's not ready yet.

It's just been very very strange from McNamara.

Likewise, I haven't previously criticised McNamara but after this charade I have no time for him anymore. Today was shameful - not just in execution but the whole approach to the game. Couldn't have got it more wrong.

The best one was:
"Drive Insured - or it'll be goneinseconds.org.uk"

Have we no better 'half backs' than those 2... good grief !

I now see what that one was and meant!!

Not sure why you dont like the Mcbanana bit other than you have previously being an apologist for him.

HE was a crap coach in SL and is a crap international coach.

The difference is some of us said it 3 years ago rather than waited until he dragged England down.

I think is pretty spot on.

Whilst not perfect I think the stick McNamara took over the last two internationals campaigns in 2013 & 2014 was over the top.

However he's taken a massive backwards step this year. Like a football manager who knows he's one game away from the sack he's sent his team out to grind out a win to save his job.

What's frustrating and I've mentioned before is the comparisons to other sports.

Start of the year England's cricket play in a World Cup and embarrass themselves with an old fashioned tedious dull style of play.

Last month England's RU play in a World Cup and embarrass themselves with an old fashioned tedious dull style of play

Both seemed hell bent on picking certain players when it wasn't working.......so does McNamara heed that warning? Nope he does the exact same thing.

Nothing wrong with not liking McNamara. But calling him McBanana makes you sound like a stupid 6 year old.

The failure to produce quality half backs has been the the biggest reason we haven't had a successful international team for 25 years. Super League clubs would rather ship in average Aussies than try trust in and develop their own.

Wire have just shipped out Myler and signed an Aussie, Saints have 2 Aussies, HKR have 2, Roberts at Cas, Salford have (or had) 2, etc.

We had one called Kevin Sinfield but people whinged and complained about him being in the team even though people argued he brought a leadership and structure to the team......two qualities people are crying out for right about now.

We also have a halfback called Danny McGuire who was the MOM in this year's GF and in most people's eyes the MOM in last year Challenge Cup Final. It's surprising he didn't get picked and Gale did, because you know.....players only get picked based on what club they play for.

I've just got in after a throughly underwhelming day and this post sums up my thoughts since full time.

The same Kevin Sinfield that did f*ck all playing for England and that's why people whinged about him being in the team? And McGuire hasn't done any more than the other half backs in the squad to earn a call up with maybe the exception of Smith. It's hilarious how quick you idiots on here change your tune.

Hardaker's been great so far though hasn't he?

"Sinfield did f**k all?" Despite his flaws, only through pure stubbornness would anyone deny that he certainly played better than Smith in 2014 and Williams and Widdop in 2015 for England.

McGuire done nothing?

He, Smith and Williams all played in the Grand Final.....who walked away with the Man Of The Match award??? Where were the latter two hiding in the final minutes when your prop Tony Clubb was forced to put up a pitiful punt on the last tackle?

Not denying what Sinfield did at club level but:

He did do f**k all for England whether Leeds fans like it or not. Quite frankly as England captain and the main man he was e, like Oloughlin. I don't know what the solution is but I tell you what I don't miss Sinfield being the automatic stand off.

What I do know for a fact is Virgin Trains advertised in RL, something that would not have happened a year ago.