Lots of complaining about Lee Smith not being up to the task.

How could your club have helped?

At Leeds our first choice were Keith Senior and Lee Smith. Their backups who also saw time were Kallum Watkins and Ashley Gibson. That's 4 players who qualify for England leaving aside opinions on whether they're good enough.

You see, if you're not English (or qualified to play for England) then whether you're good enough is a moot point.

So, for all those of you sticking the boot in, lets' see. Who were your Centres this season that Tony Smith could've selected for the England squad in preference to the incumbents?

IMO Ellis, Leon Pryce, Gleeson and Bridge would all of done a better job. Leon Pryce should be in the team IMO just not in the halves.

You support Wigan don't you?

What were the alternatives from your club that Tony Smith could've called upon to play centre for England in this tournament? Why did those alternatives (if there were any) not perform better during the domestic season to give us all a hint at how much better they would've been at outplaying Inglis on Saturday?

Unfortunately, England's best centre on Saturday was a 20 year old rookie scrum half.

From Saints, I would have preferred either Pryce or Eastmond to play there. We've had to rely on past it Aussies as our centres for the last couple of years.



Of those who qualify to play as a centre for England, regardless of his woeful performance on Saturday, Smith still ranks quite highly in the grand scheme of things which shows how bad the state of our backs is. I'd reather have him in there than Bridge, Sykes or moving our best second rower out there.

Tony Clubb

You've hit the nail on the head.

He's not a Rovers player is he? Who did your team provide for Tony Smith's delictation?

Regardless, did Tony Clubb really stand out during the course of the season as being head and shoulders above the centres in the squad?

I'm not quite sure what you're getting at. Are you saying that if my club doesn't have a better centre than Smith, then I can't comment about his performance? Not having a pop, just wondering what you're asking.

Gleeson
Goulding
Pryce
O'Loughlin (According to Tony Smith)

Do you think the fact that Smith Played Lockers at centre in the friendly perhaps showed how much faith he had in Smith as a centre?

Kirk Yeaman, Craig Hall, Graeme Horne, Tom Briscoe and Richard Whiting. Don't know if any would have being better then Smith TBH, Hall and Briscoe are good talents but don't think there ready yet.

Kris Welham. Not ready for internationals yet (in my opinion) having only just finished his first full season but in a few years time he could be an option. It's safe to say Fox and Welham would have been a lot more organised on England's wing than Briscoe and Smith were!

They'd have the advantage of being working together though.

In all honesty Briscoe has done well to be just in the squad considering his age and how FC have performed as a team this season. I see Briscoe as a future centre though not a winger and it looks like he will be given that chance with him being assigned the number 3 shirt for next season.

Sorry, did not read it properly at all.

I know for a fact that Goulding would of done a much better job than Smith did in defence, infact Feka would of done better.

Why did they hide this trophy winning level of ability all season?

At Huddersfield Michael Lawrence young athletic and defensively very good. Reminds me of a young Gary Connolly. Would have been far better than Smith defensively.

Alternatively Lee Gilmour Huddersfield and Saints would have been the better bet at this moment in time

All the suggestions are awful and none of them play for leeds.

That was my point. Smith and Briscoe didn't look like they'd been speaking to each other, never mind training/playing together! I'd like to see Briscoe move to centre and Fox to the wing for the NZ game but Smith won't get dropped to let that happen.

Is this the point being tried to make?:

Chris Nero
James Evans
Mark Dalle Cort
Matt Gafa
David Howell
Paul Whaturia
Jake Webster
Willie Talau
Mark Henry
Todd Byrne
Tony Martin

All "first choice" centres who offer "nothing" keeping out young British centres





So England have to pick between a full-back, half back or 2nd row for centre?

Nail on head!

I've no problem with trying to defend Smith, but at centre on Saturday he was found out. Can't people just accept that? He might have a stormer this week but last week he was poor.

Thanks Mark.

There are two issues.

Firstly, too many clubs play non qualified players in the centres, not to mention other positions.

Secondly, the alternatives being suggested simply didn't play as good as Smith during the course of the season and if they're really the big secret to out playing Inglis then they need to up their game.

What I am trying to do is get some recognition that, in all probability, Tony Smith picked and played the best team he could and whilst you can slate player X or Player Z until the teams you support follow the lead set by Leeds and St Helens and start playing and producing young English players then nothing is going to change.

Unless of course people seriously think that if Darryl Goulding had played right centre we'd have beaten Australia.

We were done on the fringes because they shipped the ball quickly and our middle didn't push hard enough so players like Smith, Mcguire, Briscoe were left against 5 men consistently. Any team would struggle man on man (5 on 5) against Lockyer, Watmough, Inglis, Slater and Hayne, never mind 3 on 5.

Peacock in the right centre was a major error, slow and flat footed. For all his plus points, he is not a second rower anymore.

Well i will raise you LEE GILMOUR and look forward to you trumping that

Smith didn't pick the best team he could. The likes of Pryce, Burrow, Gilmour and Senior are all better players than those who have replaced them.

He would justify his decision to leave them out on form, yet picked Myler who didn't play much at all past May and Morley whose side limped out of SL without even reaching the playoffs.

I think the points and issues you raise G1 are spot on, my only other point on the matter is that i really don`t think Lee Smith should of been in there in the first place, having signed for union, once the Grand Final was over it should of been thanks very much Mr Smith go and collect your 30 pieces. I just can`t get my head round why he was selected.