Looking at the possible roster for the 2017 World Cup, the team has good options everywhere but back rowers and halves.

[uProps[/u: There are now five top class, international standard props. They are James Graham, George Burgess, Thomas Burgess, Christopher Hill, and Alexander Walmsley. That will be just enough to have on hand and feel comfortable for the 2017 World Cup.

[uHookers[/u: That situation is very good, with James Roby and Darryl Clark the obvious first choices, and Joshua Hodgson as a backup.

[uBack row[/u: England has few quality back rowers: Sean O'Loughlin and Benjamin Westwood are about it. If Samuel Burgess returns to rugby league in 2017 then England will be almost OK. But who will be the interchange back rower?

[uHalves[/u: England only has Gareth Widdop who can do the job, unless Daniel Brough was to be selected. Matthew Smith is just not of international standard.

[uCentres[/u: That area of weakness is looking more promising, thanks to London Broncos product Daniel Sarginson. He and Jack Reed and Kallum Watkins make a good trio to choose from.

[uWings[/u: Ryan Hall is of course world class. Along with him England will be able to choose from Thomas Briscoe, Joshua Charnley, Thomas Makinson and a probably NRL improved Joseph Burgess.

[uFull Backs[/u: Samuel Tomkins and Zachary Hardaker are the obvious options.


So it seems like the main dilemmas are halves and back rowers. England must solve these gaps in its lineup within two seasons, or else fail again for sure.

One solution for the halves problem is to move Samuel Tomkins there. But he would have to be moved there by his club, New Zealand Warriors, for at least one season, for him to be prepared for an international assignment there. At the moment that move looks most unlikely.

Another solution might be to recruit Kyle Eastmond. And then of course there is the issue of Daniel Brough. These are hard problems that must be addressed soon.

It's 2 and a half seasons away....who gives a damn now as to try and guess what the team will be? Where was Chris Hill two and a half seasons before the 2013 WC?

Not every tedious thought of yours needs to be a thread.

The recruitment in areas of weakness needs to start [inow[/i. The halves problem in particular has to be addressed now. Daniel Brough and Kyle Eastmond have to be approached now, so that they can be tested this year against New Zealand.

Another option to try out now would be to use Sarginson at No 6..

Brough is nowhere near where he was in 2013 and will be pushing 35 by the time of the next WC.....and he'll still be as dummy spitting immature as ever.......no way he should even be considered.

I don't mind these threads. There's always the option of not replying?

Anyway. What's important Jean, is that the squad isn't [picked now, it's picked after another nearly three seasons. Some names I'd throw in there along with yours:

Hooker - I'd also include McIlorum in the same bracket as Hodgson.

Prop - Ryan Sutton has really impressed me, a couple more seasons under his belt and who knows. Singleton at Leeds too.

Back Row - Joel Tomkins should probably be mentioned, as should Whitehead and Joe Greenwood.

Half Back - Hopefully someone like Sneyd or Williams will improve a lot over the next couple of years, they're both young so why wouldn't they.

Still the best half back we've got by a country mile though. Agree with you about 2017 being too far away though.

I remember in 2010 Hall couldn't get in the England team on the tour down under. A year later, we was one of the worlds best wingers.

Stefan Ratchford really needs to be considered.

For what position?

You're picking the squad as though it's being announced tomorrow.

O'Loughlin, great player but given his injury record I fully expect him to be retired by then, certainly from internationals. Brough isn't good enough now and will be 35, Westwood will be 36. I also expect Charnley and Reed to have been forgotten about by then. They just aren't that good.

Kevin Brown is the best 6 in this country by the same country mile.

I disagree. He is very talented, but he has always been petulant and his form erratic. Widdop I expect will be a shoe in. If the squad was being chosen now I'd probably pick Tomkins at 6 with Hardaker/Russell/Shaul/Lomax (take your pick) at full back. However we've got best part of 3 seasons. Sutcliffe, Williams, O'Brien, Sneyd etc. Any one of them could come on massively in that time.

From Saints, it would be interesting to see how Mark Percival and Joe Greenwood have progressed by then.

I also wouldn't ignore Joe Wardle as a centre, I really like him and think he's a little underrated.

If you wanted to go down the route of having a third "big lad" in the middle, then you could name someone like Graham, one of the Burgii or (waits for the inevitable, backwards row about eligibility) someone like Adam Cuthbertson at loose-forward.

Whilst I haven't watched Saints much this year, other than the one sided salford game, I've been impressed with the trio of Jones, Thompson and Greenwood.

Given our weakness in the back row I hope that Greenwood, Philbin, Ward and Bateman can carry on progressing. As usual though the lack of world class HBs will be our main problem, especially if we keep moving our talented halves to full back.

Also Ben Crooks and Tom Lineham could also force their way into contention but there's a lot of RL to be played between now and then.

Rangi? He is in fire at the moment

not only will there be players who will be too old or will have retired, there will be new ones coming through who we haven't begun to recognise just yet

Daryl Clark has 1 "r", not 2.

Clarrk?

We are well shot at then, unless some miricle happens.

Miricles happen, though I wouldn't know one if I witnessed it.

If o loughlin is our best back rower in 2 years time that would be embarassing. As for every other player you mentioned they would struggle to get in the top 10 players of that position in the NRL with the exception of george burgess

Regards

King James

Makes you wonder how - given they are so hopelessly outmatched in every position - England got within a hair's breadth of beating both Australia and New Zealand away from home last year.

Quite simply they haven't got the skill and ability when it matters to win, it's that obvious and has been for years.

Another overseas crock please at the expense of development will do nicely and so it will continue.

You can't win by losing, being 2nd in a 2 man race is last!

There are many reasons why England cannot compete but very few why they can and that is the situation that needs to be addressed and should be. It hasn't , and because of that even sports funding has been reduced/withdrawn from the game.

Anyone really wonder why and the long term consequences? No it's short termism, simple easy solutions and the my club, my club, mentality that is/has killed the game in certain areas.

Ok let's say I accept your premise. But rather than just spouting the same guff over and over again, why don't you tell us about this development and what we should do differently?

If, let's say, Warrington signed Steve Matai tomorrow (seems to fit the bill of an overseas crock as well as anyone I can think of), why would that harm the national team and the game in this country?