Very strange outburst.



What possible advantage could there be for Macca in picking a Bradford player? It actually works against us because we are a key man down (and with a thin and injury-hit squad as it is) for an important SL game, and with risk of him joining the injury list.

Being totally selfish, I would have preferred him to have picked Crabtree.

My point was re Scruton vs Crabtree.

But on your separate issue, yes - I was a bit surprised at Peacock and Morley. Conversely, Bringing players back from Oz helps remind them they are Brits still, and helps remind the Australian authorities of their international obligations and that England are taking internationals seriously?

As for Lynch, he seems to be playing on through his injury - we have little choice with our thin squad and injuries - but those criteria would not make sense for an international where - as folk have rightly observed - England have a queue of options available? I worry we are using Lynch overmuch, and some of your big men may well see and seize their opportunity on Sunday.

It seems pedantic to drag Burgess and Ellis when they are a shoe in already. I would have like to see an experimental team with less senior players so McNamara can introduce a new era with a young team which would be his way of saying "These are the guys who I am going to base our future on". Us playing this game against France is currently pointless but it could be a way of blooding our England youngsters and building a long term squad for a proper crack at Australia in 2013.

Must admit that was exactly my first reaction. But, on further consideration, I got thinking that this is the only chance the team will have to play together and "gel" before the games that matter. On that basis, maybe you can see the rationale for including Morley and JP, as well as bringing the Oz-based guys back? Macca would appear to be doing his best to get the 2010 England team the chance to play together, bar maybe one or two experimental slots?

I honestly believe that the guy knows what he is about, and we'll see the results of that. He's had to work with a truly dreadful financial situation at Bradford, and far too many folk IMO are blaming him for issues totally outside of his control. I was in a meeting earlier today with the Bulls CEO and various of the coaching staff, and again everything came back to finances. Freed of those constraints, I think the guy has the potential to bring home the bacon here. I honestly believe it will be Bulls (BIG) loss and England's gain. Bookmark that someplace so you can beat me up with it later!

Browny and Lunty now in squad.

Excellent for them and the club.

Lets hope Lunt doesnt do a Scot Moore and turn into garbage after playing for England...

Good luck to them and it is nice to see the club get some recognition. But i don't think on current form Lunt is playing anywhere near well enough.
I am not sure what Mcnamara saw in his performance yesterday but for me he was outplayed again by Luke Robinson.

You seem to think McNamara knows what he is doing.

Yes not really very optimistic of the National teams fortunes under Mcnamara.

[url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12214_6195149,00.htmlTwo of your guys on standby[/url

That right there sums up a big reason why RU has a far bigger national profile than RL. The narrow minded focus on club fortunes to the detriment of the international game does at least to be waning within the playing and coaching staff; but until the fans also start taking the international set-up seriously and supporting it (both away from the pitch and going to games) now that there is a set schedule, we will be marginalised by the media and play our internationals at stadiums the size of LSV, not Twickenham or Wembley.

I think Mason and Eorl showed Mr Mcnamara what a excellent prop forward performance looks like - out of interest was the England prop Scruton actually playing yesterday ? i thought he would have been one of the Bulls standout players considering he's been deemed good enough to represent his country !!

Spot on Little Ivor.

I remember the All Blacks playing Italy in the RU world cup at the Galpharm a few years ago, the result was totally expected, a complete flogging of Italy.

But no one said "its meaningless, why play it." They knew what it meant to have these team playing and getting the exposure.

Now italy play in the 6 Nations, and dont always come bottom, though they are the weakest team.

More to the point they pull in bigger crowds for their internationals than the England RL team ever hope to do.

Why?

Because they take it seriously, their fans take it seriously and the media takes it seriously.

If RL wants to continue to exist in any form other than a nice interest in the north of England the fans first of all have to take the international game seriously.