The four nations are over so we might as well get on with some good old pre-season threads! You have every player in the world at your disposal to play against Mars. Who would make your team? Here's mine (although I don't watch a lot of NRL so it's mainly based on origin and four nations):

1. Slater
2. Nightingale
3. Tate
4. Inglis
5. Folau
6. Lockyer
7. Thurston
8. Graham
9. Smith
10. Blair
11. Thaiday
12. Burgess
13. O'Loughlin

14. Morley
15. Marshall
16. Peacock
17. Kenny-Dowell

Probably too many English players in there and not enough Kiwis to be fair but I think we have good forwards, it's the backs and half backs that let us down.

1. B Slater
2. B Morris
3. S Kenny Dowell
4. G Inglis
5. M Vatuvei
6. B Marshall
7. J Thurston
8. D Shillington
9. C Smith
10. J Graham
11. G Ellis
12. S Thaiday
13. P Gallen

14. I Luke
15. S Burgess
16. L Lewis
17. A Blair

1.slater
2.Morris
3.Kenny-dowell
4.Inglis
5.Richards
6.Marshall
7.Cronk
8.Graham
9.Smith
10.Shillington
11.Ellis
12.Thaiday
13.Gallen

14.Burgess
15.Blair
16.Morley
17.Lealuei

Mine would be -

1. Boyd
2. Nightingale
3. Kenny-Dowell
4. Lyon
5. Vatuvei / Uate
6. Carney
7. Marshall
8. Graham
9. Smith
10. Shillington
11. Thaiday
12. Ellis
13. Gallen

14. Morley
15. Farah
16. Lewis
17. Blair

Slater
Richards
Inglis
SKD
Vatuvai
Marshall
Thurston
Graham
Smith
Shillington
Burgess
Thaiday
Lockers

Ellis
Morley
Blair
Carney

1. Slater
2. Nightingdale
3. Kenny-Dowall
4. Inglis
5. Richards
6. Marshall
7. Carney
8. Morley
9. Smith
10. Shillington
11. Ellis
12. Thaiday
13. Burgess

14. Luke
15. Scott
16. Graham
17. Westwood

1. Billy Slater
2. Pat Richards
3. Kenny-Dowall
4. Greg Inglis
5. Manu Vatuvai
6. Benji Marshall
7. Sam Tomkins
8. James Graham
9. Cameron Smith
10. David Shillington
11. Sam Thaiday
12. Gareth Ellis
13. Sean O'Loughlin

14. Sam Burgess
15. Adam Blair
16. Greg Bird
17. James Roby

I had to get sam in there somewhere! For me he is one of the best in the world, he is comfortable anywhere on the pitch.

Anybody selecting either Sean O'Loughlin or Jamie Peacock in a World XVII have absolutely no idea.

I have limited knowledge of the NRL but here goes:

1. Slater
2. Morris
3. Inglis
4. Kenny-Dowall
5. Vatuvai
6. Marshall
7. Carney
8. Graham
9. Smith
10. Shillington
11. Thaiday
12. Ellis
13. Greg Bird

14. Burgess
15. Blair
16. Thurston
17. O'Loughlin

Pretty much perfect that side. Well done,sir. I can't believe somebody has picked westwood in a team where you have the choice of anybody in the world and i'm a wire fan.

1.Slater
2.Hayne
3.Kenny Dowell
4.Inglis
5.Vatuvai
6.Carney
7.Marshall
8.Blair
9.Smith
10.Petro
11.Dave Taylor
12.Thaiday
13. Burgess

14.Ellis
15.Shillington
16.Morley
17. Boyd

slater
hayne
inglis
kenny dowell
morris
marshall
thurston
blair
smith
shillington
thaiday
ellis
gallan

burgess
petro
cronk
lewis

Can't believe anyone would pick Thaiday in a world 13??

There are far better players out there.

Lockers has always given a good account of himself on the international level even in losing sides (not including when he got picked at 6, which was stupid). I didn't see anything from the forwards on the other sides that made me think they were astronomically better than ours, the backs and halves were a world apart though. Didn't Sheen even admit our forwards were on top of theirs after the Aus game?

Here's mine

1) Gary Jack
2) Eric Grothe
3) Mal Meninga
4) Brett Kenny
5) Martin Offiah
6) Wally Lewis
7) Peter Sterling


Greg Dowling
9) Greg Conescu
10) Glenn Lazarus
11) Paul Sironen
12) Wayne Pearce
13) Ellery Hanley

14) Laurie Daley
15) Brad Fittler
16) Andy Platt
17) David Gillespie

Sorry i was stuck in the 80s - awesome team though

There's another we could talk about, all time world 17. I really wouldn't know where to start though having only watched SL 10 years and hardly any NRL

I don't think Lockers is such a silly shout. He is definitely the best British loose forward in the game and without doubt the best loose forward playing in Super League. I don't think there are many loose forwards in the world as good as O'loughlin.

1. Jarryd Hayne
2. Brett Morris
3. Shaun Kenny-Dowall
4. Greg Inglis
5. Pat Richards
6. Benji Marshall
7. Cooper Cronk
8. David Shillington
9. Cameron Smith
10. Adam Blair
11. Sam Burgess
12. Gareth Ellis
13. Greg Bird

is that a joke? he's the best second rower in the world

classic, someone sat in a bubble refusing to watch other games

Billy Slater
Darius Boyd
Shaun Kenny-Dowell
GI
Jarryd Hayne
Benji Marshall
Johnathan Thurston
James Graham
Cameron Smith
David Shillington
Sam Thaiday
Gareth Ellis
Paul Gallen

Tom Leroyd-Larrs
Todd Carney
Sam Burgess
Adam Blair

That is an awesome side. The fact that Daley and Fittler are on the bench is a testament to the fact that RL hasn't moved on that much since the late 80s - they'd walk into the current Aussie side. The outstanding centre (and for my money the outstanding player) in world RL is Inglis and while he's a great player, I'd still pick Meninga in his prime ahead of Inglis.

I'm sorry but how do you know what I watch or don't watch? I'm sure this is an opinion based topic isn't it?

Thiaday is a good player but again in a world 13 there are better.

When I look at a World 13 I'm trying to get all the world class players in there. I'd be looking at Shillington, Petro, Graham in the front row meaning I've gotta fit Burgess, Ellis, Gallen or Blair in the back row. All four of them are better than Thiaday IMO.

Would I have Thiaday at Wigan-yes
Would he walk into any club side?-yes
Would I pick him in my World 13-no.

Can't see why that's such a massive problem?

it's not a massive problem, just the way you used the words "far better players out there" when there really isn't. After reading many NRL forums, the general consensus there is that Thaiday is the best second rower in the comp, and after watching him play for Brisbane this year you can see why, some people just need to take off the Sam Burgess specs.

And Blair's a front rower..

Gallen isnt a second rower and for me the English lads arent as good as him as they didnt stand up much when it counted on the big stage did they?