Funny, I don't remember that proposal at all (or Wigan and Leeds agreeing on anything with regard to the salary cap)

But even if I did, in this context it would just be hypothetical silliness and totally irrelevant to the main issue which is that, yet again, England are going to miss out on form players because a head coach who isn't even good enough to manage a club team has got it embarrassingly wrong.

presumably McIllorum will be playing for Ireland against the Knights?

Cant believe these two are left out the squad and i am shocked a few more youngsters not in that squad.He is a coach.I was complaining about Betts, but after seeing this squad he is a joke and i rather have Betts at Widnes.

Aparantely micky knows what he needs to do to be part of the Engl;enad squad, bloody hell, as if the lad hasnt done enough already.

Rob burrow picked ahead of micky mac is a joke.

Mcnamara is a joke.

'There are one or two things he needs to fix up'

Does McNamara want him to completely change his game or something?

Yes play for Leeds. Seems the only way in play poorly as you can and still make the England sqaud.

Wheres he said this pal?

Goulding is the form centre and McIlorum is the form Hooker. Both should have started with Roby off the bench.

cudjoe above goulding ---wt hell
same with no mcillorum the coach is a joke the worst since goodway

At the end of the year I reckon the team should look something like this

Sam
Josh
Goulding
Reed
Hall
Widdop
Chase
Mossop
Roby
Graham
Hock
Ellis
Locky

Burgess
Macca
Crabtree
Westwood

Agree with all of that but can't say I'm that surprised. The RFL have a "jobs for the boys" attitude to the England coaching jobs, so it's at least consistent for McNamara to do the same when he's selecting his squad.

[urlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/18354942[/url

Wilkin? JJB? Peacock? Ablett? Why not go the whole hog and pick Wellens instead of Sam, Gardner instead of Charnley and Morley instead of Mossop and see how they go against the Aussies and Kiwis, oh hang on, I think they tried and failed too.

McIllorum knows what he needs to do, basically McNamamara has an ego and no man management skills to deal with him



For me without the NRL players I'd go with.

1 - Tomkins
2 - Charnley
3 - Goulding (Watkins)
4 - Atkins (Reed
5 - Hall
6 - Brough
7 - Lomax
8 - Mossop
9 - McIllorum
10 -Lynch (Graham)
11 - Hock
12 - Tickle (Ellis)
13 - O'Loughlin

14 - Eden
15 - Roby
16 - Patrick (Burgess)
17 - Crabtree (Westwood)

Add Burgess if he's fit at end of year and whoever does best in Widdop and Eden all year.

Well to my absolute astonishment and disbelief Leroy Cudjoe has been picked over Darrell Goulding. This is despite Cudjoe playing in a Huddersfield team that is on a well documented downward slide in this last month & Goulding playing his part in the best on form centre/wing partnership in Super League who are on an equally well reported upward spiral. Josh Charnley is the runaway leading try scorer & his inside centre is on red hot form in Daz Goulding. All the above are facts. Statistically Daz blows him out the water too:

Goulding Cudjoe

Tries: 8 - 6
Try assists: 11 - 4
Clean breaks: 17 - 6
Tackle Busts: 30 - 29
Missed Tackles: 15 - 24
Errors: 6 - 14
Penalties: 3- 7





Note I don't have a problem with Leroy Cudjoe being in the overall squad. I think he's a damn sight better than Kris Welham or Michael Shenton. However when it's irrefutably evident that Darrell Goulding is the on form centre in Super League & is playing far better than Cudjoe his omission is wholly astounding.

Omitting Mike McIlorum infuriates me more than Goulding's omission but I find it so ridiculous I just have to laugh. McIlorum is at the very fulcrum of the best side in Super League who have systematically dismantled, annihilated and utterly humiliated Leeds and St.Helens in the space of two weeks. Yet Rob Burrow and James Roby get picked ahead of him...

It reminds me of when Brian Noble was in charge of Wigan. Picking players on reputation rather than form. It's almost like McNamara and Noble have worked together before isn't it? Oh wait...



I yearn for the day when we have a coach in charge of the International side who has the balls (or better yet the intellect) to pick players who are on form and not pick on reputation or who his old pals are. Carl Ablett? Still religiously picking a 35-year old ancient relic in Jamie Peacock as captain? Jon Wilkin?

The whole international setup is typical British BS. We picked a man who was evidently grossly incompetent at club level for the highest position in English RL with the requirements that he had to be full-time and he had to be British & we're now stuck with arguably the most talented group of players we've had in the last decade with a realistic chance of perhaps winning the World Cup being led by an utterly incapable & inexperienced Yorkshire moron.

Mcllorum "needs to work on a few things" Total rubbish!

McBanana = clueless

Nothing new there then.

On current form Wigan would beat the best team out of that squad by 20 points.

Wilkin, JJB (on current form), Sinfield and Peacock shouldn't be anywhere near an England jersey.

The omission of McIlorum and Goulding is astonishing (but very good news for Wigan).

Macca has played Roby off the park 3 times this season.......as well as every other hooker hes come up against.

Macnamara hasnt a clue

Is anyone really surprised he has picked the squad he has?

Its been proven loads of times he is clueless. How he can pick Peacock JJB, Sinfiled, Burrow, Wilkin. Its pointless we know they either arnt good enough or way way past their best in peacocks case.

Im actually quite glad, the fewer of our players he can "coach" the better. His idea is clearly the scooter hooker and hope for the best!

Cracking post



I was going to go to the game next week but certainly wont now after seeing that squad. McNamara is a joke and does not deserve the job and I will not go again whilst he is in charge.

Whilst Goulding and McIlorum not being selected is good from a Wigan point of view I actually really feel for them as they couldnt have done more this season and deserve to be picked. Goulding has been the best centre in Super League and McIlorum the best hooker and I just hope this knock back it doesnt knock their confidence and form. Even Wane has consistently highlighted how good these two players have been this season and how they have been amongst our best and most consistent players and praise like this from him does not come lightly.

McNamara out.

Disgusting comments from McNamara saying he's given Mcilorum some things to work on.

If I was IL I'd be very tempted to withdraw all Wigan players from the England set up.

Very worrying he's trying to ’coach' our players seeing his failure at Bradford

I'd even be tempted to play Leon Pryce instead of Chase.

Great news for Wigan . Gives them both 16 day's off before playing 2 games in five days .

Why is everyone surprised?
McNamara was totally out of his depth at Bradford winning only two out of his last seventeen games. Bradford fans more than any other supporters know how useless he is.
This squad selection just confirms what we all knew already about McNamara.