The problem is the RFL don't have the finances to risk staging the game at a larger venue.

They can't guarantee the media publicity to promote matches away from the so called M62 corridor, compare and contrast with this afternoon when the Lions RU SQUAD announcement was live for almost an hour on Sky Sports News, Setanta, Talksport and 5 Live.

Can confirm the 2:30pm kick off is indeed because the Beeb will televise it Live.

Whilst on the subject of test matches - The mid season England v France test in Paris is Live on Sky on Saturday 13th June at 8pm - which conviently is right after our game in Wales. Sky have a TBC Super League match scheduled for 5:30pm proceeding that so would not be surprised if Celtic v Wigan is what gets picked in that slot.

I wonder how many Wigan players are going to be included in the England team that day?

Well if he can pick Peter Fox last summer then Ainscough may get a look in if he keeps form up. Who knows.

Anybody remember Jason Robinson's international debut?

Wembley v NZ in 1993 iirc.

Yeah, two tries in the corner. Great debut.

None, unless he goes all experimental and picks Ainscough.

Dont think Tomkins has shown enough yet to displace Myler or get in above Eastmond.

O'Loughlin and Hock usually end up in the squad - although after getting dropped in the World Cup, Hock might find himself on the outside.

Eastmond? He's played twice this year, that's it.

Ainscough 'should' get in ahead of Gardner, even.

Gardner looks OK outside a world class centre, in a world class team.

Ainscough looks brilliant in a lousy team.

How good would Ainscough look if he played for someone like Saints, or Leeds? Or England?

for a grand total of about 37 minutes



He looks a top prospect Eastmond but i couldn't help feel people went over the top about his preformence at the JJB. He put a good kick up and kicked a nice goal and then drop goal but the rest of his allround preformence was pretty quiet.

Myler is the only one of the 3 young halfbacks that should be near consideration at the moment.

I still predict that Eastmond won't be a pro player in three years.

Too injury prone.

why?

he dislocated his shoulder last year, which went undiagnosed for months. It was only in the off season that they realised the extent of the injury and he went for surgery - then he got a minor calf strain (I think). Hardly a prolific injury list.

The shoulder seems to have survived so far, and he has definately bulked up since last season, so I think he will be fine in the long term.

plenty of time before this England game though.

True, but at present, Tomkins is above Eastmond when it comes to international selection.

however, we all know that it will be the same losers in the England team again come November. Regardless of how Eastmond or Tomkins or Myler play this season, it will be McGuire, Pryce and Burrow in the squad come the 4 Nations.

So Gleeson will get dropped?

the big one 2 ?

so frustrating how pryce bottles it/has no idea when it comes to internationals

We all know a certain saints mite not be playing rugby league by than.

you are right, Sean Long will have probably hung up his boots by then.

Seeing how quick Smith wanted to get him out of the club when he took over at Wire it wouldn't suprise me in the slighest.

Gleeson and Shenton would be my 2 centres.

Maybe. I'm not sure that was due to him, perhaps more off field money worries. But who knows.

He said he didn't want guys who'd made it clear they didn't want to be at the club at Warrington.

Wheather he holds grudges when it comes to international selection i guess we'll see.

What there is no doubt of is that Gleeson is one of the best 2 English centres in the country.

didn't he already do that when he bottled it and left his teamates in australia?