Opta's England team:
P Wellens (St Helens)
D Hodgson (Huddersfield)
M Gleeson (Wigan)
M Shenton (Castleford)
R Hall (Leeds),
L Pryce (St Helens)
L Robinson (Huddersfield)
J Graham (St Helens)
J Roby (St Helens)
J Peacock (Leeds)
G Hock (Wigan)
J Wilkin (St Helens)
S O'Loughlin (Wigan)

[iInterchange:[/i
S Burgess (Bradford)
E Dowes (Hull)
K Sinfield (Leeds)
D McGuire (Leeds)

People say stats don't show you everything and those names prove thats exactly right

For those of you have put Carvell in the team, i am told he is Welsh

He's played for them in the past but would choose to play for England if selected i'm sure.

Ridiculous as it is


Scotland world cup international Danny Brough has made himself available for England.

It's a farce but thats what you get from splitting the home nations up.

I know they get more grant money from sport England ut it throws up these embarrasing selections.

I long for a GB vs Australia Ashes series.

Don't see what having the home nations compete on their own has to do with it. It's just a convenient excuse for players and some fans.
The money from Sport England is more than welcome, but players like Danny Brough shouldn't be allowed to switch allegiances. Once you play for a country that's it.


See no reason why we can't have both the individual nations and GB, as in union.

And I believe that's how it's going to work - problem being that we have so many fewer tours when compared to the rah rah's.

That'll be down to fewer playing nations.
I know for a fact that Catalonia are making great strides to get on the international ladder. They play the Czech Rep. in Barcelona on June 20th and ideally they'd like to take part in one of the European tournaments in 2010.

IMO you should play for the country you've lived in the longest, with the option to swap once if you go on to live in another country longer. No quick, easy way round that.

Pick your country based on nationality or at a push parents and that's it.

Briscoe
Fox
Shenton
Smith
Hall
Pryce
Myler
Graham
Moore
Peacock
Ellis
Hock
O'Loughlin

Morley
Carvell
Burgess
Roby

That's a pretty good side with players who are in form, although I'm not convinced about Myler yet.

Also would Ellis be expected to travel from Australia for a game v France?

I've a feeling that no more than two players per Superleague team will be selected.

You've highlighted one bit and ignored the rest, here's an example of what I mean.

John Smith lives in France from birth until he's 14, then moves to England and goes on to play super league. When he's 19 he gets the call up to play for France (having lived there most of his life, 14 years out of 19). He continues to play for France until he's 29, at which point he would have the choice to switch to England as he'd have lived there for most of his life (15 years out of 29).

How do you judge nationality, or for that matter parents nationality?

Moving to a different country (UK) at 14 he'd more than likely have dual nationality (French and British). He'd be eligible to play for either.
Once he makes his choice that's it.

That's the side I'd pick, I'm sure Ellis will be unavailable though, in which case I'd bring in Westerman and shift Lockers to SR.

Taking only 2 players per team I'd be tempted to go:

S Briscoe (Hull KR)
P Fox (Hull KR)
M Shenton (Cas)
L Smith (Leeds)
T Briscoe (Hull)
L Pryce (Saints)
S Myler (Salford)
A Morley (Wire)
S Moore (Hudds)
J Peacock (Leeds)
S O'Loughlin (Wigan)
G Hock (Wigan)
J Westerman (Cas)

Roby (Saints)
Burgess (Bulls)
Carvell (Wire)
Lynch (Bulls)

Tom Briscoe is out for a few months yet i think..............which makes the decision to include him in an elite 'training' squad even more strange!

Good young player though but surely should have been one of the players to be added at a later date.

S Briscoe (Hull KR)
P Fox (Hull KR)
M Shenton (Cas)
L Smith (Leeds)
R Hall (Leeds)
L Pryce (Saints)
S Myler (Salford)
A Morley (Wire)
S Moore (Hudds)
S Burgess (Bulls)
S O'Loughlin (Wigan)
G Hock (Wigan)
J Westerman (Cas)

Roby (Saints)
LMS (Quins)
Carvell (Wire)
Lynch (Bulls)

No point flogging Graham and Peacock in this one IMO.

sam tomkins has been confirmed in the 19 man squad...

[urlhttp://www.therfl.co.uk/~therflc/home/news_item.php?id=14274[/url

other wiganers in are lockers and hock.

Suprised Sam Tomkins got a call up to be honest.

Good experience for the lad. Can't see him starting to be honest.

im pretty sure this game is something to do with peacock's testimonial so i think he plays if fit

Those backs and halves are ok playing France but we have a Four Nations at the end of the season when they'll face the Aussies.
Aussies, Slater, Boyd, Inglis, Hodges, Folau, Lockyer and Thurston.
against -Briscoe, Fox, Shenton, Smith, Hall, Pryce & Myler.

The Aussies would score that many we'll end up thinking Ricky Ponting is their captain! They'll probably declare at half time like they did in the Tri Nations at Ellend Rd GB being 0-38 down.

Theres nothing we can do about the quality of their backs because they're obviously class but we should be putting better shows up then we did in the world cup.

Their just seemed a general lack of motivation.

FB Shaun Briscoe
RW Peter Fox
RC Michael Shenton
LC Ryan Atkins
LW Ryan Hall
SO Sam Tomkins
SH Richard Myler
P James Graham
H Scott Moore
P Jamie Peacock
SR Gareth Hock
SR Ben Westwood
LF Sean O'Loughlin
S James Roby
S Adrian Morley
S Sam Burgess
S Eorl Crabtree

Left out:
Tony Clubb - Not gonna get in the final squad and not a lot of point in picking a centre on the bench
Danny McGuire - Not saying he won't make the final squad just might as well see how Tomkins, Myler and Moore play while they're in the experimental squad, one of them might get a game off the bench at the end of thse year I guess

What I'd like to see from this game is where we most need Pryce at the end of the year, because he could play anywhere from 1-6. Also I'd have preffered to have seen Newton picked to see whether he's still good enough to play for England or whether Moore/Myler should be in there instead.