www.rugby-league.com/england/art ... aland-test We will be missing 3 for the Cas game Batty Sol George Regards , EW

www.rugby-league.com/england/art ... aland-test We will be missing 3 for the Cas game Batty Sol George Regards , EW

Interestingly Castleford provide no-one for the squad on a weekend when we play each other.

Another 2 points down the drainnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, and only one recognized centre.

Saints have 5 players but a free week end.

We would have had a free weekend only for the bad weather when the original game should have been played. Perhaps we should do what Cas U19's academy did this weekend and postpone the match?

And annoyingly the players who play in Denver will have a short turnaround as we play Leeds at home the following Thursday!!

Why pick SOL don't think he's gonna make another World Cup . Better getting used to life without him

Regards , EW

Gale is injured, so it’s not like he’ll be playing.
McMeekan doesn’t deserve a place given his form so far this year, though he has played well for the last three weeks or so.
Shenton never gets picked.
Watts will need to get through the rest of the season without getting sent off before he can be trusted at international level. He’s been playing very well and would be unlucky to miss out if he didn’t have such a short fuse.
Oliver Holmes just isn’t well-known enough for Bennet to pick him. He has been our best backrower this season but has very much gone under the radar.
Eden could score 10 tries a game but Bennett won’t pick him because he made one or two mistakes when he played for Brisbane.

In fairness to Bennett he has an embarrassment of riches to pick from on the wings and he’s named three better players then Eden in that position (plus another couple have been left at home).

Indeed.
Though I do think some don’t realise how many metres Eden makes in kick returns with his pace. Hall and McGilvary might make a metre or two more in contact, but Eden can make ten metres more before contact with the pace he returns the ball. This idea that making an odd metre in contact is exaggerated in my opinion. I’d rather have someone who can start the tackle count ten metres further up the field than someone who makes an extra metre.
As ever, his weakness is defensive. Shenton is good at communicating with him, but he still has a tendency to find himself in no-man’s land defending the line.

On a separate note, is Leuluia still eligible for NZ? Might he be missing too?

He is and the local journalist thinks he may be selected. Hopefully not from our point of view.

Issac Luke looks to be back to his best form lately.

A fair point I dont like fullbacks that hold back when they could be further up the pitch if they just ran back with some speed I include Tomkins in that category

I don't know why Shenton never gets picked; he is the best left centre in the comp for me.

Hoping Percival gets a starting berth, I think he’s a quality centre. Connor is a good centre too, I’m surprised he was taken but he could be used as back up/utility from the bench.

I was surprised to see GW in the squad though. I don’t think he’s been particularly good at all this season and I expect Lomax and Widdop to be our starting HB’s.

Good squad, well balanced with a nod to the future.

3 players missing won't mean too much. The players who play will want to try and earn a starting spot. Just look at last season when we had 8 missing vs Saints who were at full strength and we went on to beat them. Even last week VS Wire we had 8 missing also.

It spurs the lads on who get picked. Plus with how you are playing lately it may do you some good changing things up a little vs us.

Kid yourself all you want mate. We don’t underestimate the impact of losing Lockers, never mind adding Bateman and Williams to the list. Add to that Liam Farrell, Ryan Sutton and Joe Burgess (not including Joel Tomkins) and it paints a pretty grim picture for us. Only one winner next week.

Cas have plenty of absentees as well (well they did last week so we’ll see who’s back between then and next week).

It could get worse for us as well by the way. It was apparantly confirmed during the commentary of the NZ Warriors game this morning that Johnson, RTS and other NZ Warriors players won’t travel to Denver for the test so they’ll be looking for some mugs who’ll let their players go. I’d expect Tommy Leuluai to become our fourth call up.

Yea saw that. Add that we have Leeds away on Thursday and it could be a very costly international for us.

Its Leeds at home but still obviously a pain in the backside.

Cant have it both ways though I suppose. Would still rather the sport make efforts to develop the international game.

Tommy not been selected for NZ.

A much needdd boost for us. It sounds like Cas picked up a few injuries today as well which should even it up a little (fingers crossed none are serious).

It’s just going to be the back row we’ll be really light in. If Farrell isn’t fit and Greenwood not available in time then we’re probably looking at going with Isa, Field and Hamlin starting. That will be tough because Field and Hamlin won’t do huge minutes so we’ll need cover from the bench. I’d guess Flower or Tautai May run in there and maybe somebody like Liam Paisley will debut.

George Williams ruled out of the test match with a knee injury. Will remain in USA having treatment by England medical team.

That’s a shocker. Why has he gone? They had to have known there was an issue when he was on his way over because I don’t think they’ve trained yet. I doubt he’s done it walking through the airport.

Wigan should be fuming.

Bonkers isn’t it? They must have known before they left. I just hope he’s fit for Leeds when they get back.

I’ve read he thought it may be ok but it says he was assessed by England medical team ‘when they got over there’. Surely they could’ve given him the quick once over in Heathrow? And then ruled him out and called up somebody like Danny Richardson, who could’ve then travelled with the lads who went today.

If he has a knee issue, a couple of ten hour flights in a week won’t do him any favours.

Crazy decision and not replacing him either? Richardson would have been ideal for this game. Yes it’s early in his career but would have been good for his development to have him in the international environment.