Those rumours seemed more certain a month ago than now but who knows.

He looks happy here, probably the first time he has been the main player at a team too. Hull and Wire used him as a wide second rower while with us he is the middle dictating play while also taking the ball in.

Who knows, he may stay.

According to League Express CC is having talks with Shaun Wane during the week to try and encourage him to include Westerman in the England set up.

Shouldn’t need to, his form alone should warrant inclusion.can’t think of a current LF with the skills and above all the physicality to take on the Aussies.

But we're talking about Wakefield Trinity remember, vasty.
Would be great to see Joer and TJ waking out for England,

I know exactly what you mean, and that’s my point it shouldn’t matter.

With TJ I have an emotional investment. I spotted his potential instantly, I don’t always get it right but I was sure about him from the start. So to see him develop has been great and I’ll be gutted if he misses out.

I have no investment in Westerman at all, he’s not a Trinity product, he let us down as a kid when he’d agreed to sign then didn't. Up until joining us I thought he was an under performing mercenary if I’m honest. So as a say no particular loyalty to the bloke.

So unlike with Tom I am not biased and hand on heart he is imho the best British LF/middle in the SL on current form. As an added bonus he’s physically and mentally tough enough to face the Aussies and Kiwis.

He should be one of the first on the team sheet but I fear he will be ignored due to being a Trinity player. Maybe Wane is smarter than that, let’s hope so.

He’s a class player. Don’t know if it’s because he’s playing for us who are not quite seen as a ‘bigger team’ like Hull or Wire but can’t remember watching him for them play this well. I’d say he’s got a better chance than Johnstone of making the England team based on this years form, he is SL’s form 13 in my opinion. He will be a huge loss for us if he leaves.

Strange one this in that Andy Last is assistant to Shaun Wane. AL should have been reporting back how JW is going -that's if Wane can't see for himself.

I can’t see anyone being starting LF other than Bateman, even if he’s not performing well in the league.

I agree, Batemans NRL experience will give him the nod over most tbf, hes tried and tested over there even though he’s not a 13.

He’s more utility than Westerman and I don’t mean that as an insult, there is room for both.

Cant see westerman been picked over bateman sutton or whitehead despite his good form farrell will also get picked as a wiganer that wane knows well though tbh his form over last two years has been good too

Square pegs, Round holes......

Sutton isn’t even close to international class and Whitehead is a centre turned SR. Bateman is certainly in with a shout as is Farrell.

All I can say is that if Wane is true to his word then he has to look at Westerman, if he does I don’t see how he can refuse to select him in the squad.

When you have enough round pegs then why?

If Wane doesn’t go for square pegs then I may start to believe we have a chance.

I agree 100% about Sutton, but we both know because he’s playing over there he’ll be in the side.

Whitehead a centre? Only in the same way Ellis or Westerman were.
He's an outstanding second row.

I wouldn't play Sutton at 13 but as a middle forward his stats are better than most in every game.

I like Westerman a lot but his form for us won't get him in the England team.

Edit: I see why you responded on Whitehead now. Correct he's not a 13.i misunderstood what you were saying.

Elliot played centre at Bradford then converted to SR I think. He was an excellent centre when I saw him.

He is an excellent SR, I did not say he wasn't?

There is still just about a difference between a SR and a real LF, though Westy is one of the few left.

Whitehead would be in my SR selection, however, I'd say Westerman is a better LF IMO.

That's just not true, I`m not sure where you get that from. Elliot always has been a second rower for as long as I can remember right from been in the academy, he debuted as a Second rower in the Bradford first team and made, his 7 appearances in his debut season were all at SR, he played the full 2010 season at SR, he filled in 3 or 4 game in 2011 at centre and that`s about it.

Have you actually seen sutton play recently.....one of stand outs for raiders

Yes but IMHO he's not better than Westerman is at the moment. Is there nothing about Trinty you like or support?

I thought he played a lot more games at centre than that, but if you say so then fine. It's no big deal regarding the main point, he's not an LF in the truest sense, though he would probably make a good fist of it, I do rate him highly.

Personally i think Wane's back 3 will be Farrell, Whitehead and Bateman at loose, but i wouldn't rule out Sutton or the excellent Morgan Knowles.

The one thing that might count in Westy's favour is his ball playing skills and that was a tactic that Wane used a lot at Wigan with O'Loughlin.

Morgan Knowles is a good shout, as is McMeeken in the form he's in right now and as a wildcard Ethan Harvard, who Wane will be well aware of thru his pie knowledge

Not to be too pessimistic or put a downer on the thread but it’s irrelevant who we play there, don’t think we have any chance of matching the Aussies, the gap for me over the last 2/3 years has just got even wider between us. A lot of NRL teams would beat our national team not taking into account their national side.