Tom Briscoe, Lee Smith and Danny McGuire have all been dropped for this weekend's game against New Zealand.

IMO, McGuire has been pretty much ineffective and Tomkins and Eastmond have shown him up to be less skillful than he thinks he is. Briscoe doesn't have the defensive capability needed at this level, hence the constant attack down his wing and success in scoring. Lee Smith is also not the player he likes to think he is, either. He gives the impression that he'd like to be a hard man; grinding Billy Slater's face with his forearm whilst lying on top of him is hardly hard-man material.

Replacing Briscoe and Smith will be Fox and Bridge. I'm not entirely sure if this is the right option, but we'll soon see this weekend. Eastmond is getting the start and Wilkin comes in on the bench.

I think we are well over due a good result and so am gonna go for england by 4-6 points.
I know it goes against the grain of the get along thing, but i just have a sneaky feeling.

Come On England.

I was really excited during the week when my 10yr old grandaughter had a letter from the RFL at first I thought they may be asking her for help in runing the place but no .They were informing her she had been chosen to be one of the mascots for the England/Kiwi game.I was hoping she may bring England some luck but now wonder just who she is supporting as she has been asked to wear black.
She is still proud as punch though she is so excited whoever it is.

Teams for today:

England: S Briscoe, Fox, Bridge, Shenton, Hall; Tomkins, Eastmond; Morley, Roby, Graham; Peacock (capt), Ellis, Sinfield.
Replacements: Burgess, Crabtree, Westwood, Wilkin.

New Zealand: Hohaia, Perrett, Foran, Sau, Goodwin; Marshall (capt), Fien Nuuausala , Leuluai , Moimoi , Soliola , Pritchard, Blair .
Substitutes: Luke , Lima , Matulino, Waerea-Hargreaves.


I don't see what Westwood brings to the international team, he's an ordinary player who gives too many penalties away, I'd have benched Carvell instead of him, Burgess is more flexible in the back three. Looks like we're going to try and bash them up the middle with only Wilkin as cover for stand off or centre spots. Sinfield can also cover stand off & hooker, so I expect him to cover Roby at some point and I hope that's where he tries Eastmond to catch them tired in the latter stages of the first half, scooting out of dummy half.

Home mate in cup to keighley town. Will be headin straight over after game.

good game to watch, well done england, played well.