I would have liked to see Makinson in the squad but who would you have left out?

Either Percival as I think Bennett would actually play Currie at centre before him if one of the current starters were injured or lose one of the FB's. Makinson and Widdop provide cover there.

Fair point Printer but I think if we left Percival out some would say we were taking too much of a risk at centre.
Bennett like you say seems to prefer using the likes of Currie and Bateman at centre so based on that logic yes leave Percival out for Makinson.
You could also add Ratchford or Lomax to centre as cover too which does make you wonder why Makinson wasn`t selected.

Watkins should move to the wing, and Currie to centre. Although, no way McGilvery should be banned IMO.
Roby has to start

Brown. We have Gale, Widdop and Williams for the halves. O'Loughlin, Lomax and Ratchford for jigging around and cover if we got really desperate so more than enough.

to take just two wingers in your squad was a big risk as pointed out by many and may come back to bite the coach big time in a few days.

Good choice of words there Biff.

Definitely should have taken another winger over Brown, we don't need 4 halves in the squad especially when Ratchford, lomax, Hodgson and O'loughlin can cover there, Widdop, gale and Williams have been far more better than brown and have more potential and years on their side. Imo we should have had Eden, Makinson, Briscoe or Davies to cover for Mcgilvery or Hall.

A possibility but it would make the inclusion of Percival even more baffling. Bennett only signed up until this WC and I hope he doesn't carry on (and don't think he'll want to). Yes he's got this great record as a coach but it just isn't working out I feel and you have to say we looked better under McNamara.

Although my one fear if we are looking for a new coach is that they'll go the lazy safe route of somebody already in the setup ala McNamara and also McLaren and Southgate in football and we'll end up with Dennis Betts in charge.

Bennett has been a damp squib and as you say a backward step from Mac as it stands, and yes i know he is a legendary club coach but it is what it is. Still time to prove us all wrong but if we lose JM, he persists with Hodgson over Roby stifling our halves and plodders like Heighington off the bench all things point to scraping past PNG in the QF at best and a likely hiding by the kiwis in the semi ala 2008.

Regards new coach, i hope it is either Powell, Wane or McDermott i think all would be good national coaches in different ways. As you say, could easily see Betts being handed the reigns though which wouldn't fill you with too much hope but i think we need to go with a homegrown coach whatever from here, we have had 3 Aussies since 2000, Waite, Smith and now Bennett and barring a miraculous turnaround in a couple of weeks all 3 will have been massive let downs and certainly no better than a British option.

Yeah I agree if we're looking for a new coach it should be one of those three.

Team announced for the France game

Gareth Widdop
Stefan Ratchford
Mark Percival
John Bateman
Jermaine McGillvary
Kevin Brown
Luke Gale
Chris Hill
James Roby
James Graham
Ben Currie
Mike McMeeken
Sean O’Loughlin ©


Alex Walmsley
Thomas Burgess
Scott Taylor
George Williams

Obviously Hall will come in if McGillvary is banned. Good to see some guys like McMeeken and Taylor get a game. He wanted to see Williams against Lebanon so dropped Roby but starts Brown ahead of Williams in this??? Has Ratchford ever played wing before? Lomax njured again as he was towards the end of the SL season, why bring him over Tomkins or Shaul?