Senior retired. Burrow i agree. Gilmour I don't. LMS I would've had had over Carvell tbh. Owen is not ready yet.

Those are all debatable and not one is an obvious no-brainer that Smith has gotten wrong.

I didn't say they were no-brainers i was asked who i thought should/shouldn't be in and that's just my opinion.
Re-Owen he's got to be a better option than Sykes surely!!!
Senior did say he'd play if contacted and then TS said he hadn't been contacted by Senior i'm sure if either had picked up a phone he would be in.
As for debating his commitment you could say the same about L.Smith!!
It's all opinion and in mine i don't think TS has selected the best available.
Like i said though hopefully i'm proved wrong and will happily take the flack and banter if it proves to be the case.
P.s With Gilmour in the team it would enable us to get the best out of JP at prop whereas at the moment i don't think playing in the SR he'll be as effective.

I'm not so sure about that. The Aussies are pretty big all over the park, and I think having 3 big forwards of that kind to biff the ball up, whether they do it out wide or up the middle, could be very useful, particularly in the early exchanges. It also adds a bit of muscle in our wide defence, albeit at the expense of a bit of agility.

The selection issues you raise, some of which i agree with, are all very debatable so, IMO, its' hard to criticise a coach for not making what is at best an [iarguably[/i better selection.

If it were an obviously dumb selection then, yes, criticism is valid.

Which of course leads to the valid questions you raise about Paul Sykes.

I personally think Roby has gone backwards as a player - he needs to the major force at 9 for Saints but he will have yet another season playing a part time second fiddle role to Kieron - if they can find some shorts big enough for KC

Diskin has had a very good end to the season and if the team were picked on form Diskin was the form 9 at the end of the season

Owen is as ready as Briscoe and a better player now.

As you say these are semmantics - Smith hasn't made any major gaffs IMO his team is as strong as squad will allow

Peacock will be used as a third starting prop. It's going to be a bash it up, one-out-a-thon with hopefully a good kick chase (possibly after the fourth drive) by England to try and get a territorial advantage.

Keeping it tight is their only hope.

Keith told Jason Davidson to tell Smith that he was available for selection. Smith told Jason that Keith wasn't in his plans.

Keith CBAd to even call the coach himself? No wonder his un-retirement wasn't taken seriously.

Meninga was a monster and quick with it for a big man but Inglis has even more than Meninga had IMO. McGaw was nothing that special (at the very highest level) and Hodges edges there again for me.

Powell and Gibson V Shenton and Smith - where do you start?

What's Ryan Atkins got to do with Senior's apathy to international RL?

Pace.
My money is on the newbies.

Senior's apathy to international RL??? He's one of the most capped players in British RL history you ****ing retard.

What has Atkins got to do with Keith? As I wrote, Atkins decided not to play for England so he could have an operation instead. Keith would have delayed his operation if he was selected for England.