Is there a case for moving Flanders into the 2nd row, and playing Sam Burgess at LF?
I still think we need a better pair of halves, but we're in a good position to go for the trophy in the 4 nations next season.

I think O'Loughlin pulled out one last performance but he's been on the physical decline for a while now and would be surprised to see him pull on an England shirt again. Burgess, Whitehead and a choice of Bateman, Ward and Currie will be the England back row for the next few years, although we'll discover whether the latter three, unlike Farrell, can step up to internationals despite being a bit under-sized.

I'd give some credit to Cooper. Never rated him at Wire yet he looks to have added size and runs straighter since he moved to Oz. Good player, like to see him in blue and amber at some point.

Is anyone else tired of being told Watkins is World class by the commentators for him to continue to produce garbage displays in the international arena?

It's wonderful seeing him make the defences of Wakefield etc look poor and then having the heart the size of a pea and be outplayed by a second row filling in at centre and last series s kid playing in his first series.

The bloke has all the potential in the World but he lacks the heart, concentration of skill at this level.

For me comfortably the worst player of the series, Hill and Faz offer bugger all at this level also hopefully with a fully fit squad neither will be in the 17 and Widdop has really not delivered.

Kear pointing out that Zak "didn't panic, didn't blow his load" was certainly top notch

I can't actually disagree with any of this. Watkins quite clearly has more skill and xfactor than most of that England side put together. But someone needs to get in his head, he has no aggression or desire. All we hear is about making space for him, but he doesn't look for it himself. This lad could be one of the best of a generation, but he really needs to believe in himself more.

So you think Watkins has a heart the size a pea?
What utter garbage.
Yesterday he was poor in attack - which I think is rare - but he was generally excellent in defence. A part of his game that has been criticised in the past.

The wigan fan's obviously still salty about their season of winning nowt.
Didnt Bateman drop the ball a bunch of times in the 2d test? Didnt offer anything in attack either - every pass he gave to Hall was after he'd taken any space he had and Hall had to come back inside. Weird that he doesnt say anything about that.
Williams completely anonymous game 2nd game was embarrasing, looked like he didnt want to touch the ball but its Chris Hill who did bugger all .

Pathetic point scoring from the pie eater, nothing more.

except for the three times he left his man for dead of course. Its no coincidence that having left his man for dead 3 times, there was acres of space for Whitehead on the inside.

im guessing the revisionism about Watkins is about to start, apparently not a big game player, seemed a pretty game player when he offloaded to Briscoe after brilliant work to get us back in the game against Huddersfield, Seemed a pretty big game player running St Helens ragged all last year, including 4 offloads and a try in the SL semi, or in the final against wigan when he put McGuire through. And when he went over against Samoa, and Australia last year, Or in the world cup semi final.

And Bateman ran hard but played as a 2nd row regardless of being named at centre. Ryan Hall has 26 tries in 27 international appearances and hasnt had a single opportunity this series.

McGilvray and Burgess were two of the best strike wingers in Superleague last season, and between them received only one pass in the three tests. Last year in the four nations Charnley suffered exactly the same. Watkins is a very good strike centre but he is not a wingers centre.

Not in the sense that say lyon is in drawing a man and passing, but Watkins has a fantastic offload and if not for some fantastic work by the NZ defence would have put Hardaker in.

The wingers playing outside Watkins scored 23 tries last year as many as Burgess scored.

There was 30 minutes before that on the red button.

Anyone who bags Chris Hill clearly doesn't understand rugby league. Arguably the best prop in Super League - rarely loses the contact either in attack or defence, has excellent footwork and a great engine for a big man. England need to use his passing game at the line a little more IMO, it's up there with James Graham's.

He wasn't excellent in defence at all. He was to blame for the Kiwis first try, and was it not for McGilvary saving him, would have been to blame for one in the second.

He is a special player, who has far more within him than he is displaying consistently. At international level you need to do much more than you do at club level. It would be such a waste for such talent not yo see the best of it.

how do you reckon?
wasn't Watkins left covering two defenders on his outside because McGilivary had dropped back?
Watkins moved out with the rest of the line, but the guys inside of him were unable to stop the play - how is Watkins to blame for that?
McGilivary was about 25m behind the defensive line on the short side when the ball got moved out to the overlap, and didnt move up at all.
Or who was the defender inside of Smith who let his man run up in support while jogging back half-d watching the play unfold? Lockers, was it?