I also didn't have to be a tactical genius on Saturday to notice the aggressive purpose with which the Australian dummy runners approached the line. The execution had to be good to avoid obstruction, but rather than just pulling up or jogging in, the runners went rhrough the line, or into the face of their opposite number. All done inside the law, and must create real uncertainty in the defensive line, which in turn allows a bit more space and time for the runners on the outside.

It also isn't rocket surgery to see the work they do in the wrestling after the initial tackle impact to turn the opposing player on his back. We need to get to ground and play the ball quicker, and do better in defence at holding them up. I think even Eddie spotted that.

That's a very valid point. There was a time when we could always give them a good thumping even if we lost the match. But I wonder if all the Sky generated hysteria against anyone going high has led to a generation of players afraid to mix it. In the context of an international Thurston's high shot on Hall was relatively mild. But some of the hysteria & calls for a red were ludicrous. Notwithstanding if Barry Mac or similar had been playing there would have been a mass brawl following that incident & a few Aussies looking out for a bit of protection themselves for the rest of the match.

When your front row "enforcers" are both past pension age, it would have taken them so long to actually get over to the incident that it would have been all sorted anyway.

Like them or lump them, Sculthorpe and Farrell were never overly shy of a bit of biff with the Aussies.

Obviously brawling has no place in our family game, he lied.

They're having to play on because the coalition Govt has put back the time when they can claim their pension.
I expect to see Samkins still playing for England/GB when he's 50

What we need is a half back pair combination like Andy Gregory and Shaun Edwards, some who can grab the game by the scruff of the neck and turn the game upside down. Match winners are inspirational to all which encourage all team members to exceed their best performances and breed success. After all confidence breeds success and success breeds confidence.

The point about biff is a good one.

After that shot on hall, thurston should have been in fear of his safety for the rest of that game. The forwards should have been breathing down his neck. Nothing. Not even a borderling late shot after he's kicked the ball.

We have way too much respect for them. Why does one of our forwards never take a shot on one of their key playmakers early on to rattle them?

This is afterall 'test match footy', it's tougher and more physical and generally the refs tend to let more go. The aussies take this advantage but we don't.

All this lack off biff only reinforces the fact Bailey should have played

You're confusing biff with niggle.

That's all well and good but for 80 minutes our forwards couldn't get near either of their halfbacks due to their forwards dominance.

Niggle is an essential part to kicking the Biff off. And to be honest there wasn't much niggle in the England team either

Biff usually needs at least 3-4 incidents of "niggle" to precipitate. We had about that number of incidents of "niggle" before Senior gave Wilkin the slap a couple of seasons ago. However, in internationals it was traditional that the only thing needed to intiate major biff would be the first scrum (I'm sure some players would knock on deliberately in the opening 5 minutes of any test match just to get going).
There were enough scrums in the England - Australia game for the English forwards to sort things out had they so desired. Having said that we would have needed to ressurest the likes of Fred Lindop to officiate, any of the softco*k generation of refs we have now would have abandoned the match. These "Dougie Howser's" of the RL world are too gutless to red card near decapitations yet would be totally unable to grasp the concept of international biff.

Worst of both worlds. High shots "put on report" , biff outlawed.

well said, but in the england team there were only two maybe three players I have seen "sort things out2 and unfortunately there about duw a pension.

Was it not a scrum that kicked the peacock fight of in the WWC?

Regarding Senior putting the jack of all trades squarely on his bottom, I recall him helping him up before putting him back down, anyway it got me thinking. Bailey did the same thing to Kevin Brown this year and there was outrafe.

On report should be scrapped at all levels but it makes absolutely no sense at international level. Will Isaac luke miss a game against england, no, it has nothing to help the team who was fouled.

If its bad enough to go on report, its enough for a yellow IMO
I believe reffs are scared, both of the aussies, and of spoiling the game and in regards to biff giving a sport with minute coverage a bad image. Thats why ganson should ref he dosent give two hoots what anyone thinks.