Whatever your [iopinion[/i the coach dealt with it tactically by removing Briscoe.

Of course, posters on here would obviously know more than Smith.

He's played wing, centre, 7 and fullback for Saints.

How many times has he played wing and how many times centre?

Oh, now you've got me because we had so many injuries at one point that our young guys were playing all over the place. I think - but don't take this as gospel - he has played at wing twice and centre at least three occasions. He played centre in the Grand Final and scored all our points.

How many times has Eastmond played right centre at St Helens?

With Gidley there not that often I'd have thought.



Yes that's correct. My opinion is that Australia opted not to overly exert themselves in the second half when it wasn't neccessary.

That helped England get into the game together with a generous piece of 'home rule' officiating.

Why did it take Smith until half time to sort the problem?

He hasn't. Wheeler covered for Gidley when he was out, if memory serves.

Eastmond played his stints at left centre only towards the very end of the season when both Wheeler and Dean were out injured but Longy was back.

Dropped to the reserves.

Yes but what happened in the second half is not the point. The point is at half time the coach considered that Briscoe was the problem with the right hand side defence. That was the change he made.

What the reasons were that led to the success of that change are open to debate but what isn't is that the national coach thought that Briscoe was the change that needed making.

I've no idea.

Wrong.

Wheeler had a leg muscle tear, which began life as a strain but he came back too soon and it tore. Dean is a back up player.

The right hand side defence was shambolic but not entirely down to the individuals out there at the time. Briscoe didn't defend very well and Smith won't be a centre if he plays for a hundred years, but the core problem - yet again - was the lack of any kind of forward support in the defensive line.

Australia move the ball right. Tackle. England's entire pack muster on one half of the field. AUstralia ping the ball left at speed and oops they have an overlap, acres of space and two of the best broken-play runners you'll ever see. Result - England's right side defenders look worse than they actually are, and Australia score. Five times. In one half.

Smith IMO made a good fist of fixing this issue in the second half, but England still look vulnerable any time the ball is moved wide.

FWIW I take my hat off to Sinfield - I think he should be starting hooker. There is no way he should be played as a loose forward at that level.

Did Wheeler and Dean play in the semi final and grand final reserve games v Wigan?

Sinny has impressed me at hooker, is that the position for him at this level though? I'm not sure. He was very good yesterday IMO, but is he what we want from a 13 at International level? Again, I'm not convinced. I'd still be tempted to put an extra biffballer at 13 and let Tomkins have more responsibility.

Best post on this thread by a country mile but dont expect to get away with the Sinfield comment, he's the best 13 on the planet dont you know!!

I don't know if either or both of them did, to be honest. I don't tend to follow the reserves as it's a bit of a non-comp. But if they did play, the only reason they will have played is because there was no space in the first team. With Longy gone and Eastmond taking his place, Wheeler will see himself at centre again (with Sia coming in for Gilly). Dean will be cover for either wing I should imagine. But we have a clutch of young players all due to get some more first grade game time next season. I am sure some of them may go on that joint loan arrangement or simply loaned out or let go, as and when they prove themselves or otherwise.

The only point you raised that I would challenge (conveniently for RR) is about Sinfield as a loose forward. I suspect that you also saw the Leeds teams with Dave Heron at Loose and for me that's exactly what a LF should be cover defence, good hands, vision, engine, kicking game and can slot in to fill for almost any other member of the pack when they go MIA. Sinfield can do all of this.

The issue with him at LF in an International team, and particularly this one, is that we seem to want a biff and barge player, which he certainly is not. Therefore the issue is down to the structure you want from a LF, and that's hardly a point that can be levelled at the player himself (not that you were necessarily doing that).

Sinfield is very capable, but his strength is in his brain and hands, not his physical stature, and we should be using this to greater effect.