After the poor last twenty five minutes of the game against the New Zealand Maori Saturday gone at Mount Smart stadium, where IMO we we're lucky to escape with a draw, McNamara now has six days to look at the tape and find out what worked well and what didn't.

After watching the replay of yesterdays game, I feel that Widdop (despite the criticism from some posters) offers us a threat when being brought into the attacking line and for the first fifty minutes of the game looked positionally solid at full back.

Shenton didn't really do anything (again) but he's a better player than Gleeson and I think we're all waiting for his moment of magic which I hope arrives in this game.

Kevin Brown is not good enough I'm afraid so I would play Robbinson and Sam Tomkins in the halfs although my concern about Tomkins in this position is that for a good 80% of the Super League season he's played at full back for Wigan and has orchestrated some super tries from this position (see the 70m wonder score vs Huddersfield and try vs Leeds in the play-off game).

I wasn't happy with Roby and his lack of ability to get a clean pass out in time, so maybe we could look at using Luke Robbinson in this position?

But I would drop Roby to bench and use him as a impact sub, while promoting Lunt to the starting XIII.

With Morley potentially out for the rest of the Four Nations with a ruptured bicep, I wouldn't hesitate to start with Graham and Burgess as the starting props with Crabtree and Fielden on the bench.

I think Crabtree stood out today with some good damaging runs, making good yards so gets the nod on the bench over Griffin.

My side for the New Zealand game would be this:


Widdop
Briscoe
Shenton
Atkins
Hall
S Tomkins
Robinson
Graham
Lunt
Ellis
Westwood
Burgess
O'Loughlin


Roby
Crabtree
Fielden
J Tomkins

How does everyone see the first game of the Four Nations going?

I think we'll give a good opening first forty before running out of gas and going down by about 10-16 points.

New Zealand 19 man squad:

Lance Hohaia, Jason Nightingale, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Junior Sa'u, Manu Vatuvei, Benji Marshall (captain), Nathan Fien, Greg Eastwood, Thomas Leuluai, Adam Blair, Simon Mannering, Bronson Harrison, Jeremy Smith.
Interchange: Issac Luke, Ben Matulino, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Frank Pritchard, Sika Manu, Sam Perrett.

Nine of the above played in the World Cup final.

Match OfficialsReferee Tony Archer (Australia)

Video Referee Steve Clark (Australia)

God help us after Archer screwed us at Energy Australia Stadium in the 2008 World Cup

Is it really on the BBC?

Quote: debaser "Is it really on the BBC?'" www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vjs88 No doubt we will have the easily excitable Jonathon Davies screaming from the TV. Albeit with no Ryan Bailey to pish and moan about, shall we begin a sweepstake on his new target for unfounded vitriol? I'm going for the obvious; king dummy spitter, Graham.

Quote: debaser "Is it really on the BBC?'" www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vjs88 No doubt we will have the easily excitable Jonathon Davies screaming from the TV. Albeit with no Ryan Bailey to pish and moan about, shall we begin a sweepstake on his new target for unfounded vitriol? I'm going for the obvious; king dummy spitter, Graham.

G1 Nz 44 England 6
G2 Aus 42 England 4
G3 PNG 16 England 28

Get in. I can watch in on normal tv. That's good.

To be honest Mick the fact that Shenton is even considered as an international centre shows why we find it so difficult to beat either NZ or the Kiwis in a series; he wouldn't get in the 'train on' squad of either of those sides. I think Gleason [ihas been[/i a far better player than Shenton is ever likely to be, though he has fallen a bit from the heights of yesteryear. To be truthful I think there's far more chance of Leon Pryce turning up at Odsal than there is of Shenton ever being an international quality centre.

Widdop
Briscoe
Shenton
Atkins
Hall
O'Loughlin (I have to agree with GB, Brown isn't good enough)
Tomkins
Graham
Robinson
Fielden
Burgess
Ellis
Harrison

Roby
Crabtree
Carvell
Westwood

Yes, hence why it's not in HD, because the BBC can't be @rsed with HD when it comes to RL. So far they've shown a whole ONE game in High Def, and yet have shown lower league football in it. (Whereas Sky show every Super League, International, NRL Final & Origin game in HD).

Sooner we get away from the BBC, the better IMO. It's just another example that they don't care enough to give the sport the proper respect.

Not great when you're used to watching in beautiful HD. The BBC's coverage is appalling.

As good as HD is, it doesn't get rid of Jonathan Davies squeaky, inaccurate spoutings.

Perhaps the picture will distract me from this..