I think the halves and hooker face the biggest challenge stepping up from SL to International level. Brough is a brilliant player in SL but I'm not sure that his game would have stood up to the additional pressures of playing Aus or NZ. They have to do everything that bit quicker and more precise, less thinking time, fewer gaps to run through. Any half back that hasn't played in the NRL is going to struggle at that level.

Brough looked pretty good against New Zealand when I saw him.

I didn't think Brough was anything special before the world cup and maintain that opinion. I thought Sinfield played well apart from maybe at the very end of the game and the conversion miss but it's too easy to criticise from an armchair, on the field he created 2 of our tries. Seeing Widdop play I wonder if sticking with Chase was a mistake.

It's unfair to judge him against my couple of appearances at tag rugby.

Brough is the most over rated player in SL imo.

Yes he's a good player, but if he were half as good as some people seem to think he is, he'd be an England regular. The two muppets on Sky started the campaign for self publicity it like the Briers one] and suddenly lots of people are banging the drum as though he were a world beater. You couldn't make it up!

Quite, did you manage two games? I thought you hobbled off after one?

IMO Brough’s one of those players who’s happiest when he’s getting the attention and can be number one. He’s had a lot of clubs which suggests he can take his bat home if he doesn’t feel the love. Is he good enough to warrant that at International level? He’s not exactly the next Andy Gregory is he? I think he’s overrated by many.

I expect Danny to rival Greg's club collection by the time he retires, he's on 5 as it is and two countries!

He'll have some way to go to beat Bobbie Goulding's ten clubs though!

Carl Ablett*

Has Ablett got a posse of pundits backing him to get picked every week? He needs to get Sadler/Schofield/Eddie & Stevo on board!

Being over rated is not so much about how good you are but more about talent versus hype. So to me whilst neanderthal head is a good player, he is without question over rated. Ablett is a good utility player domestically. I have my doubts that he's international but imo he's not over rated particularly.

People going on about over-rated players yet never complained when Rangi Chase was picked. He is more over-rated than Brough ever is.

In the last World Cup, England failed to qualify for the final, but at least it was overseas. This time, they failed to qualify for the final, but they had the advantage of being at home. Therefore, they have not improved in terms of standing.

Plus, thanks to bevvy-gate and McNamaras' walk out in press conferences and an apparent inability to control his players, he really did not do too well now did he?

I think Ablett does remarkably well with little natural talent, due to dedication & effort. I don't think he is quite international class, but then again he doesn't pick himself.

Ablett could have done a better job for England at centre than Cudjoe who was spectacularly unimpressive in every game during the World Cup.