Well 'trying' has pulled off for him fantastically well so far...
also that he rekons this could make or break j tomkins, not sure how thats worked out, surely his superb season has made him.

Oh I see so Because I dont agree with you I know nothing about RL?
Gotcha.
Care to make a little wager?
If England get to the final I will happily post on the VT site everyday for a week that I know bugger all about RL and if they dont YOU have to post on the VT site for a week thet you know bugger all about RL.
Fancy it?

Widdop?

Apart from a few old heads in the pack McNamara is clearly looking to the future. I don't for a minuite expect us to beat Australia, but I'd like to see a young team play without fear and a bit of bravado, and be proud to support them. Too often we've looked like rabbits in the headlights, with a number of players literally looking scared by the quality of the opposition.

We need to find the players that respond positiviely and keep them. Shenton for example is dissed by a lot, and he's clearly no Inglis, and yet he styood up to be counted last year. O'Loughlin has previously done the same when selected. GB/England have loads of players for whom the opposite is sadly the case.

That's why McNamara has picked Widdop - he's hopefully going to be a real star. He's not yet obviously, but picking him for England makes sure he doesn't get tapped by NSW if and when he makes it.

BTW - the 2003 (?) Kangaroos were far weaker than this squad. That was a series GB could - and perhaps should - have won.

No obvious tactical kicker is my main worry. Tomkins maybe, but not if he plays full back.

No obvious tactical kicker is my main worry. Tomkins maybe, but not if he plays full back.

go watch the gareth widdop highlights video on ewetube....then say we don't have a tactical kicker

You would be better off with that structure over some selections in this thread.

Australia had better depth in 1986 than now to be brutally honest.

As a 26 year old, i've heard this line about 40 times. We are weak in the centres and nowhere else.


I used to be of the same opinion, even though he plays for my club. This year especially i've learnt that when a man as huge as TLL runs as hard as he now does, it doesn't matter if he's stopped in his tracks and put on his ass. The effort it takes to do that to him takes it's toll. Throughout a game, it's very effective. I just hope the few weeks lay off doesn't wreck his ball-handling, which he is prone to losing when coming back from injuries or at the start of each season. With TLL, Shillo, Civo and Scott, we are made in the prop department. I have no concerns whatsoever.


Yep. The 2004 team was worse than this one also...on paper (44-4, anyone?). We've had some pretty good teams since then, and this could arguably be the worst in half a decade, but i'll reserve judgement until the results have passed.

I just saw the Kiwi squad, and the team they can form out of that is bloody scary. They're a massive chance.

When the Australian selectors resort to the likes of Sam Thaiday, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Greg Bird, Dean Young and Todd Carney, you are weak in more than the centres

These players would get nowhere near previous Kangaroo squads