We have a great pack that can easily match the Aussies.

Its not all in the mind anymore but it is in the halves.

Which is rubbish IMO

We have options in the halves something which we've rarely had. Despite what the doom mongers say on here we actually have the strongest squad in a very long time, saying that so do the Aussies

And we have some big, strong, athletic backs.

Defence out wide is a worry, as that's were we can fall short. Fingers crossed we can get that sorted too.

I've heard rumors that he is homesick but I hope it isnt true because the Dogs are a different team with him in than they are when he isn't there. Just look at how our pick up of form coincided with his return to the side. Im sure since he came back theres only been 1 loss, and that was to Newcastle.

They do and they don't.

Thurston/Cronk are no where near as good as Lockyer/Thurston or Lockyer/Johns. The later 2 were better than anything I have ever seen and although Thurston is often talked about as being up there with the best (and he is better than anything we have ever had over here in recent times), he cant take a game like Lockyer did in the '(was it) '04 or '05 Tri Nations final and win it on his own.

Still better than our halves but they arent scary. They can be controlled if we play well enough. Johns and Lockyer could go through teams like they were playing against kids if they were in the mood for it.

Agree about their halves, I sometimes forgot how lucky I've been to see the johns/Lockyer era, they were scarily good.

Cronk and thurston can be contained look at origin 1. I also don't think outr half backs are half as bad as people on here make out.

Johns and Lockyer only played 3 games together in the Halves, against New Zealand.
Johns career was nearly over when Lockyer was moved from Fullback to Stand Off.

And it was Brett Kimmorley at 7 (a Newcastle junior who had to go elsewhere because Joey Johns was in front of him!) who played alongside Lockyer when the destroyed Great Britain in the last two Ashes series.

The forwards haven't managed to get the bestter of their opposites no matter how often people try and 'big up' our pack and tell ourselves our pack is better than there's on paper it doesn't mean it will translate on to the field. The way the English pack has been almost mythologised over the last few years is very similar to how the English soccer team (the golden generation) was always held in the same regard as the best soccer teams in the world despite never managing to match them, especially when it really mattered.

I meant those two in the same side (not necessarily in the halves), sorry wasn't clear

Quote christopher="christopher"I meant those two in the same side (not necessarily in the halves), sorry wasn't clear'" No worries Chris For those that don't remember 2004. youtu.be/wXGkdD9dIY4 It was 38-0 first half I think from memory it ended up 44-4, it was a sad turn around from the build up where GB were confident of a win.

Quote christopher="christopher"I meant those two in the same side (not necessarily in the halves), sorry wasn't clear'" No worries Chris For those that don't remember 2004. youtu.be/wXGkdD9dIY4 It was 38-0 first half I think from memory it ended up 44-4, it was a sad turn around from the build up where GB were confident of a win.