Yes, Roby or McIlorum may get a role in place of Hodgson, and that will help a little, but Clark is going to be the main hooker for England.

Yes, the young players you named are likely to be better for a year more experience.

But if you look at the list of New Zealand players I have cited, you see that there is a lot of aggressive muscle to be injected into the Kiwi pack (in place of Adam Blair, for example), and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, after a year in the custodian's role at the powerful Sydney Roosters club, is likely to inject an attacking class into the team that could compare to the "x factor" possessed by the scintillating star Shaun Johnson.

All I can say is that I will be feeling sorry for Peter Hiku, who was so accomplished in 2014, but lacks the magical dancing feet of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. I also fear that the England players will be feeling sorry for themselves when RTS dances around them and then accelerates to make the line breaks that lead to New Zealand tries.

I do agree that there were some notable absences from the Kiwi side and JC has named them perfectly well.
I also must state that the players that Printer alludes to will almost certainly, be nowhere close to having the impact that those Kiwis will add to their side.

I tend also to believe that Clark will be our first choice number 9, Roby if on top form is for me still streets ahead of Clark and I would also include McIlorum too, should we ( and almost certainly we will) require some bite in the pack in place of running skills.

Incidentally JC, Hiku's Christian name is not PETER at all, but PETA. That is the name he has been given on team sheets in the NRL, ever since he gained a run-on spot with Manly.

Before england take on the might of NZ they need some warm up games against Z list countries like Georgia, Ireland and France

Regards

King James

That's fine if all those players turn up.
Last time the Kiwis had a three match series over here they sent a virtual reserve side.

Nigel Wood, as head of the RFL and the RLIF needs to make clear that a full strength team is required. Some of the players whom I mentioned took a rest break during the Four Nations, especially the Roosters trio. I expect that they will want to play in 2015. If at least one Test for NZ against France is added to the tour -- and I think that it would be good for the game in France -- Trent Robinson will be more likely to let his Kiwi players go on tour.