All this talk about people want to see an expansive game, Rugby League isn't like football where you've got hundreds of tactics and game plans. You can either offload or you can pass before contact; you can only offload if you've won the contact and you only pass the ball into space if you've created space in the first place - inevitably, the only way that happens is if you win the play-the-ball. Defences are so well organised now and against Australia and NZ, you aren't going to be able to just throw the ball about. Add to that, he only has a small amount of time with the players and it takes months to change the habits players have at club level.

He can only work with the players he has. England's weaknesses (and it's been the same for I don't know how long), is the half backs. There wasn't a shortage of field position but the difference was Australia's ability to build and maintain pressure consistently. Luke Gale kicking on play two for a back rower is an off-the-cuff piece of play but it completely let them off the hook and relieved all the pressure - are people happy with that or does Bennett have a point about England's weakness?

Put a quality half and a quality centre in there today and England win for me. England are a much better team than they were 12 months ago IMO and Bennett has only had a mid season test against Samoa in between then and the World Cup and straight away he's improved the England defence (the main thing for me), if we can keep him for the next few years, hopefully he'll be able to build on that and improve our attack. He knows what it takes to win big games. But, he needs time with the players and if he stays for the next 4 years, I think we'll be in a good position.

A bigger question IMO is his assistant coaches.

No. There's talk of us going around the Pacific Islands instead. Either way expect us to be going down south that year.

and talks as though his era were much better against the Aussies - bar the odd result, they weren't really, and they were on a much more level playing field with the Aussies than today's players.

disagree somewhat. 1982 we were blown away out classed in every department, the young lions team of 84 including Schofield were also well beaten but were starting to claw the gap back, 86 we were beaten by they best international term ever assemble, we played well in the first test and played some cracking rugby, we were well beat in the second test and robbed blind in the 3rd. 88 injury hit squad was competitive in every game and famous win in the 3rd. 1990, 1992 (including world cup final) through to 94, all those serious were were not only competitive but we could and should have won one if not all, 1990 was the won we really lost rather than Australia won. Schofield was at the helm for all those serious. we also had Andy Gregory, Shaun Edwards, all time greats, plus pretty good world class halves around like Derek Fox, David Hulme, and Darryl Powell. we really have struggled to produce not more that 5-6 really and i mean really good halves in 20 years of super league. we have had players who look the part but he don't kick on not at international level.

nothing confirmed about these ashes you talk of

Quote: brearley84 "nothing confirmed about these ashes you talk of'" apologies I may have got things slightly wrong, however there is going to be a southern hemisphere GB tour in 2019 ( unconfirmed who we are playing as of now) which could include tests against Australia. And the Kangaroos are definitely playing at least three tests against GB and one against France when they come over in 2020 as stated below - www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-league ... rnational/

Quote: brearley84 "nothing confirmed about these ashes you talk of'" apologies I may have got things slightly wrong, however there is going to be a southern hemisphere GB tour in 2019 ( unconfirmed who we are playing as of now) which could include tests against Australia. And the Kangaroos are definitely playing at least three tests against GB and one against France when they come over in 2020 as stated below - www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-league ... rnational/