We need to decide on the coach.
We need to sort that centre issue out.
We need to sort our 1, 6 and 7.
We need to sort our game management and our execution.
We need to find a replacement for Lockers.
We need to play more internationals and less club rugby.

A) James Graham & Sean O'Loughlin (more because I don't think they'll be around at the next WC, so get people in to get them upto standard). Tom Burgess, Chris Heighton, Kevin Brown,.

B) If your talking about next year's tests then Shaul, Gildart, McShane.
long term, Walker, Bentley, Turgot,Fash

C) keep most of the players for next year. If they don't perform then start changing

D)
McGilvery, Widdop when he went to FB, Whitehead good.
Gale, Hodgson bad.

E) Hard to say as it depends who the coach is. If Bennett then I don't think it will be much different.

regarding the FB position i suppose some of that is governed by what happens to hardaker. i agree with the previous poster about tomkins. big season ahead for him

Tomkins is the only player we have with some kind of 'X Factor' with the ball. He could also play on the left whilst Widdopp plays right. We definitely need a left centre who is actually a centre. Longer term we have to hope we conjure a halfback from somewhere who actually knows how to control a game and is a menace in attack.

As for the coach I really despair if people can't see the improvement in defence this tournament. We struggled in attack because we simply don't have quality playmakers, with too much responsibility on Widdopp. The only thing I'd criticise Bennett for is not picking Percival for the final, but he did what people bagged McNamara for not doing previously, in sticking with players and giving combinations a chance to develop.

We are not lacking a left centre.
One with 19 try assists (more than most half backs) and 6 tries wasn’t selected in the squad.
One with 16 tries and 13 try assists watched from the sidelines.
Meanwhile, a player who hasn’t even played at centre for his club (even though they had an injury crisis in that position) was selected in that position.
The issue isn’t the lack of a left centre. The issue is a crap selection decision.

A-I think it's time for Lockers to call it quits. He's been sensational for England and GB over the years but his body needs off seasons if he carrying on at club level. It will surely be the end of the line for Heighington as well (who was very good in the final to be fair) and I think Kev Brown has plugged a gap in this comp but I don't see him in the side long term.

B-I'm glad non Wigan fans are calling for Tomkins to come back in. I really hope he plays six for us next year and he can nail that spot for England with Widdop staying at fullback. After that Gildart was brilliant last year and is the country's best hope for a left centre. He has sensational footwork. The other three players I'd seriously look at if there were a game next week would be Stevie Ward (to replace Lockers), Liam Watts and Marc Sneyd. A bit further back I can't wait to see Jack Walker, Danny Walker and Tom Davies progress. They all looked superb in their first years.

C-Sweeping changes aren't needed. I've said at the top there are three players who will or should probably be moved on. We need to replace them and do nothing more then a bit of tinkering.

D-Widdop and Watkins had flattered to deceive for England so far but they were both brilliant. Obviously McGillvary was amazing as well but that didn't surprise me quite as much. I don't want to talk about poor players. They all gave it everything.

E-Similar to this tournament with us replacing Lockers, Brown and Heighington.

Can't argue with that. And it's not a one off, we've shoehorned players in for years and can't think of an example where it's been justified on the pitch, and that's not slating Bateman, he tried hard he's just not a centre.

Yes, Bateman has just done as he has been asked. However, he’s not even the best left centre at Wigan (Gildart).

Before the tournament I was hoping he wasn't going to pick Tomkins at FB and move Hardaker to centre. But once the latter was ruled out he really should've picked Tomkins in his squad. Lomax ended the season injured and carried that on through the tournament.

O'Loughlin has been a very good player for England but at 35 it's time to hang up his international boots.

Interesting one is Roby, one of the older ones at 32 he probably won't make the next WC but if he carries on his form next year do you still pick him or go for younger options? I suppose that depends how well other guys push for that spot, Daryl Clark for one has gone backwards but better things are tipped for Wire this year.

Do you think Shenton, or even Percival would have won the game for us?
One thing about Bateman and Hall as a centre partnership is that they were rock solid defensively.
Not too sure things would have been the same had Bennett gone with either of the other two.

This. I dont believe for one minute Percival would have done any worse. A traffic cone would have contributed more in attack than Bateman did.

Regards

King James