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.

One player that seems to have gone under the radar is Joe Greenwood. I think he'll be thereabouts in the next few seasons.

No, I can't. But I assumed that the decision to play as Great Britain was in order to create the possibility of that happening. If, as you say, we can basically do the same as England cricket and include those players anyway, there's not really any need to not play as England.

It seems like muddled thinking to bring GB back for one year and then have them disappear again for who knows how long.

I believe that the phrase "Muddled Thinking" is carved above the doorways at the RFL.

We need more players to come through every year. That's basically the difference between us and Australia. Thurston and Cronk retire and Morgan is already ready and Munster not far off, with the likes of Ivan Cleary not far behind. Ditto when Slater quits there are already 4 or 5 better options than the best English full back.

Twas ever thus.