I hate to say this but with the amount of injuries we currently have to key players, the limited pool of players available + taking on the Aussies & Kiwis in their own backyard, I severely worry for our beloved England team in this years 4 nations.

I think McNamara is an average coach at best but is on a hiding to nothing!

I hope I'm wrong but it could be embarrassing.

After the World Cup, I'm confident that I've been desensitised to any disappointment that England can produce this winter.

I do think it will be pretty awful. I think NZ and Australia could both hammer england!

McNamara as a coach is pretty much a joke. I didnt think he came across well last week on Boots n All. He just seems to be pretty delusional with the task ahead in the 4 nations!

its a shame mcnamara was given the job, our team doesn't look too embarrassing this time around (apart from in the halves).

Yes it will. We will even lose to a semi pro team in a warm up game

In a couple of weeks we will hear the annual "England has the best pack in the world" on these forums, only to watch them get completely smashed.

Wing and centre are where the problems are

Considering England's wings in the World Cup semi final against New Zealand were Ade Gardner and Mark Calderwood, I would suggest that any combination of Fox, Briscoe and Hall would be an improvement

In fact, taking a look at the full team that day, I think England will be a stronger outfit in 2010

Paul Wellens, Ade Gardner, Martin Gleeson, Keith Senior, Mark Calderwood, Danny McGuire, Rob Burrow, James Graham, James Roby, Jamie Peacock (c), Ben Westwood, Gareth Ellis , Rob Purdham

Either one of Widdop or Tomkins will probably offer more than Wellens who is a great club player but lacks the pace for the international game

I have mentioned the wings

I would have Widdop at full back so that Tomkins and Eastmond can play in the halves (Eastmond is struggling but he has some time to recover)

The pack above is pretty strong but I would say the addition of Sam Burgess and Sean O'loughlin would strengthen it some more... Peacock is a loss of course

I admit centre is a problem, but all in all, not that bad a situation

We need Eastmond fit, as the Tomkins/Eastmond 6/7 combination is crucial to us.

Wings are pretty solid, I'd say.

Peacock will be a loss in the props, but we have enough good forwards to cover.

Our biggest issue in my eyes, other than McNamara - although I'll give him his chance - is our centres. It's our current weakest spot, and we hardly have any cover for it.

We'll beat PNg and scrape past NZ, and lose badly to Oz in the final. Deja vue??

IMO they are average at best on the international scene

Is he the coach, though, or is he just a british face for the coaching staff? What exact role is brian Smith going to play? I'd say he's going to be the real voice of authority in the coaching roles.

Oh, and I don't think we'll be seeing Eastmond if reports are to be believed.

thats exactly what will happen......and somehow all the doom mongerers will say we're still miles behind australia AND NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand have won a world cup and seem to do better against the aussies than us though. For some reason they seem to struggle against us, but NZ seem to reach more finals and do better against australia than us which could indicate they are slightly ahead of us. I have seen the NZ squad and it seems relatively healthy this year. In recent years they seem to come into the end of season internationals rather beaten up so they might be better this year. The NZ backline looks rather good also which could be a problem for our weak backline.

Well you never know. It all depends on whether Aus and NZ can be d.

if NZ where miles ahead of us they would'nt struggle against us would they....the facts are there is'nt really alot between the 2 side,both are capable of beating each other,both are capable of dishing out the occasional hiding to each other also........sure the kiwis seem to overcome the mental stumbling block when it comes to playing australia when it matters....ie RLWC08 final & tri nations 2005 final...but thats no good if they then trip up against england...they are very jekyll and hyde...and have been for the past 10 years..

should the kiwis be favourites to beat england in the opening game...course they should..but only cos their at home