Carl Ablett (Leeds) - good player, versatile, deserves selection
Ryan Bailey (Leeds) - should no way be here, LMS, Mossop, Lynch, Griffin all better options
Tom Briscoe (Hull) - deserves selection
Garreth Carvell (Warrington) - very impressive this seaon, deserves selection
Rangi Chase (Castleford) - Not English and shouldnt be there, rather see Gaskell, Burrow, Gale given chance
Leroy Cudjoe (Huddersfield) - not good enough, Atkins a better option by far
Gareth Ellis (Wests Tigers) - no brainer
James Graham (St Helens) - no brainer
Ryan Hall (Leeds) - scores tries, deserves selection
Chris Heighington (Wests Tigers) - at least a parent/grandparent is English, see what he can do
Ben Jones-Bishop (Leeds) - great young player, deserves chance
Jamie Jones-Buchanan (Leeds) - not convinced, but had a decent finish to season
Danny McGuire (Leeds) - finished season well after injury, hopefully be better this year for England
Michael McIlorum (Wigan) - nowhere near good enough, Houghton at Hull a far better hooker
Adrian Morley (Warrington) - only be there for experience, but imo time to lose old guard and give younger lads a chance building for World Cup
Jamie Peacock (Leeds, capt) - same as Morley
Jack Reed (Brisbane) - no brainer, wow of a year at Brisbane
James Roby (St Helens) - no brainer
Kevin Sinfield (Leeds) cover at half back, 9 or 13 and great kicker, deserves selection
Sam Tomkins (Wigan) - no brainer
Ben Westwood (Warrington) - aggressive player, what we need
Gareth Widdop (Melbourne) - no brainer
Jon Wilkin (St Helens) - played wel all year, deserves selection
Kirk Yeaman (Hull) - scored a lot and links well with Briscoe

Prediction...as per the norm, will beat Wales and then face a tonking by both Australia and NZ and miss out on final. About time we built a team for the future and stopped picking players that arent going to be around at end of 2013 for World Cup!! Only plus point is, with any luck, a hammering again this year and McNamara might be out!!

I don't understand this point. Is the four nations not a tournament worth winning?

The Aussies and Kiwis have always used their best players (in the main) so why wouldn't we do the same?

The point is that our so-called "best" players such as Peacock and Morley weren't good enough to beat the Aussies and NZ consistently in their primes, so how on God's earth are they going to do it now...neither are anywhere near as good as they were 3-4 years ago and them (along with a lot of others) couldnt do it then. The Aussies and Kiwis have evolved and blooded through younger players who are now good enough and experienced for the international game, whereas we are still sticking with the same players.

Why not pick younger players and give them experience now and build a team for the World Cup instead of the same old team getting hammered by them both Australia and NZ again

They're not going to do it now. I can't envisage a time ever again when we'll be able to compete with the big boys at a tournament.

But surely we should always pick the best players available to give us the best shot at an upset?

I fail to see how picking a load of young players now, for 3 games, will mean they develop into World class options by 2013 (only they're club environment can do that imo). Surely a better idea would be for the "best" players now to go and cause an upset

But that is again another point...has he really picked the best players available? For me, Peacock has been average this year, Morley is nowhere near as good as he was and both have been injured for large parts of the season, McIlorum, Bailey and Cudjoe imo are nowhere near good enough and never will be

We always seem to pick the same players and it hasnt got us anywhere now, just seem to have a number of players that are automatically selected each year if fit. Why not give the younger lads a try and build for the future now?? Would rather see a younger team with potential out there that have all performed well at SL level this year than see a bunch of has-beens fall short yet again!!

I think you are on cloud 9 if you think the players selected are the best 24 in England!!

Unfortunately most of the best players in England aren't English!


Morley and Peacock both did well in the play-offs and I don't think there are many props in better form than them based on the last few weeks

Micky Mac, Bailey and Cudjoe won't be in the first 17 anyway (if I was picking the side) so if they get game time it will be due to injuries or diabolical form.

Apart from Roby, we really struggle with decent British hookers nowadays, almost as bad as Centre

Exposing young players to two, possibly three weeks of intense competition against Australia and New Zealand is going to achieve nothing if they then go back to an extremely bloated and uncompetitive Super League.

We're not going to do ourselves any favours by throwing young, uncapped players into an environment that they are woefully unprepared for.

Why do people always assume we're going to get hammered by NZ? Their record against us in England has been pretty awful for the last 10 years.

Just as an aside-
Burrow, Burgess, Lomax, Bridge are all injured, and otherwise would have made the squad imo.
Shenton is injured as well, and also might have had a shot.

(Mc)Brough is out of form.

Got to agree on a couple of points though, don't think Michael McIlorum and Cudjoe are up to it.
Not sure I'd have both Morley and Peacock in the squad, maybe drop one of them depending on what other players were injury free. Tough one that, can see both sides of the argument.

I haven't seen anything of Widdop this year, so don't know how he's done, but when he played for England last time he didn't look that good. Most people seem to say he's had a good season so I'll bow to their knowledge.

Finally I agree don't think Chase and Heighington should be playing for England, even though Chase has been Superleague's best Stand off, and Heighington will add a lot to the squad.

How does the OP come to the conclusion that Atkins is better by far than Cudjoe? Who performed better when they last played an international?

I wouldn't have argued with any of the Huddersfield backs being selected, they are all very good.

McIllorum, Ablett and Bailey are my real eyebrow raising selections. I don't see what any of them would contribute in a positive sense.

Past defeats to NZ and Aus have not been down to Morley and Peacock. Don't forget that Aus picked the equally 'old stalwart' Civoneciva for this tour until he pulled out injured.

Maybe it is just personal opinion, but from what I have seen, Atkins is big, strong, got pace and a far better finisher than Cudjoe. Cudjoe is quick, but not really impressed me from what I have seen this year, unlike Atkins

cos they are half blind idiots


the kiwis have only won here twice in 11or12 games since 2002

Atkins is big, strong and pacy. So is Cudjoe
Difference is Atkins is a defensive liability and can't pass.

Cudjoe is excellent in defence, has great hands and is a good finisher, he also isn't afraid to pass to his supporting players

If Cudjoe hadn't impressed you, you haven't seen him play.