Let us take the hypothetical case of England losing to New Zealand on Saturday.

Will McNamara be gone from the coaching role? Who will replace him?

Will this mean that Sinfield will also not be England's captain next year?

Will Widdop get his chance to play in the halves?


Or does all of that depend on New Zealand winning comfortably?

If New Zealand only wins by a few points (less than 10), will the current coach and captain be retained?

McNamara - gone. If he gets a new contract there is something foul in the air.

Sinfield - gone, if he has any sense he will retire from rep footy.

SOL will be the next captain and rightly so.

Widdop will never get a true shot while McNamara is in the role and it all depends on what sort of number six the next coach wants (runner, defensive, organiser etc).

Next coach, who knows? McNamara should go full stop, he brings very little to the setup except for a stubbornness to play a half back combination that has yet to work and probably never will.

Gee whizz some right know nowts talking cr@p on this board.

Sinfield should tell everyone to royally get fecked no matter what the result. Far too good a player in is own right to have to put up with the e talked about on here.

McNamara? who cares, who ever takes over, same results anyway unless something changes with the structure of the weekly competition and the salary cap and development that goes with it. That is if we end up losing.

SOL. Will also retire from international IMO. Over rated player, who is in and out with injuries anyway. So I am sure he won't want to risk prolonging his Wigan career with internationals.

I think Sinfield will retire whatever the result. McNamara is as good as anyone else who would want the job. I would build the team around Widdop as captain.

What is this obsession with Widdop who has done nothing except play in the NRL?

Oh the Irony. Tell me I am a "know nowt" plastering my views (allowed by the way seeing as this is a message board for opinions) and then you do the same!!!

Sinfield is 33. If anyone thinks they should be playing rep footy in their mid thirties I would tell them to have a word with themselves, it is too fast for an aging body and whilst he has an excellent kicking game the rest of his game doesn't suit the role nor has he ever been a standout against the big two.

I don't think the cap is the problem for our game stalling at international level, binning the U21s and buying in loads of imports has a far more detrimental effect and reduces the gene pool for the national team. That and not enough competitive fixtures (if they had got the origin game right last time and had a three game series with it being the primary focus over club footy then it would have been a way forward). We unfortunately have too many self serving clubs (who can blame them?) and first grade and short termism are all they care about.

SOL might get one or two years as captain. I can't see an alternative other than Graham and he isn't up here for the Exiles games so I would pick someone home based for the role.

And I actually do care that McNamara is removed from the role. I don't know how he landed it in the first place considering his tenure at Bradford.

I'm going to have to keep Premier Sports after the World Cup just to see what all the fuss is over Widdop.

I've not regularly watched the NRL for 3-4 years, and whenever I've seen him in an England shirt (granted that's not a lot to go on), I've been underwhelmed.

Anyway, to answer the question....I'd be surprised if Sinfield carried on at International Level beyond this tournament.
As for Mcnamara, who knows? The lack of viable alternatives might become an issue, if the powers that be were to look at replacing him.......

he was the only coach who wanted to do it?

I personally don't think there is a role for a full time coach after the World Cup, regardless of the result. It made sense for a World Cup to build some momentum towards it, but in reality what would a full time coach do for the next 2 to 3 years? I don't see a place for an Exiles game in the next couple of seasons.

If they need an administrator to organise the mid-season camps, collect stats on players etc, then fine get someone from Red Hall to do that on a part time basis; and then appoint a part time coach on an annual basis to pick the team for whatever competition we are in.

If we don't win the thing then Mcnamra should go. He's had 4 years to prepare for a home World Cup. It's his squad and he has been given EVERY chance to win it. If he fails in winning it what's the point if sticking with him again.

Personally I don't think Sinfield will retire, but if
A new coach comes in then I don't think thy will select Sinfield again. Unless McDermott is coach.

Be interesting who would be the next Egland coach, would it still be full time?

Never been a standout against the big 2? So the last two games he's played against NZ he's won the MOM award, do those not count?

If it is a hammering (over 14 points ish) then i think Mcnamara will get the boot.A close defeat and we will get the spin of how we have closed the gap since last time (not hard) and it was two close, but brave defeats to the big two etc... and he will probably stay on.Lets face it, there is unlikely to be a stampede to take the job on if he does get the sack.

On Sinfield, i have expected him to call it a day as an international after the WC anyway ever since he was made skipper.He is 33 now and it makes sense, he wont make another WC.im sure he knows that and will want to prolong his club career for a couple more years so expect him to walk away.

He has played Full back & stand off in probably the best club side in the world & why St George are paying him top whack next year. He is head & shoulders above any other English half back. Why McBanana can't see that bothers me.

Who said I was posting about you? I was posting general.




If 33 is too old, then 31 is too old. And in anycase Peacock before him was 34 before relinquishing the captaincy. As with any player ever in the game, you will not stand out often against top oppossition if your team mates don't either. Not seen Tomkins have even a half decent game yet against the so called big two, how does that fit into your reasoning?




Graham is a much better alternative than a guy that is 31 where you deem too old only two years later. Graham did fill in as captain previously.




Make no difference what you care. As most sensible posters can work out, the results and the position we are would be no different under a different coach. Infact Tony Smiths results and performances as coach were worse, and he is regarded as a top coach.

So why has he never stood out when playing for England?

Widdop is a fantastic player and has youth on his side but the fawning on here is almost on Danny Brough levels.

James Graham or Sam Burgess should be the contenders for the new Skipper imo.