What a player............. however I think the Aussies will take advantage of his aggressive nature: he's a penalty machine, liability, error prone and just thick in general. What would you do, drop him to the bench? Drop him? Play him prop? He's a risk playing against the Aussies unless he controls his aggression and keeps his errors down

How you gonna go drop the best backrow forward in the country either completley or to the bench?


Who we play instead?

Jamie Jones Buchanan or Jon Wilkin?

No thanks.

I'd have a backrow of:

11. Ellis
12. S.Burgess
13. O'Loughlin / Buchanan / Ablett/ Wilkin / Westwood / Farrell

Then Hock on the bench. I think he'd be a liability to start

I disagree. He's not and never has been a liability either to Wigan or England/GB. He's a gamebreaker, an aggressiveand effective defender and an all round intelligent rugby league player.

For me though, I'd have Burgess at prop alongside Graham and Ellis and Hock in the backrow.

Yeah he's class, just that other side to his game, which if not controlled can loose you games

Totally agree. Hock has as much chance of winning the game as he does as losing the game, anyone who doesnt have westwood in the back row has lost the plot , he's a machine. Hock is a real strike player and i'd have him coming of the bench.

Burgess Roby Graham
Ellis Westwood
O'Loughlin

Hock is a fantastic player and he can do things not many forwards in world rugby league can but he can make errors and he can miss some tackles when either a) His head isn't on the game or b) He's tiring after a long stint.

With that in mind I think he'd give England his best coming from the bench to cause havoc in the latter part of both half's. He's at his best when he's fresh and that combined with tiring opposition could really give us some firepower.

I'd be looking at-

8-Graham 9-Roby 10-Burgess 11-Ellis 12-Westwood 13-O'Loughlin

14-Hill 15-Mossop 16-Hock 17-Burrow

That is a very handy pack and we have further options. The front row is beastly!!

Swap Mossop for Crabtree and I'm with you

That was my only 50/50 really. When Mossop plays like we know he can I'd have him in but certainly not on this yearsleague form.

While Hocks discipline is an issue, it's not really going to be solved with O'loughlin or Westwood. The problem with Hock is he gives away penalties he doesn't need to. It's not so much high tackles, the problem is he tries starting fights at the play-the-ball over absolutely nothing incidents. The last thing we need is him giving a penalty away when we have the ball. If he is starting a fight when we're 80 points up over a nothing incident, what's he going to be like when the games actually close and the Aussies start winding him up.

Ball in hand he's probably the best in the world IMO and will strike fear into the Aussies. But think Mcmanara needs to have a word to make sure he keeps his cool

I think Hock will be in the squad and start in the group games against the weaker teams. I do not believe he will start against Australia in the opening game or even be on the bench for that one. That game is crucial for England and the tournament. He may play against the big teams in the later stages depending on his early rounds' discipline and the fitness of other players.

Hock didn't do himself any favours in this tournement IMO. He was good against Wales but then for no reason at all started a bit of handbags for no reason what so ever. He's pretty gash for the rest of the tournement after that. He's 29 now so I doubt at this stage of his career he'll change his ways. He's one of the best attacking backrowers we have but it'll be a gamble to select him, I would but I'd start him on the bench.

To go off topic slightly, I also think Mossop hasn't done himself any favours in this tournement, I think if everyones fit I'd select Crabtree before him.

Fair calls. Though I think at the moment Hock would still be worth a bench spot, but maybe limit the time he has on the field - Ellis, O'Loughlin and Westwood are capable of pulling big stints even against Aus, and with the machine that is Graham maybe Burgess could be spelled in the back row.

8. Graham
9. Roby
10. Burgess
11. Westwood
12. Ellis
13. O'Loughlin

14. Hill/Mossop (in case Hill has 2nd season syndrome)
15. Crabtree/Mossop
16. Hock
17. Burrow

looks the likely pack (next season and injuries permitting of course).

No mention of NRL Regular Luke Burgess? Although he didn't get selected. I would rather have him on the bench over Hill/Mossop .

Crabtree, Hill and Mossop would easily be NRL regulars too. Imo those 3 still edge Luke, but you're right he should be in the squad and a potential bench spot.