I suppose we must remember that the NRL based players aren't here this time around.

So come the end of the season, you'll have Burgess, Ellis, Graham, Widdop, Heighington and Reed replacing some of those names.

At some point you have to try to build for the future. By all means have a strong group of players who are very experienced but there have been plenty of young forwards who have been playing well this year. Persisting with players who have been there and done very little is hardly progressive. It's hardly going to help England increase the number of available options for the World Cup should those experienced players lose form.

Have Wilkin and JJB really been among the best in their position? Fair enough if they have but it's quite frankly embarrassing if that is the case.

I think its fair to say that some of them names will be in the England squad till THEY either retire or choose themselves not to be included.

I agree that the Knights squad looks far more exciting than the main squad.

Westwood must be injured, he's on of the first names on the team sheet normally.

My big gripe though, is what is the point in playing very average, older players (such as JJB and Wilkin) when you could get a younger player who may not be as consistent now, but it sure to be around the England team for a few years, Liam Farrell for example has been miles better than JJB.

I was quietly optimistic Steve Mac might have gone with a more youthful touch, and perhaps taken a punt on one of our lads, like an Elliott Whitehead.

From a Bradford point of view too, I would have liked to have seen Bryn Hargreaves in or around either squad.

The only Leeds players that should be in the squad are Hall and possibly Ablett, and that's coming from a Leeds fan. Though Peacock won't take a backward step and will no doubt lead from the front he is 34; we should be looking towards the future more. Goulding should be in there on current form. Why put Charnley outside Cudjoe when we know the Goulding/Charnley partnership works so well?

I hope Mossop gets to start looking at the selection of props, i would imagine Peacock is guaranteed to start as the other prop being the captain. It'll be interesting to see who gets the 2 wing spots out of Hall, Briscoe & Charnley, all 3 very good and whoever misses out will be unlucky. I would imagine Hall after last years 4 Nations efforts will be one even though he's not having a stand out year (due to lack of service rather than poor play) so a straight fight between Briscoe and Charnley.

I tend to agree that the Knights squad looks like a more exciting prospect, although I suppose that's the point.

From that squad:
1. Tomkins
2. Charnley
3. Cudjoe
4. Atkins
5. Hall
6. Chase
7. Brough
8. Carvell
9. Roby
10. Peacock
11. JJB
12. Tickle
13. O'Loughlin

14. Burrow
15. Mossop
16. Hock
17. Crabtree

Leroy Cudjoe??!?!? He's been off form this season, Darrell Goulding should have been picked ahead of him IMO, so should Andy Lynch and Westwood ahead of Peacock or JJB. And as much as it annoys me to see the Pies fans go on about him all of the time, McIlorum should have been a dead cert. The only reason I can conceive for him not being selected is that McNamara plans to play Roby for the full 80 minutes, but why in that case was Rob Burrow picked?

I know that no matter what squad McBanana picked, he would be criticised, but he's not helping himself too much!

If McBanana wants a player to stand on the 22m all game, occasionally putting up high kicks, then Wilkin should be a shoe in.
McIllorum, a very well coached average hooker.

Stand on the 22m all game?? That would be a very impressive feat for any player to get away with, think it would have been noticed before now though!!

But he aint Fricken English

What a joke.

Good to see tickle rewarded for his form this season and josh hodgson who has played great for rovers this season too.
Anyone else think England vs England knights would make for an interesting game, the knights having a lot of young players with ambition against the older more experienced guard