A little OT here but I am annoyed that we always seem to get Australia in the first game. Would an unpredictable game against New Zealand with the loser likely to play Australia in the semi be a better option?

I have a feeling we could do well but maybe just come short at the end. Australia by 14 points (24-10 maybe).

I would rather us not win strangely enough, I think we need to show the world we are better than NZ and we are only likely to get the chance to prove that if we lose the opener.

I expect this to be a closer one, Austrailia most likely will win by less than 10 points. I’m backing England with the handicap on offer from the bookies.

England beating New Zealand in the final would be awesome. If we do beat Austrailia on Friday, they’re far from guaranteed getting to the final.

And 1992 in OZ I was their

What's the Australian team likely to look like?

They have pretty much named it

Slater
Gagai
Chambers
Dugan
Holmes
Morgan
Cronk
Woods
Smith (c)
Klemmer
Cordner (vc)
Gillett
Trbojievic

Graham
McLean
McGuire
Frizell

We've named ours apparently (according to a facebook page)

Lomax gets the nod at fullback with Bateman at left centre and the rest of the starting 13 as you'd expect (Lomax the only change from the warm up game).

The bench looks to be made up of T Burgess, Walmsley, Heighington and Roby.

I'd have gone Currie for Heighington but I get why he's picked him given his experience.

Lomax? What

Brown ahead of Williams and Heighington over McMeeken are shocking selections.

He's not saying Brown ahead of Williams is he? Halves were Widdop and Gale in the friendly

Williams, McMeeken and Ratchford were dropped out of the squad.

Apologies, seen it now. Not too bothered about who is bringing water on etc. Bateman at centre is the big issue for me, a really negative option. Especially when you have Hall playing outside him, who is probably our only proven strike weapon at this level. We should be doing everything we can to put the ball in Hall's hands in space. I wouldn't have picked Heighington personally as I don't think we should be relying on players who see us as a second option, especially 35 year olds, Can't complain too much about the rest really. Glad we have kept Widdop at 6 rather than trying to shoehorn another halfback in there.

I thought Bateman was unlucky not to get 2 more tries at last weeks game and on another day we would have been saying he had to be in if they had gone his way.

It’s not the squad I’d have picked, but I trust Wayne Bennett’s judgment, he is the World’s most successful coach after all. I can see what he’s gone for, size, strength and a solid defence. Wall of white.

Not sure Lomax falls under that description, but he's a talent. Question marks over Bateman, rather than a "proper" centre but like you say, solid if not spectacular. Which is probably Bennett's motto for this game.

Assuming the 17 from the matchday squad list are the starting 17, then England look desperately short of options if any of the backs get injured during the game.