I really don't think this is the story some people would like to believe it is...

Since Smith took over, Warrington played 26 games between then and the challenge cup final inclusive and won 16 of them (of the losses it could be said that some might have been due to the challenge cup e.g. playing Wigan the week after the semi). In comparison the best team in the competition Leeds, played 22 games in the same period with no challenge cup to worry about for most of the season and won 15 of them.

I'm not saying we are as good as Leeds or anything like that, but people who point to the league table as a reason why no Warrington players should be in the squad aren't looking at the full picture. Warrington played well for large parts of the season, particularly in the big games (e.g. challenge cup semi against in form Wigan).

There are players in the Warrington team who had good seasons regardless of what some people would like to believe.

And for the other 46 weeks of the year what will they be doing to justify a full-time salary?

i think its fair to say that if TS wasn't the Warrington coach that Bridge and Harrison would hav ebeen laughed at by said gentleman if someone suggested adding them to an England squad.
Huddersfield and Hull KR have had great seasons but we only have 3 players picked - Scott Moore is a Saints player in reality - between us, i'm sure if its just a train-on squad it wouldn't have hurt to throw a couple of players from either club in there to give them the 'experience' of training with the 'elite' players. !

As I said on the other thread, a lot of the talent in the teams around us is foreign. Brough was unlucky to miss out, possibly ferguson from wakey but other than that..

Your suggestions being?

That is about as wobbly an argument as I have ever read. The league table represents the bigger picture regarding player performance and doesn't focus on one tema, unlike your argument. The fact that a team finishing in 10th can have more players than 9 other clubs combined, with at least 5 of them finishing above Warrington is dubious.

Look at Higham, for example. The lad has spent a massive part of the season out injured and gets picked, yet he justifies Bridges selection partly on the fact that Bridge didn't get injured.

I think if you look at several other sides and their performance in the same timeframe since Smith took over at Wire there would not be much between them, if anything, at all.

If Smith wasn't coach of Wire I personally don't believe that either Bridge or Harrison would have been selected. And maybe one or two more from Wire would have missed out.

Cudjoe,Mason from the Giants
Welham from KR off the top of my head although i'm sure people could add to that list

The league table represents how well a team has performed over the course of a season, not the relative form of its respective England eligible players

An international coach who picks players on the basis of where their team finished in the league table is in the wrong job.

Incidentally, which of the smattering of England qualified players at Huddersfield, Hull KR and Wakefield made such overwhelming cases for their inclusion but were omitted? Arguably the best players at each of these clubs this season have been Antipodean.

it was about 8 weeks which isn't massive, however just to put your mind at rest, higham's already been told theres about 2/3 other hookers ahead of him in the squad.

What a kerfuffle over nothing!!!!

It dosn't matter who Tony Smith picks for the England side the team will not beat the Aussies!!

They may put up a show against the Kiwis and probably beat France.

Most people, I suggest, would probably agree so why worry and get upset over something that is inevitable?

My problem is with the RFL, IRFL and Tony Smith not Warrington.

I understand what a train on Squad is and think it is good to give players who may not feature now an opportunity to be part of an international set up. BUt what gives Harrison or Bridge the opportunity to be ahead of Dale Ferguson or other players whose form has been good and are likely to be part of the future international set up.

Why not Leroy cudjoe we are not exactly flush with great wingers at the minute and on form he is as good as if not better than those already picked eg Fox and probably Gardener and may be an option for the future.

Is being at warrington advantage.



Secondly why the switch now TWO weks before Ireland start their international progarmme where does that leave Ireland particularly as they wire players are not destined to play for England this time around.

Next why did the RFL decide to play as England when it is clear that GB would have allowed a better selection of players for the big competitions against NZ and Aus and would have created an equal competition for the European and .


Why harrison and Bridge allowed to leave Ireland but not select Brough who wants to play for England and would be a real option at half back. I mean Brough plays for a team that starts with a W.

Whether Bridge and Harrison ar good enough is not the issue it is the way it is done, the timing and tha fact that it does not look transparent to me.

Cudjoe's a possible, but Mason?? You've got to be kidding, he's been good for the Giants but there's a hell of a lot of talent in our front row already and I reckon Peacock, Morley, Graham, Carvell, Burgess etc are way ahead in the pecking order.
Welhams not as good a centre as Bridge