hmmmm, just trying to think who we can give you next time around, if we give you Craig Bellamy will you still bitch & moan?

You may be a WUM but you're right on that. We are nowhere near Australia. Our best chance to beat them in this WC was the first game while they were scratchy. We have no chance if we meet them in the final, although I think we'll lose to NZ in the semis.

You might be right but lets get to the semis first then we can hope

Roby has to play 9 in the bigger games.
His reading of the game, ability to scoot, distribution and defence are far superior to anything we saw on Saturday and that was against lesser opposition.
Against Aus, our offence was far sharper with Roby on the pitch.

Although Widdop looks good, our halves are just not creating anything and if Bennett wanted a look at Williams, why did he not start the game ?

Don't want any of them, I want an English coach and English players thanks

I’m no fan of McNamara, but to be fair to him he got the best out of the England players at this level. Bennett’s coaching record is not in question, but maybe he just can’t coach an English team with backgrounds in this league. Probably why he picks NRL players over talented SL players, he can get them to execute his game plan better.

Has Bennet's results been any worse than McNamara's? Probably not. I don't think an English coach could get better results than a Aussie or a Kiwi. I just think we play at our level. The NRL players in the squad are there because they have proven themselves to be able to play consistently against high quality opposition. As a coach, you're always going to go with that experience above anything else.

Widdop fullback, Ratchford on the wing and Bateman still at centre for the France game.

The team just announced as-

Widdop
Ratchford Percival Bateman McGillvary (hopefully)
Brown Gale
Hill Roby Graham
Currie McMeekan O'Loughlin

Subs
T Burgess Walmsley Taylor Williams

At least he’s giving everyone a chance. Glad to see Roby at 9.

Good to see Taylor and McMeeken get a chance.

He dropped Roby vs Lebanon because he wanted to see what Williams could do but now picks Brown ahead of Williams in this??? Daft.

Has Ratchford ever played wing before?

Maybe not. But Bennett is probably seeing how Ratchford performs there in case McGillvary is suspended by the judiciary.

Williams was man of the match verses Scotland last year then got dropped to the bench for the Aussie game. He came off the bench for 30 mins in that game and played a blinder. His reward since has been 20 mins against Lebanon and Kevin Brown now getting a start above him.

I'm only surprised he's not stuck Heighington on the bench in front of him.

I think having any coach who is not based here is a problem. How can you really get a real feel of players when you are based in Australia. Great coach yes but not right fit for England.

Picking Kevin brown in front of Williams is embarrassing! Sorry but that stinks of Dennis betts input. Bennett obviously hasn't watched any Warrington games this season.

Brown had one great game vs Brisbane and that was it

If Bennett gets you through to the final he will have a game plan he has been working on for a long time, and it will all become clear after the game.
He generally wins the big games because he takes a long view and has people working on the role he wants them to play for weeks in advance, while not giving away too many clues to what his game plan will be.
As a rule, he doesn't like any low percentage/high risk plays. He hates offloads, especially compulsive offloaders. He loves old professionals who rarely take risks. If he could, he'd grind out a boring, forward dominated win every week, but if the big game comes around and he doesn't think he can win that way, he'll have some other plan that will play to your strengths in some way.

In short, he has a plan, and if you win the final, you can watch the game replay 2 or 3 times and you'll probably work out what it was.