I go with this. We just don't have the depth. Kids who are good at sport tend to be good at more than one, and if they are going to try for professional standard it eventually comes down to the one they a) have an aptitude for and b) can actually make pay. The rewards for playing pro-RL are too low if you can turn you and to something else. I always think of a player like Stephen Myler, a fringe SL player who managed to carve a very decent career out of RU because what he could do was well rewarded in RU.

In an alternative universe, Tomkins and Lomax would have played predominantly in the halves for their clubs, Kyle Eastmond would still be playing RL and Danny Brough would not be pretending he's Scottish, and we would look pretty good at 6 and 7. We may even have won today.

It's like we lost a whole generation of potential international halves by being obsessed about putting them at FB. You could maybe add ratchford to that list also.

The scary thing is there's virtually nothing coming through the Junior system to replace those who've played today.

Ben Currie, if he ever fully recovers from his injury
Oliver Gildart is a prospect but is probably too light for international centre
Tom Johnstone and Dom Manfredi on the wings

but who else is there. . . . ?

As a sport we've made decisions that are shrinking our player base to critical levels and we've all but destroyed the player pathways. Removing any kind of selective process below age U16 and disbanding the Reserves has mortaly wounded the development process. Even if we reversed those decions tomorrow it will take 5 to 10 years before the system starts showing signs of recovery.

The RFL, The Community Game, BARLA and most of all the club centric, selfish CEOs need to pull their heads out from up their derrières and soon or they'll be no point in holding international competitions.

I'd say one lesson, particularly for the backs is that we are some way off in strength and conditioning (again). Joe Burgess, Hardaker and now Percival are way too lightweight. Even Kallum Watkins if he played in Aus would probably add another half stone.

Halfback is clearly our biggest problem. Our best hope for next year vat least is Tomkins getting fit and (wherever he plays) adding some potency out wide. Its possible Aussiegate may rear its head though, as Bennett was clearly unimpressed by the options available.

Our error rates are way too high. The Burgess twins are always liable to drop the ball cold at some stage, and Sam also. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt though as I think we'll see a bigger and stronger Sam Burgess next year. He lost a lot of power trying to become a Union centre and hasn't had an off season to bulk up.

As for Bennett, he went with a squad which was largely expected. His aim is next year's WC, and he's a very smart operator. I suspect he will have given all the squad goals for next year, but for some there won't be a second chance. He will basically used this tournament as an opportunity to see what players can do, and how they react on the big stage. I sort of see where he's coming from when he talks about confidence - a lot of our mistakes come from players pushing things in a way they wouldn't in club games.

As for those suggesting Wane. Please. His up and at 'em approach failed miserably in successive WCC games (including making Roosters reserve grade halfbacks look like the best in the world). He has zero experience of winning against the best, and virtually none of coaching against them. Ditto every other SL coach. I still think getting Bennett is a massive coup - if anything for this 4N it was a year too late.

I think Sutcliffe has all the ability to make an international class half but Im not sure he could put it on the pitch under pressure.
I also like Dec Patton at Wire an hope that TS has the guts to drop Gidley for him.

Do you think maybe you have your Bennet blinkers on, living in a city that is obsessed with him?
He had the best squad in the NRL this year but finished outside the top 4, and we seem to be worse than we were in 2014 even though you would say we probably have better players now.

A few observations having watched it back:
First half we blew three decent chances. Watkins broke down the right and instead of committing the centre and passing inside (where he had more support, he just shipped it out to JM). Real lack of awareness. Then you've got Percival's bombed effort. We were still well in the game after half time and had Burgess gathered that pass by Hodgson he was in under the sticks. In that regard it was a similar story to NZ, we just lack the composure and execution when we're in good field position.

Bennett obviously wasn't happy with the combinations he had and with the World Cup in mind, you can understand why he chose to tinker. After all, he doesn't get a lot of time with the players as it is and needs to look at how all his players handle big pressure situations. At this level you don't get many chances to shine and if you're not doing what WB asks, then you should be swapped out for someone that will.

But then you've got the problem that is Super League. At the moment it just encourages mediocrity. P&R has seen the death of the reserves because teams are too scared of losing SL status. P&R should be scrapped and SL reduced to 10 teams for at least 5 years or so, to get the competition back up to standard. Also the top teams are almost encouraged to play at 60% effort for around 80% of the season. No wonder when it comes to giving 110% over three consecutive matches we're not up to it.

Not that I'm suggesting Wane, but did you miss him taking Brisbane to golden point in 2015? I'd hardly call that 'failing miserably' given the cap differences between the two sides and the fact we were missing Lockers on the day.

Widdop is a "Steadie Eddie" standoff in the NRL, not exceptional, but he plays every week at a higher level than any of our other halves. Maybe Williams has the potential, I also like the look of Patton at Wire, but we need them to play against NRL standard opposition every week.

I find it frustrating when people advocate for Gale or Brown or any other halfback who looks classy against soft SL defences, until such time as the Kiwis and Aussies actually play a soft SL style defence (which is realistically never), then those players are not going to get us anywhere. I'll take "Steadi Eddie" Widdop every time over a more flashy halfback who only does it on a flat track.

People are banging on about halfbacks but we beat the aussies in 2001 with Sculthorpe and a 21 year old Sinfield in the halves! The key to all the wins against them I've seen (01, 04, 06) IMO was getting stuck into them for the full 80. When we give them no respect and make it uncomfortable for them, they can be beaten by a technically inferior side.

We just didn't look like we had the attitude that we wanted to get in their faces and beat them IMO. Nothing made it more apparent than Watkins backing off and apologising when Cronk started shoving him. Watkins should have been dreaming of an invitation to batter one of their best players with no forwards around to protect him! Senior wouldn't have needed asking twice, I wonder what Inglis/Dugan would have done to Brown/Widdop in the same circumstances.

Focus is also a big issue, 2 missed kicks for touch, not numbering up at a scrum being the obvious examples. We very rarely see that in SL so no excuse for our best players doing it at international level!

Agreed. The team that was out there could have beaten the Aussies if the mistakes were cut out:

Missed touch lines x 2
Dropped balls in try scoring positions x 2/3
Breaks blown by poor sections (Hall and Watkins)

We did the same v the Kiwis, created enough to win the game but didn't execute it fully.

Take those chances and cut the mistakes and even with the same players we're in the game.

Same old story though, it's being comfortable playing close to error free football every week that will move us forward not necessarily a different set of players.

I agree with Grimmy (above) to the extent that we needed to be much better motivated than we were. Burgess showed some fight (literally) when the game was over. I expected our much vaunted pack to put up more of a tough display than they did.

The appointment of Bennett over well qualified British coaches (including Steve McNamara) hasn't worked, in fact we have regressed. The displays in all four of his games this autumn have been poor. I fully expect him to do what all Aussies tend to do once the going gets rough - and you all know what I mean - which Super League club hasn't had a big name Aussie terminate their contract early on the grounds of 'family reasons'?

We needed to pick Williams over Brown and Gale. There is a reason why Kev Brown and Luke Gale are at middle ranked teams. They aren't good enough to play at the top teams. People whingeing that only the top teams like Wigan and Saints get their players picked - well, there is a reason for that, the top teams come top because they have the best players, not because of divine right.

Bennett complained that we don't have a winning mentality. Tell that to Shaun Wane.

Quite sobering when you see that half of the England 24-man squad was supplied by just three club acadamies. Where are these supposed "hotbeds" of RL talent that we keep hearing about, because there sure as hell aren't in the East Riding, Cumbria and the Calder Valley.

Hodgson and Taylor from the East Riding in this squad - which could arguably have had Houghton and Shaul too