Yep. It's everybody else that's wrong about this one, and you're right!

He's not awful, especially if he can keep his stupidity under control. If he does he's a good player.

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Zak Hardaker
3. Jack Reed
4. Callum Watkins
5. Ryan Hall
6. Gareth Widdop
7. Matt Smith
8. James Graham
9. James Roby
10. Chris Hill
11. Ben Westwood
12. Gareth Ellis
13. Sam Burgess
Bench:-
14. Sinfield
15. Mossop
16. Hock
17. Carvell/Crabtree/L Burgess

Sam Burgess can be a great attacking asset in the backrow when he runs wide, but he can be just as useful in the front row if you just allow him to run wild and dominate the opposition down the middle. I don't think we have many front rowers that could take it to the aussie & kiwi front lines quite like he can.

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Tom Briscoe
3. Kallum Watkins
4. Jack Reed
5. Ryan Hall
6. Gareth Widdop
7. Danny Brough
8. James Graham
9. James Roby
10. Andy Lynch
11. Ben Westwood
12. Gareth Ellis
13. Sean O'Loughlin

14. Chris Hill
15. Sam Burgess
16. Gareth Hock
17. Danny Houghton

Tomkins
Hall
Atkins
Reid
Briscoe/Riley/charnley
Widdop
Myler/sinfield
Graham
Roby
S burgess
Westwood
Hock
Ellis

Hill
L burgess
Mossop
Burrow

Now what we will see

Tomkins
Hall
Ablett
Reed
Briscoe
Sinfield
Chase
Graham
Roby
Morley
Westwood
Ellis
O'loughlin

Crabtree
Hock
Widdop
Heighington

No chance of Lynch making himself available for England, he's found every excuse in the book to get out of being called up in the past.

Tomkins
Charnley
Watkins
Reed
Hall
Sinfield
?????
Graham
Roby
S.Burgess
Ellis
Westwood
O'Loughlin

Burrow
Hock
Hill
Crabtree

Hardaker
Briscoe
Atkins
??????
Mossop/L.Burgess
Ablett
McIlorum

The 2 question marks to be filled by either Chase/Lomax/McGuire/Myler/Widdop

I want to put Ratchford in somewhere as i think he'll have a good year but i don't think centre is his true spot and we have 3 more natural options there. If he plays a bit of halfback this year then add him to the list of possibles for the question mark spots.

I've always found that strange, he's been a quality prop for a long time and certainly in the last few years would have been in contention for a squad place yet wasn't selected by Smith or McNamara.

Lynch is just not good enough,i also think Ellis is past his sell by date he aint had a good game for his country in years.

IIRC he's made himself unavailable three times, twice due to requiring minor surgery and once to get married.

Remarkably few have picked Ablett, Wilkin and Jones-Buchanan in their teams, when they are certain to feature in a McNamara side.

So it's not because he's not wanted to play for England? If he's required surgery that's hardly making himself unavailable.

Good point. I retract that statement.



I put Sam Burgess as first choice loose forward with O'Loughlin as second choice, but Burgess can be a back up as second rower if needed, so in effect he is covering two positions, or even three if you want to use him as prop.

I picked 4 halves rather than 3 because there is so much uncertainty about who should be the halves for Britain, and I thought McNamara might want to experiment in the easier pool game (against Ireland). Maybe by end of 2013 SL season form will be clearer and they will only choose 3 halves.

Gareth Widdop is an absolute essential squad choice because he can cover the halves and full back, while Zak Hardaker is essential choice because he can cover full back and centre. England is at least blessed in its number of utility players -- and you add Rob Burrow and Sam Burgess to that list.