The Exiles games are really 'exhibition' games, against a contrived opposition. Similarly, the International series at the end of the season is not going to offer the same challenge or prestige as beating the Aussies or Kiwis. We should therefore be using the international games this year to experiment with the England side, finding new and exciting combinations of players, and not using it as an excuse to stroke the egos of the same old faces, picked on name and reputation.

We had nothing to lose this year; fans wouldn't mind being beaten by the Exiles if they got to see a good young team developing a rapport with one another, and to be perfectly honest, given the quality of European opposition, we would struggle to lose the Autumn series. But no, McNamara didn't want to upset the old guard, and so our preparations for next year's World Cup consist of fielding players who will be well into their thirties by the time it rolls around.

I consider it a sort of endorsement.

BrisbaneRhino's post was by far the best one I've seen on this subject.

look at it logically there is a difference between being in form against sl opposition but when you play the aussies you need a team that can match them and go toe to toe with them heres the aussie team from last year and see if any players being mentioned outside of what has been picked would match up.

fb - billy slater vs sam tomkins (experience wins with billy but sam wont be far off!)
wing - akuila uate vs ryan hall (id give this one to hall!)
ctr - inglis vs cudjoe (massive miss match!)
ctr - lawrence vs atkins (close)
wing - yow yeh vs charnley (yow yeh hands down)
so - cherry evans vs brough (daly is young but skillfull, brough experienced and i think edges)
sh - thurston vs chase (no where near each other)
prop - gallen vs jp (in form at the moment gallen by a mile but on there day evens)
hooker - cameron smith vs roby (good matching at the moment but smith takes it)
prop - scott vs carvell (not seen alot of scott so couldnt really comment)
sr - t-rex vs hock (two intimedating forwards good match up)
sr - thaiday vs tickle (thaday hands down)
lf - watmough vs o'loughlin (sorry wigan fans but watmough wins this one for me)

now looking through there would some of the players that are being thrown around thats not made the exiles squad stand up say

hill vs gallen??
goulding vs inglis??
macillorum vs smith???


its not as simple as saying this person is doing well in sl there are other factors in the selection

Cracking post.

I voted for him to be sacked, but not for squad selection, but for being hopeless in general.
Also Ingless vs any centre is a miss match!

the only centre that may get close to inglis is switching atkins there

plus westwood may be a better match for thaiday

Bar injury westwood makes team for me. Love him internationally. Does my head in agaist wigan though lol!

Id still play goulding with charnley good partnership and like you say mark inglis with atkins.

Good post wolfinwidnes. And let's not forget that if we were to play the Aussies we'd have our Australian-based players to choose from as well - S. Burgess, Graham, Ellis, Widdop, Reed, Heighington?, Luke Burgess?

Yes I was goin on current squad for exiles but I think england are in better shape now than we have been for a long time!

Love him or hate him I think he has put good steps in place for the future!

1- the knights is a good concept if done correctly.
2- the squad have regular meetings now.
3- the exiles concept was macnamaras.

He certainly is in the right place at the right time and the exiles is a good idea. I just dont think he a good enough coach, of course would love to be proven wrong and him win a series

You can't say that! 'Lockers' is the world's best forward, even Michael Maguire said so!

Given that our best forwards are currently playing in the NRL and not available for this game which is in my unhumble opinion a waste of time just there to keep certain elements of the media happy, why worry? If our squad for the WC looks like the one for the Exiles game, then I'll start complaining.

fb - billy slater vs sam tomkins (experience wins with billy but sam wont be far off!)
wing - akuila uate vs ryan hall (id give this one to hall!)
ctr - inglis vs atkins (close match as its gonna get)
ctr - lawrence vs reed (reed edges it)
wing - yow yeh vs charnley (yow yeh hands down)
so - cherry evans vs brough (daly is young but skillfull, brough experienced and i think edges)
sh - thurston vs widdop (closer match)
prop - gallen vs jp (in form at the moment gallen by a mile but on there day evens)
hooker - cameron smith vs roby (good matching at the moment but smith takes it)
prop - scott vs l burgess (looking better than sam for me
sr - t-rex vs hock (two intimedating forwards good match up)
sr - thaiday vs westwood (again 2 aggresive forwards good battlr)
lf - watmough ellis (ellis edges it)

Edited to includr nrl and injured and we are in good shape

can tell you dont like wigan, luke burgess over mossop? do you even watch the nrl? also ellis over o'loughlin? dont be stupid yeah ellis is a work horse so is o'loughlin and has better hands than ellis.