because (despite what rogues gallery would have you believe) he's been very very good for us this year, and much like people questioning westwood, he's an incumbent if you will from the last england squad and one of a few to come back from the world cup with positive performances behind him.

And who's to say, that those 3 who are probably involved in the play offs, won't pick up an injury in the remaining weeks? so rather than try and get someone off holiday who's packed in training, keep em on their toes.

Bottom line for me, with the exception of westwood, who's been a bit up and down this year compared to previous seasons, the rest of them deserve to be in the train on squad at the very least, aside from king and monas after a change in attitude, this 5/6 have been our best players, and it wouldn't have surprised me if he was fit, that Simon Grix probably would have got a call up as well.

So despite him being behind 3 players all vying for one position you pick him because "He's been good for you"?

I dare say the 3 in front of him have been good for their clubs.

Being an incumbant is totally irrelevant. At the last World Cup we played like a bunch of strangers, so to use that as any kind of justifcation is ridiculous.

Mickey Higham has plenty of experience of being around international squads, did he not play for GB around 2004/5?

I'd love to know exactly what experience you think players are gaining as a result of being in this notional train-on squad? How much work do you think they will be doing between now and the time the squad is trimmed down after the Grand Final?

To insinuate that Tony Smith is looking to use his England position to somehow "develop" his Warrington players when all they will be doing is going through a few drills and keeping fit until the final squad is announced is paranoid delusional conspiracy theory.

If it's a train on squad why add Harrison & Bridge and not for say example:

Owen, Westerman, Ferguson, Blaymire, Wild, Cudjoe, Lawrence, Welham?

In terms of the accusation that he is picking players to develop them for Warrington, only Bridge and Harrison have been picked who aren't already full England/GB internationals. Both are young, former junior internationals who have been very good this season. Harrison definitely has the potential to play for England and his selection can therefore be fully justified, whilst Bridge offers cover in areas of particularly weakness.

Comparisons with players like Snitch who is an decent honest player but will never ever be good enough to play for England, are bizaare.

Try and take your blinkers off for a minute.
England's hookers are likely to be Roby, Moore, and Diskin.
2 of these are still involved in the play-offs and therefore could quite possibly get injured. The whole point of a train-on squad is we have sufficient players fit and available who have trained with each other come the time of the series.
It is entirely logical to have a player like Higham who has proven himself on the international scene to be keeping fit with the train-on squad, not matter how much you delude yourself otherwise.

I really like Tony Smith.


Just when the footy season is winding down, he does his best impression of a coach and fills Australian hearts with laughter.

Between him and Paul Wellens....I physically p*ss myself during every English test match. I'm a bit like your lineup in that sense.

It is more than just drills and staying fit. There are mental aspects to it; a player selected for this squad is bound to gain confidence and self belief. They mix with new players, they will see other players train, they are exposed to new coaches, facilities etc. The amount of benefit that a player will gain from it is open to interpretation and opinion but it certainly wont be doing them any harm, will it.

I don't think it's paranoid or delusional pointing out clear patterns in the mans selection and how the justifcation for some of these selections actually contradict each other. That historically reasons for not selecting certain players seem to have flown out of the window this time.
It's certainly better than saying Mickey Higham should get picked despite having 3 in front of him for one position because he played for them last year when we got our a4ses royally exposed!

If they make it into the final squad, they will.

At the moment its more a case of telling them not to book any holidays and lay off the pies/booze just in case they might be needed.

I accept the point with Higham and the risk of injuries. You can't apply that to every selection he has made though and the arguments I've read justifying some of the other selections do not stand up IMO.

Well that's a fair point I suppose. We shall have to wait and see what the final squad gets whittled down to. In a way ot doesn't even matter anyway, I think we're going to get pumped!

Actually i think there is a negative effect.
If Bridge got anywhere near playing for England this year it would be yet ANOTHER season Bridge didnt get a proper pre season. If the lad hadn't had the disaster injuries of recent years im fairly certain he'd be up there in the running for the test spot now.
Id rather he spent the offseason getting fully fit and sticking a stone or so on him

I fear he is doing it out of embarassment at not picking a player. He doesn't want to turn up to Warrington training with the players he didn't pick thinking he doesn't rate them.

I haven't got a problem with Harrison being involved, he's impressed me this season and although he's never ready yet, he is a potential star of the future so it's good for him to be there.

The inclusions of Bridge and Higham though are a complete joke and make a mockery of it all. Neither are good enough for Super League let alone an international series against the World champions, and Australia.

I think the train on squad is a good idea. It's all very well picking 13 of who are considered the best english players and claim its a team. its very different in practice. It's far better to pick 13 players who can play to the coach's system and play as part of a team. too often in the past we've had 13 individuals on the field and they've had their collective backsides handed to them. noble was accused of similar bias, however he saw the bradford players every day, knew what they were capabile of and that they would play well to his system.

smith is doing nothing different to that or what all successful managers do
ie pick players to fit a system, not fiddle with a system to try and accomodate players