FFS, we're doing it again aren't we? The Aussies this, the Aussies that, blah, blah, f*****g blah!

New Zealand don't seem to carry this mentality, why should we?

For me, Gareth Ellis sums it up perfectly in his RLW interview:-

"[iA lot of English fans and players see them as super human but I see them every week missing tackles and dropping balls. They're only human and I've been getting the message across to the lads that they can be vulnerable[/i"

on the whole i would say that the comparison isnt that bad

in the backs we are pretty weak in comparison, but the Aussie forward pack is inferior IMO. How long can Civoniceva and Lockyer keep on going? the Aussie backrow, apart from Watmough, is inferior.

1. briscoe
2. hall
3. smith
4. shenton
5. fox
6. tomkins
7. myler
8. graham
9. moore
10. peacock
11. ellis
12. o'loughlin
13. sinfield

14. roby
15. burgess
16. morley
17. mcguire

dont agree with lee smith being in the squad when hes off to union!

crabtree is out at the moment (just had knee surgery) and wont make the first game against france .. poss game against australia or new zealand is his aim

Shaun Briscoe
Peter Fox
Chris Bridge
Michael Shenton
Ryan Hall
Danny McGuire
Richard Myler
James Graham
Scott Moore
Adrian Morley
Gareth Ellis
Jamie Peacock (captain)
Sean O’Loughlin

James Roby
Earl Crabtree
Garreth Carvell
Sam Burgess


Kevin Sinfield
Lee Smith
Paul Sykes
Sam Tomkins
Ben Westwood
Jon Wilkin
Kyle Eastmond

smiths inclusion is a disgrace.

1. Briscoe
2. Fox
3. Smith
4. Eastmond
5. Hall
6. Tomkins
7. Myler
8. Graham
9. Moore
10. Peacock
11. Ellis
12. Burgess
13. Sinfield

14. Roby
15. Carvell
16. Morley
17. Wilkin

Eastmond to me isn't good enough at half back. Struggled for Saints in Long's absence, but has looked very dangerous in the outside backs. Shenton I don't really rate yet. He isn't dangerous everytime he's got the ball in the same way Eastmond appears.

Myler is the only SH left. Don't want to move players out of position. Tomkins has been excellent at SO so wouldn't seem right to take him out either. However, there's a huge lack of experience there, which to me would justify Sinfield's selection at LF.

To me, the forwards pretty much pick themselves. Roby off the bench, which leaves Moore as the starting hooker. Graham makes more metres than anyone. Peacock is the captain. Ellis has made headlines in Aus. Only the last SR spot is a hard choice. Westwood is a penalty machine. And Wilkin can be inconsistent. Burgess has already put the fear up the Kiwis and is due to go Down Under so I'd start him at SR. Morley and Carvell for impact, and Wilkin as back up.

Yeah, why pick a squad to try to win this tournament when we could be "planning ahead" for the future?

Maybe we should stick with continually "planning ahead"? That way the fact we keep getting smashed in the present won't be important.

Eastmond should play centre in my opinion. Bridge just isn't good enough and never will be. Eastmond has the ability to be a world class player so should be included somewhere.

Senior should have one last hoorah but if not Eastmond is the next best option.

Top scoring centre in sl, seems pretty dangerous to me. As for myler he hasnt played much in the second half of the season so i dont think throwing him in the deep end is a good idea, personally i would play tompkins and sinfield in the halfs (would have prefered brough in there but i can see why he wasnt picked with the nationality issues).

Top scoring centre in the league, makes a ton of metres, pace to burn and playing in a team where the ball tends to go to the other wing, yep not dangerous at all



And why Eastmond in the centres? shaky defence is just what we need against the Aussies & Kiwis



Shenton is the best centre we have now Senior is gone, and by the looks of some of the posts in here he is vastly under rated, if he's on the same of the pitch as Ryan Hall England should have a field day with cross field kicks.



No he isn't Shenton is a better centre, and I'd say Bridge is a better centre too, why is Eastmond getting all this hype? at the minute he's average and a bit of a one trick pony.

Eastmond hasn't actually played that many games at 7, but when he has he's generally been impressive, the two tight games against wigan and the win against warrington stick in my mind, but I would suggest he's lacking the experience. I personally like McGuire at 1st receiver, which would mean you could put Tomkins at 6?

Hookers seem to pick themselves.
Props I'd go Peacock, Graham, Morley and Carvell.

Back row is were i start to disagree with you. Despite his importance to Leeds, I wouldn't start sinfield. A test against the Aussies requires a more physical approach imo, and although Sinfield has manned up alot in the past couple of years, I'd go with O'Loughlin at 13 with Ellis and Burgess in SR and I [iwould[/i take Westwood. He might give away a few penalties, but he doesn't mind taking the fight to the Ockers and performed well enough in the WC (all things considered). Wilkin, despite performing well for my club, can't seem to transfer his game to the international set up - perhaps he's just a little too light.

My first choice would be as follows:

Lee Smith fullback
Fox and Hall wings
Shenton and Eastmond centres
Mcguire stand off
Tomkins scrum half
Graham and Peacock props
Moore hooker
Ellis & O'loughlin back row
Burgess loose forward

Subs Roby, Morley, Carvell, Crabtree

1-7 have got genuine pace, and the pack and bench has heaps of size and quality.