is lockers certain to be in the england side though?......mcnamara likes playing burgess at 13 when he's fit.

How do work that one out? I don't dispute that he's a good captain but to say he's clearly the best when he's captaining an underperforming side to mid-table obscurity is just daft.

Because he's the single most important reason why the Rhino's have been the best team in the competition for eight years. Not daft really, just obvious. Name me a current captain who's had anything even remotely approaching the impact Sinfield's had.

O’loughlin is 29 and has fewer caps than Tomkins, Where has this ‘guaranteed to start and play 80mins’ myth come from?

There are 6 guaranteed players in an England squad, 2 in Burgess and Graham are in the NRL, 1 is but wont be, but is a little ‘old guard’ in Ellis, one in Ryan Hall is a winger.

Which leaves two, one has undoubted quality but has alienated a large proportion of the fanbase and doesn’t have a particularly positive reputation with some other players, which should discount Tomkins,

Lastly we have a top class, 80minute hooker, who is at the coal face constantly, who has been massively committed to England, has led by example, has a conducted himself with great professionalism throughout his career and is about to come into his peak, Roby is the obvious answer

I'd choose O'Loughlin for now. Cracking LF and a couple of years younger than Sinfield. If Sinfield were 2 or 3 years younger I'd pick him, confident that he's just in a patch of bad form, but he's nearly 32 and currently not playing well enough to be picked. I'd tell Brough and Lomax that (barring injury) they'll be the halves for the World Cup with O'Loughlin as Captain, Roby as hooker & Tomkins at full back, and use the remaining year and a bit to get the team playing in 1 style. So everybody knows what they're doing, and anyone who has to come into the squad just slots in to the existing setup.
As much as I think Ellis, Graham & Burgess are cracking players, I don't particularly see them as captains, there is a lot more to the role of captain than just what happens on the pitch and I'd rather not run the risk of adversely affecting their game by loading them with the captains responsibility when O'Loughlin seems to shoulder that burden so well at Wigan.

In my opinion the World Cup squad should be:
1. Tomkins
2. Charnley
3. Watkins
4. Atkins
5. Hall
6. Brough
7. Lomax
8. Mossop
9. Roby
10. Graham
11. Ellis
12. Westwood
13. O'Loughlin (C)

14. Burrow
15. Crabtree
16. LMS/Carvell
17. Hock

I know that's leaving out Widdop and Reed but whilst I think they're both good players, and could maybe be in the larger squad as backup, I think it's important for the halves to use the opportunity of the mid-season camps and games to play together and for the team to get used to a system.

looks like it will be roby for the exiles game judging by the squad picked. no sinfield, o'loughlian, tomkins and obviously burgess, graham and ellis!

I agree with most of that apart from Tomkins is a shoe in for selection at the moment. He's got to improve under the high ball but he's the best full back we have by a mile at this point.

Got to be an experienced skipper who will be around for a while and can get to all the training weekends, this rules out Graham. Sinfield IMO does not warrant a place in the 13. I would have O'Loughlin as skipper.

If McNamara had any sense, he'd realise Roby has been the 2nd best hooker this year in SL to McIllorum, and that should rule him out for being captain.

He'll give it to Graham, and I'd agree with that, but wouldn't be surprised if Lockers gets it.

McIllorum isnt better than Roby, he just isnt, he isnt even close. It's a big big gap from Roby to McIllorum.

I agree. Overall Roby is a better player. McIlorum would have to play at this level for 5-6 years before coming close to Roby. But, McIlorum is the form hooker in super league at the moment.

I can accept that.

Though i always think it is hard to say who 'the form player' is in any position as most fans only see one set of players week in, week out. The other set change.