James Roby is awesome but his not better than Cameron Smith. No way!!!

The side looks good but Mcnamara is the coach and that to me is a big negative for me.

You might not think the difference is that big but there is no doubt that Australia have more depth to choose from. The two competitions dont lie and there competition is quite a bit ahead of SL.

Lomax is special and will be star but still when we look at the halves from the 3 major nations we still dont have as good as what they have.

Australia have Lockyer & Thurston

NZ have Benji & Kieran Foran

England have Widdop and I hope Lomax but think it will be Brough.

Rubbish. If he was Australian you'd be creaming yourself how amazing he was. Even the most loyal KR fan would say Briscoe is a talent.



whats the joke we have some superb young players coming through?

I suppose Kris Welham is on the road to showing up Greg Inglis?

Briscoe is good, very good but I think you're gilding the lilly a bit.

Wowee, that is nonsense.

Tom Briscoe - A good player, but wont trouble Aus and NZ that much

Personally id rather have BJB or Charnley on the wing as they are the long term solution

Has the Exiles defeat been wiped from your memory..???

Welham is a solid club player and that's about it.

God help us if he does face Inglis he will get exposed big time.

When I have seen HKR play on TV or at games versus Saints he always shoots out of the defensive line,he will be shot to pieces if he does this against the Aussies or Kiwis.

No Burgess (take your pick), Ellis, Widdop, Reed or Heighington (not that he'll get picked) from the NRL.
Also, no Brough or Roby (injured) so we didn't have our first choice half-backs and were light in the pack. Not to mention out of form centres in Shenton (picked on reputation) and Bridge (doesn't even play there for his club at the mo), Sinfield at stand-off (WTF?!) and a very poor bench and it's no wonder we got beat.

England's strength is unfortunately not in it's depth. We've known that for a while, but at least the Exiles game shows us this (unlike a game against France or Wales that makes our 4th string look like world beaters). We know who can and can't cut it,

Compare the team that faced the Exiles to the team likely to be in the 4N:
England (June 2011):
S.Tomkins, Hall, Bridge, Shenton, Briscoe; Sinfield, Myler; Peacock, Robinson, Graham, Westwood, Wilkin, O'Loughlin.
McIllorum, Carvell, J.Tomkins, Morley.

England (October 2011):
S.Tomkins, Charnley, Reed, Yeaman, Briscoe; Widdop, Brough; Peacock, Roby, Graham, Westwood, Ellis, O,Loughlin.
Robinson, Carvell, Morley, Heighinton.

*Think Sam Burgess is injured IIRC, and don't think Luke has been picked.

We are getting better but still third place I fear. Man for man we are still light years behind Australia in most positions and depth of talent and slipping further behind NZ as more and more Kiwis play NRL.

I'd take both Slater and Locke over Tomkins
Roby is not close to Smith

Our forwards match up well and it is not usually in the pack we lose games

How does this years likely team match up to the last time we had a really decent team that could more than match the Aussies?(1994 1st Test)?

Davies, S.Tomkins,
Robinson, Charnley,
Connolly, Reed,
Hunte, Yeaman,
Offiah, Briscoe
Powell, Widdop,
Edwards, Brough;
Harrison, Peacock
Jackson, Roby
Joynt, Graham
Betts, Westwood
Farrell, Ellis
Clarke. O,Loughlin
SubsGoulding, Robinson
McDermott, Carvell
Bateman, Morley
Cassidy, Heighinton

Can't see charnley or Yeaman getting a run out as first choice.

We are getting better with kids like BJB, Watkins, lomax, mossop, etc but let's get real- our two world class players are Tomkins and Roby, slater is better than sam and Roby is probs behind smith, farrah and tennis.