If I was picking the team it would be much different from the SMc team no doubt. I would go with

Tomkins
Charnley
Watkins
Atkins
Hall
Widdop
Brough
Morley
Roby
Graham
Westwood
Farrell
Sinfield

Lunt
Burgess (S)
Burgess (G)
Ellis

To be in the squad but
miss out, Hill, McIllrum, Crabree, Briscoe, O'Loughlin,

1 - Tomkins
2 - Hall
3 - Cudjoe
4 - Watkins
5 - Charnley
6 - Brough
7 - Widdop
8 - Graham
9 - Roby
10 - S. Burgess
11 - Farrell
12 - Ellis
13 - O'Loughlin

14 - Lunt (or Burrow as he offers a completely different skill set)
15 - G. Burgess
16 - Hill
17 - Hock (or Westwood if he picks up his form)

Was undecided as to whether it was worth having 2 props on the bench as graham and sam burgess can put in the big minutes.

Honourable mentions to ferres, goulding, mcclorum and crabtree

Tomkins
Charnley
Watkins
Reed
Hall
Widdop
Brough
Graham
Roby
Crabtree
Westwood
Sam Burgess
O'loughlin

Farrell
George Burgess
Ellis
McIlorum

Ellis must prove his worth in the 2nd half of the season however!
Same with Roby.

1. Tomkins
2. Charnley
3. Reed
4. Watkins
5. Hall
6. Widdop
7. Brough
8. Graham
9. Roby
10. Crabtree
11. S. Burgess
12. Ellis
13. O'loughlin

14. G Burgess
15. Mossop
16. Hock
17. Lomax

There are 2 players i can't make my mind up over. Hock, can be a liability, also can be one of the best back rowers in the world. The other is a shout which i doubt many will agree with. As much as i can't stand the bloke - Ryan Bailey. I just have a feeling he could be exactly what we need against NZ and Australia, someone to get up their noses, wind them up and put them off their game, exactly what he does for Leeds every week and what most of us complain about every week. Put simply both Australia and NZ are better than us but history has shown, however good they are if we put then off their game we have a chance.

I need a drink now.

Sam Burgess plays 80 minutes for Souths - no way should he be on the bench or at prop. His mobility and ability to read the game means he'll be vital in defence as well as attack (BTW whoever described James Graham as more 'agile' than Burgess clearly hasn't seen either of them play). Ditto Ellis, who's never a bench player either - if he's fit and in form pick him.

Reed has been playing left centre the last year or so, so if he's picked I'd keep him there with Hall. Atkins is great physically, but like Hardaker his poor passing would make him an easily nullified threat. Reed is nowhere near as fast, but manages to make space for his winger because he always has the option of passing - meaning the defence can't just put numbers on him. Haven't seen enough of Cudjoe.

The bottom line is our centres need to be a threat if we're to have a chance of dragging Aus/NZ out of position out wide. If the ball always dies with our centres, they'll be able to just muscle up in the middle knowing they can easily cover. The other vital thing then is quick ball to give Reed/Watkins/whoever the chance to run at their opposition one-on-one.

I do agree about Hock - he could be an absolute disaster or a huge plus, all dependent on his ball control and avoiding the red mist. I'd pick him simply because I don't think there's any point going for a 'grafter' - as far as the pack goes its all or nothing as far as I'm concerned.

I agree in what you are saying regarding the centres, but we also need pace and power to challenge the back line of Aus/NZ. Craft and guile will come (hopefully) from the halves and Sam to generate room for the outside backs. To me, Atkins and Watkins have the attributes to get us over the line. Maybe they aren't the best passers of a ball, but regarding Atkins, you can't deny him something, with an avarage winger in Riley posting figures like he has in the past three years, outside of him. And he scores some himself.

Getting around Hodges is easier said than done, but if anyone is going to it from left centre, I'd back Atkins. Cudjoe is coming of age, but lacks a bit of killer instinct for me, Reed is too slow and not a real threat.

Anyway, it's a great debate to have, rather than the old 'shoe-in' Gleeson and Senior selections. We are getting better, and getting closer. I personally can not wait for the WC. My seat for Cardiff is booked, and my England jersey ironed and hung up ready! Bring on the Aussies!

On what you say about Sam Burgess and Ellis not being bench players.

This is the England team, we have
Westwood, who is a 70+min man, somebody has to go on the bench!

You are not going to find many players (George burgess is the exception) that don't start games and play most of the mins if they are getting in the England squad!

These games are not club games, they will be played at a much higher level than normal club games (even for burgess). You often find players in origin playing different mins than a club game.

So just because a player starts and plays most of the mins for his club is not a reason to do the same in the WC.

You really think the Aussies will not put players on the bench because they start and play most of the game for their clubs?

1 Tomkins
2. Charnley
3. Cudjoe
4. Watkins
5. Hall
6. Widdop
7. Brough
8. Graham
9. Roby
10. Hill/Mossop
11. Ellis
12 Westwood
13. Burgess
14. Burrow
15.Crabtree
16. George Burgess
17. Hock

Doubt it will look like that and we will see one or two of the old brigade (Mcguire/JJB/Wilkin etc)

I wasn't sure whether Cudjoe would be good enough for England but he has really kicked on this year.

I'd risk Hock, yes be gives penalties away but he is one player who the Aussies would genuinely dear defending against.

Westwood and Ellis obviously need to find form but hopefully they will come the end of the year.

Our backs look very exciting but we have got to get the ball out to them.

McGuire is the same age as Brough, and Wilkin is the same age as Hock, and JJB is younger than Ellis and Westwood.

I agree with most of that team though except I'd have Sinfield and Brough in the halves.

nice to see cudjoe finally getting some recognition and in peoples teams

watch this lad week in week out and performs every time, his greatest asset is actually his defence, very rare he gets beat on that score

Depending on how much time I got with the team,

Tomkins,
Hall
Watkins
Reed
Charnley/Briscoe
Sinfield
Widdop
Graham
Roby
Hill
Westwood
Ellis
Burgess

Burrow
Burgess
Crabtree
Farrell

If I had plenty of time with the Id swap out Charnley/Briscoe for Hardaker, So that we could work with Tomkins running the kicks back from deep kicks, Hardaker to offer another choice for taking them in traffic. It would also give us opportunity, if we wanted to swap around Hardaker, Widdop and Tomkins to move Tomkins in to the halves to get him more involved in the game.

It would mean we could look at playing for a 10-15 minute period with Burrow and Roby running the game from Dummy Half, Sinfield directing the play from Half-back, with both Tomkins and Widdop as the runners and Hardaker as an extra man. If we could get the set plays to take advantage of that speed and creativity we really could have a field day in attack. Defensively obviously you wouldn’t want to defend with all those on for 80 mins, but for a spell we should certainly be capable. Sinfield and Roby are pretty good defenders and we have a big strong pack

Mine is just like many on here. Hard to leave ut good players that are startere every week for their sides.

1. Tomkins
2. Charnley
3. Cudjoe
4. Watkins
5. Hall

6.Sinfield
7. Brough

8.Graham
9.Roby
10. George B
11. Farrell
12. Sam B
13. O'Loughlin

14.Burrow
15.Hill/Mossop/Crabtree
16. Westwood/Hock
17.Mossop/Hill/Crabtree

I'd love to see George B get the start alongside Jammer, he knows what it is like to run out against the Aussies and take the game to them and that front row could be destructive. Im actually quite gutted that Peacock has retired as I thought he could get a possible call up but very good replacements in Hill and Crabtree. Aggression is whats needed against Australia and both can bring that if they have to.
Sinfield isnt the most agile or quick player but he does have great hands and a great temperament which is needed. Brough can do all the fancy stuff at half-back but the kicking game of Sinfield is invaluable considering the quality of theirs.
Centres i have to go with the ever impressing Cudjoe. Reed will get picked if his form picks up but at the moment id find it tough to start him. Percieved NRL being better will probably get him a place.
Ellis misses out for me but if he like many others picks up later in the year expect Hock to swiftly fall from the pecking order. I'd find it tough to deny Farrell the start alongside arguably the best player in his position in the world right now Sam Burgess.
How anyone cannot pick Roby is incredible to me. I'd go with Burrow on the bench as he is a 7 or 9. Providing options to move Sinfield to 13, Brough to 6 and Burrow to 7 is a great edge. Honourable mention to Shaun Lunt.
Tomkins,Charnley, Watkins, Hall are nailed on for mine. And that is exciting.

WHY NOT US THIS YEAR!

Pretty much spot on starting 13 for me.

Personally, I'd go with the following. Obviously this would never happen as I've left Sinfield out but I just feel that the two halves I have named are better halfbacks than Sinfield is.


Tomkins
Charnley/Hardaker
Watkins
Cudjoe
Hall
Widdop
Brough
Graham
Roby
Crabtree
Ellis
Westwood
S. Burgess

Burrow
G. Burgess
Hill
Farrell/O'Loughlin

Those of you seriously suggesting that Sinfield should play in the HB positions clearly don't want us to get to the final or win the world cup.

He is a loose forward, we have enough depth for each position so play him in his correct position.

There are at least two loose forwards who I put ahead of him (S Burgess and O'loughlin) so he should be dropped from the squad.

Just because he is England captain doesn't mean we should just shove him in anywhere. If we want to win this we have to play our best squad!!