As a point of order. Full backs generally make less tackles in a game than centres. If he can take the ball up well and beat the first man, then good on him. I don't get to watch SL. So you tell me if Smith can do that.

He does, and he did a fair job on Senior in the GF, but NZ have both the size and pace that is lacking in SL.

I honestly don't see NZ as THAT brilliant.
They have the structures that NRL coaching gives you but on a player to player comparison I don't think there's much in it and we have better depth.

How can you start off with that, then talk about changing pretty much the entire team apart from 4 players?!

Compare Benji Marshall to Danny McGuire

While I appreciate that Smith was poor, name one player who wouldn't be made to look like a liability against Inglis in that first half.

Paul Sykes

A bit like the Saints v Bulls GF

At least Leeds can develop their own half backs unlike Saints who seem to rely on on other clubs doing the spade work - Widnes and Bradford if I am not mistaken

You aren't serious - let's compare a few players

Blair v Sinfield
Matai v Smith/Bridge/Eastmond
Marshall v Tomkins
Luke v Roby
Sau v Shenton
Eastwood v Westwood

Do you want to keep going

If the Kiwis come with any kind of power game as they did against the Aussies we could be feeling the pain!!

Im assuming you're a leeds fan, you'd happily trade Sinfield for Blair tomorrow? ... ... ... ... thought so.
Issac Luke won't start for NZ Leuleui does, if any Wigan fan wouldnt trade him for Roby I'd question what they've been putting in their cereal.

Marshall's playing 6, therefore he'd be up against McGuire, fair enough but no suprises there, Tomkins or Nathan Fien? Come on...
Sau's a strong bloke but Shenton will be better, Matai I'll give you and Eastwood will become a much better player than Westwood.

Lets compare a few more..
Burgess or Lima
Ellis or Harrison
Peacock or Pritchard
need we go on..

My point was there wasn't much in it and we have better depth, considering we have players like Senior, Pryce, Gleeson, Burrow, Brough that are better than their current rivals for the England Jersey I reckon that's true too. People are bigging NZ up to much better than they are when in reality they've caught Oz on a couple of off days and out enthused them

No point putting Smith at fb when in a couple of weeks time we'll never be able to select him again. I can only imagine he's a stop gap because our pool of available backs is so threadbare.

He shouldn't even be in the squad now he's pledged his allegiance to union. What next - Tony Smith trying to pass off a south sea islander as english?!

Smith is 23. Who's say he won't be back playing league by the time the world cup comes around?

If he is, he won't be anywhere near the level required for international rugby - see also Karl Pryce and Chev Walker.

Tomkins has played a handful of games in SL - Fien plays every week in the NRL and was a pivotal player in the last WC to say he is a worse player than Tomkins is simply laughable.

You underestimate players like Sam Perrett and Bronson Harrison - they may not have the quodos of their Aussie counterparts but these are serious players who would enhance any SL side

Time will tell - Pritchard or Peacock - no contest Peacock is a prop whose lack of mobility was cruelly exposed against the Aussies - Pritchard really showed up!!

The kiwis are a quality side with power and speed to spare - they gave the Aussies a serious game are were unlucky to draw - not sure the same could be said of last week's game at the DW

England are in for a whole lot of "Pain"