Sinfield may not have the out and out skills of a Lockyer or a Thurston but he is head and shoulders above anything we have in Super League in the organising half back role.

If our Pack can even match the aussies(and we havn't recently although have done ok against the kiwis) then it gives him a chance to run the game like he has done for Leeds in the big games time and again.Its easy to slate Sinfield for not being good enough in the past against OZ, but lets not forget he has been playing in a team that has been second best and on the back foot from the start.

Slow Halves will hardly ever win big games nowadays.
Australia carried Lockyer for a season or three too long because of his legend status and to his credit he played some decisive roles in some games but he also detracted from Australia's running attack in many ways, the combination of Cronk and Thurston will prove more effective.

Teams with dynamic Stand offs that can run the ball and break a defensive structure or upset it enough to put others through the line are what is needed.
Especially for England where the old chestnut of scoring more than your opponent usually wins games.
Man for man Englands backs are not as good as Australia's in most peoples opinions.
If they do not get the opportunity to even run the ball as much as Australia's backs then the result is already decided.

A comprehensive kicking game, a chase that is as good or better than Australia's, play for field position, forwards punching holes and turning the ball back inside or spreading it from 30 yards out.

There wont be many breakout tries from long distance because Australia has enough pace to run it down including Tomkins.

He was never that mate. You need to go back and check the vids.

Lewis did not run the length of the field purely on pace. He was not slow, but was not a fast runner. He was however skillful, deceptive and strong.
I'm not saying Sinfield is Lewis by a long way but he has much more in his armoury that just speed like some and he has scored tries himself by by running the ball.

We have plenty of speedsters that never get the chance because no one can open the door. If Sinfield can do that, I'd have him in the team (and at half back). And I think he can.

I've no axe to grind. I've no love for the Rhinos particularly. But I think it is time to give Sinfield a real shot at international level. It's no good putting him in at hooker or asking him to tackle everything at loose forward. We have others who can do that. We don't have what he can offer with ball in hand or on toe.

Pretty much seals my decision to completely ignore the internationals until silly macnamara is gone from his job.

Sinfield couldn't lace Fittlers boots and Fittler wasn't anywhere near as good as Lewis!

Cherry-Evans is pretty slow and he's one of the favourites to replace Lockyer.

The game is better off without you then.

This is shamelessly nicked from the wigan forum

Sounds like you are describing Laurie Daley to me, not Brad Fittler... Fittler was a stand off who moved to loose forward later in his career

Anyway, back to Sinfield. Really, he should have been captain through the Peacock years – as I have said a few times with Sinfield, you either play him in his Leeds role or not at all. His strength is as a leader and organiser, you either want that in your team or you don’t, what you don’t do is have him as an impact sub as he clearly isn’t that

Is McNamara looking to the future here and thinking of Sinfield as his world cup captain or is it a stop gap... with the world cup only a few games away (despite being a year away), he should know this by now

From the sound bites I think he's looking at him for the world cup.

after the world cup he'll retire and become leeds coach...with brian mac becoming england coach....bet ya

Probaly best decison in terms of his leadership. I'm pretty certain we are going to see a Chase/Sinfield partnership at the WC which IMO isn't good enough.

As said in an earlier post, Sinfields not quick enough and probably doesn't have the natural ability to beat a man, so the defence can hold off and look after supporting runners.

However he defintely is the best at controlling the game and should be at 13 for me. All this 2he's not big enough for a 13" is rubbish, against Wigan Sinfield tackled everything that moved and smothered Gareth Hock everytime he got the ball (How many players have managed to do that)

Widdop has to play at 6 for me, he's not just a player in one of the best team in the world, he;s someone who adds to that quality. Lomax or Brough at 7 for me, both having kicking games (we can't rely on Sinfield, we need options) and both can run and create. There are partnerships that would really get me excited as an England fan. If we go Chase/Sinfield at 6 & 7 the Aussies can put all the pressure on one player and we have no kicking game. If we have Brough, Lomaz & Sinfield that will spread our options about.

For me i would go

6. Widdop
7. Lomax/Brough
8. Burgess
9. Roby
10. Graham
11. Hock
12. Westwood
13. Sinfield

I would have Ellis on the bench, fantastic player but ive always felt slightly let down when i see him on an England shirt.

It's bad when we don't have a stand-off better than an average loose forward in this country. Good job we aren't playing against anyone good.

Not sure why everyone is so focussed on the number on half-back's shirts with the game played as it is now.

If they played the game in plain shirts, you'd swear Sinfield (first receiver, organizer, inside pivot, main kicker) was playing scrum-half for Leeds with McGuire playing stand-off. In other words Sinfield plays a similar game to Cronk at Melbourne, and Sinfield/Widdop should be a natural partnership in the halves, with Tomkins joining the line at fullback, whatever way the numbers are written on the teamsheet.

Tomkins should be stand off, he will be wasted at full back for England. They will never be able to play with him like Wigan do, Wigan must rehe those moves over and over which his england team mates won't really get the chance to. It will probably be successful against France and Wales but against the Aussies and Kiwis we will not have enough of the ball to be able to use Tomkins to his full abilities. Tomking should be S-O, at least he will have the chance to use the ball.