Graham and the Burgesses ought to be doing well as they are our best players

For once come the WC at least the Aussies and Kiwis will think that the Poms actually have some decent player which is different from the last few years

It's all in the mind........apparently

We have a great pack that can easily match the Aussies.

Its not all in the mind anymore but it is in the halves.

Which is rubbish IMO

We have options in the halves something which we've rarely had. Despite what the doom mongers say on here we actually have the strongest squad in a very long time, saying that so do the Aussies

I've heard rumors that he is homesick but I hope it isnt true because the Dogs are a different team with him in than they are when he isn't there. Just look at how our pick up of form coincided with his return to the side. Im sure since he came back theres only been 1 loss, and that was to Newcastle.

Agree about their halves, I sometimes forgot how lucky I've been to see the johns/Lockyer era, they were scarily good.

Cronk and thurston can be contained look at origin 1. I also don't think outr half backs are half as bad as people on here make out.

Johns and Lockyer only played 3 games together in the Halves, against New Zealand.
Johns career was nearly over when Lockyer was moved from Fullback to Stand Off.

And it was Brett Kimmorley at 7 (a Newcastle junior who had to go elsewhere because Joey Johns was in front of him!) who played alongside Lockyer when the destroyed Great Britain in the last two Ashes series.

The forwards haven't managed to get the bestter of their opposites no matter how often people try and 'big up' our pack and tell ourselves our pack is better than there's on paper it doesn't mean it will translate on to the field. The way the English pack has been almost mythologised over the last few years is very similar to how the English soccer team (the golden generation) was always held in the same regard as the best soccer teams in the world despite never managing to match them, especially when it really mattered.

I meant those two in the same side (not necessarily in the halves), sorry wasn't clear

Quote: christopher "I meant those two in the same side (not necessarily in the halves), sorry wasn't clear'" No worries Chris For those that don't remember 2004. youtu.be/wXGkdD9dIY4 It was 38-0 first half I think from memory it ended up 44-4, it was a sad turn around from the build up where GB were confident of a win.

Quote: christopher "I meant those two in the same side (not necessarily in the halves), sorry wasn't clear'" No worries Chris For those that don't remember 2004. youtu.be/wXGkdD9dIY4 It was 38-0 first half I think from memory it ended up 44-4, it was a sad turn around from the build up where GB were confident of a win.

They probably didn't play in the same side together all that much either.

When they did play those few games in te halves together, they didn't click. Both were dominant playmakers, it just didn't work like it promised on paper. Johns once again got injured before they had time to work it out in the halves. The one game that year they did blitz it was when I think it was Hunt went off injured and Lockyer went to fullback for the rest of the game and it was just beautiful. Lockyer suddenly looked like the best fullback in the game again after not playing there for 2 years and Johns dominated from the halves. Pretty sure they ended up putting on 50 points that night.

That would be the 2004 Tri-Nations Final you're talking about. He was incredible. I haven't seen anyone or any team play like Lockyer and the Kangaroos did in that first half, before or since. There wasn't an aspect of Lockyer's play that wasn't literally perfect. I remember a pin point 30m pass to Andrew Ryan at pace to create an overlap directly leading to a try. Pin point 40m bomb landing directly on the line for Willie Tonga try. Handling the ball 4 times in a magnificent lead up to the try of the tournament, including switching play to assisst Minichiello over for his second. Supporting a Hindmarsh offload and running 70m for a try of his own. Finding the grass with his kicks all night.
Goal kicking 6 from 6. Just way, way too good.

EDIT: Ok, didn't need to write any of that with the video posted. Just watched it and, oh man, that pass to Ryan is just ridiculous. How can you pull it off to that standard? And that second try, a thing if rugby league beauty. Webcke offloading to Buderus while falling with two players hanging off him and Buderus passing over his shoulder without looking, all precise and at 100km/h.

I posted that 2004 first half link above.
I remember watching that game and everything just worked out, I was surprised that Tonga and Hindmarsh were playing Test footy, I must be getting old.

As you say balancing the on field Generals and kickers can be an issue for Australia.
Many Australian Test teams have six or more Club Captains that call the shots for their respective Clubs but have to defer to designated playmakers in a Test Squad.
The Best Test Teams have had an organising Halfback General with a smart fast running Stand Off that could run himself or set up the play if needs be.
England have not had these type of players in recent memory and its why England do not win against Australia IMO.