I've just watched his four try haul against Wakefield on Super League TV

Two well taken finishes and two very good kick collections for tries (an area that we always seem to struggle in against Australia and New Zealand)

I think Watkins is a real talent and will do very well on the international scene

As an aside other than been a good kicker what has Foster done to warrant the praise heaped on him?

Some of the handling that Foster has displayed in finishing his tries this season has been exceptional

If the try he scored against Leeds was in the NRL, people would have said it was a different class to anything we have here (much as you have posted above regarding Ben Barba)

It was a good finish I agree, but not as difficult a skill as the sky commentators would have you believe. Other than that I've never seen him do anything that's made me think, yeah this kids good.

I think Foster suffers from a lack of size and strength to be honest (add to that, he isn’t a real flyer) – he has very good skills and as you say a good goal kicking record

I’m actually pleased that a player has done well on the wing who isn’t a monster as it shows that good skills will get you into pro Rugby League but I don’t think he will crack the international scene as you have to have both the skills and the physical game to excel

8 tries in 11 games this year, 32 games over 4 seasons, slight of hand untouched by any british centre of his age group. Big, strong, fast, good step, good work rate. Still only 19 years old.

You got there before me.

Now Gleeson is at Hull, Yeaman isn't Hulls best centre, let alone the best English centre in SL.

I also think that some of my fellow Hull fans are confusing the fact that Yeaman has scored a fair few tries with being in great form.

Within 30 minutes of his Debut against hkr, Gleeson showed how good he is, when he attacked the line for the try he got the defence didn't know which way he was going to go until it was too late.

Yeaman is all heart and commitment (for which there is nothing wrong and is credit to him). He is defencively very strong but prone to jumping out of the line too often and missing the man. With the ball he is strong but has limited passing skills and doesn't know how to step round a defender. He relies on bulldozing at the line, which against an organised defence will rarely reap dividends.

Atkins and Shenton for me for England.

I really hoped Atkins could step up to international League but last year he was a major disappointment after a good domestic season. He is big, strong and fast but this just isn’t enough in the international game and he simply hasn’t got the skills in his game

As another poster has said, he may be a better choice on the wing internationally but I feel there is too much competition there in players who play wing week in week out

Briscoe has to be in. He is the closest thing we have to the type of outside backs the Aussies and New Zealand teams produce.
As much as i'd love to see him play for England, I dont think Kris Welham is strong or quick enough. Very good player at super league level but not international class. I like the winger from Huddersfield, but I think Charnley is a class act, as is Ben Jones - Bishop and was showing it before his unfortunate injury.

Tomkins

Charnley
Shenton
Bridge
Briscoe

Widdop
Brough

is how i'd go at this moment in time.

(also, how Fox is in the elite squad ill never know)

I like that line up. I think that Charnley is a talented player but I would probably go for McGilvray at this stage

Interesting to compare the backline above to the one that contested the World Cup semi against New Zealand in 2008

Wellens
Gardner
Gleeson
Senior
Calderwood
McGuire
Burrow

I really do think that the potential 2011 backline above is much stronger in the wing positions and the centres are on a par to Gleeson and Senior but would service the wingers better and so make a better backline

Wellens has been a top quality Super League full back but has lacked the cutting edge (i.e. pace) to be international class

The half backs are closer to call but I think that a Brough/Widdop combination could work better at international level than McGuire and Burrow as the kicking game at least would be much stronger

That is potentially a very strong backline though I would probably put McGillivary ahead of Charnley at this stage.

Broughs kicking game is essential in the International arena.

Not at all, not got real pace, has struggled to put his winger away, never really seen any quality footwork from him as he generally just barges his way over the line, jumps out of the line a fair but but he does make good one on one tackles.



Your not wrong!

Fullback: Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm)
Wing: Brett Morris (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Centre: Greg Inglis (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Centre: Justin Hodges (Brisbane Broncos)
Wing: Jharal Yow Yeh (Brisbane Broncos)
Five-eighth: Darren Lockyer (c) (Brisbane Broncos)
Halfback: Johnathan Thurston (North Qld Cowboys)


just to put things in perspective