No idea

Completely agree - the Aussies have come up against him and dealt with him before. He has zero x-factor and a history of going AWOL at international level before...

For me the Italy game sums up one of the biggest problems with England over the past few years - their mentality. For a team to have the wrong attitude a week before a world cup final is completely unacceptable. Who's preparing these players phsychologically? If Australia score first next week, will they have the mental strength not to just give up?

How can anyone be surprised that a team containing one former Golden Boot winner, and several accomplished top flight NRL players should defeat England?

With the likes of Anthony Minichiello, Aiden Guerra (both Sydney Roosters 2013 NRL Grand Final winners), James Tedesco (West Tigers), and Josh Mantellato (Newcastle), in the backs and Mark Minichiello (Gold Coast), Cameron Ciraldo (Penrith), Anthony Laffranchi (St Helens), and Joel Reithmuller (North Queensland) in the forwards, a win by Italy was always in the offing.

Imagine what the score would have been had the late withdrawing injured star halves Terry Campese and Craig Gower had been playing?

Have both below average this season.

Josh Mantellato has played 1 or 2 games for the knights but he is probably close to being 1 of the best kickers in rugby. more than likely end up in superleague after this tournament.

The only player who you would pick for the England sqaud would be Aiden Guerra so underrated it unbelievable

Not so.

Guerra is outstanding and underrated.

However James Tedesco, who is full back for Wests Tigers, would walk into the England side as stand off.

Josh Mantellato has been playing behind two of the five top wingers in the NRL -- James MacManus and Akuila Uate --- with superb fullback/winger Kevin Naiqama also ahead of him.

I would also rate Mark Minichiello ahead of the thuggish workhorse Ben Westwood.


This Italian team has class across the park.

I agree with you on Guerra.

We already have better stand off's who wont get in the squad for 1 reason or another. He is an exciting run and full of heart tho.

I like Mantellato but he is not better than Charnley or Hall.

Ben westwood has been off form for awhile now but i still would say we have better players than Mark Minichiello he is solid more than anything.

Most Aussie teams do have

Agreed. It's taken years of dedicated work but it's great to see italy developing so many top quality players.

Maybe England are trying to lull the Aussies into a false sense of security - they won't believe we really are this bad!!

The halves really are poor - the worst 6+7 of the better sides by quite a distance - for those Leeds fans who watch him every week Sinfield's demise this year has been dramatic - not allowed to criticise him on Southstander, its blasphemy!!

What was the point of SA = did either the Aussies or the Kiwis feel the need for high altitude training!! I bet Nigel Wood, Ralph Rimmer and Blake Solly got their passport stamped too!! A jolly plain and simple

We would have won if Ben Westwood wasn't banned.....

Or low attitude sickness?

Nearly 20 years of SOOOOOOPER DOOOOOOPER league, 2nd rate, past it, never would be, never will be, holidaying, pension seeking oceanics n the game to improve standards and this is where the national has got to.
1978 was the threshold for Aussie change, and 1982 should have beeen the catalyst for the british change but it was misdirected.
However another "opportunity" was presented in 1996 and like the previous occasions the clubs and RFL made, and still make a horlicks of the game in this country.

I have had my comments previously derided b "experts on these forums.

Well .........


I TOLD YOU SO and results like this do not make me happy.

But then I am pretty good at joined up thinking and don't think that blinkers are a decent fashion accessory.


I'll take a guess at yet another Australia V New Zealand final with 35000 at old trafford with most getting free tickets to swell the gate.

Leeds fans I know have said the same thing, as much as they love Sir Kev they say he shouldn't be in the national side.

Chase can't play to a structure and probably better as an impact player off the bench at international level.

Widdop/Burrow looks the best combo with what's left unless he moved Tomkins to 6 and bought Hardaker in at 1.

The Danny Brough saga will haunt McBanana until he is relieved of his duties.

To be honest, I think attitude was the primary problem: attitude of the coach and the players alike IMO.

The frustrating thing with the SA trip is that it's well known that partial acclimatisation takes a minimum of two weeks, so neither the warm nor the altitude would have made any real difference to the fitness of the players. When you consider the game fitness v's training then it's even more farcical as a fitness exercise.

However, as a team building trip it's probably worth doing. Maybe too much fun was had and this week is a friendly wasn't more than a chance to blow out some cobwebs, but also one that Italy winning is a good move politically for the international game?