Eastmond starting on Saturday means that Saints have now developed as many international half backs as the famous Leeds production line has over the past thirty years.

Not sure that is quite right - but since SL Sinfield, Burrow and McGuire against Eastmond and Sculthorpe - although having said that did he not start at Warrington?

I wouldn't class Sinfield as a half back. I'm guessing that you may not remember Neil Holding as our other home grown half back of the past thirty years. Each British club has a poor track record at developing international half backs so to suggest that Leeds is somehow better than the others is ridiculous because neither McGuire nor Burrow are anything to get excited about.

In three years time Tomkins will be better than Fien could hope to be. Definition of average.
Perrett, Harrison, Lima et al...Definition of average, Perrett has no more ability than someone like Gareth Raynor but playing in a better comp (to be fair, the Kiwis have a few missing in the pack).
I was more comparing ability than necessarily L4L, peacock was picked in the second row so I compared him to a similar forward in the Kiwi team. Would Leeds swap Peacock for Pritchard? Again No.

Like I said originally the Kiwis are well coached, conditioned and they look like they're formed from a better comp but they certainly aren't a distance ahead like some would have you believe. If you took the best 30 players of Eng and the 30 best Kiwis, England would win hands down. Hell, Louis Anderson was in the original cut...

ive said similar on other threads.....the NZ team are not superhuman, they have Thomas Leuleuia playing for them. Would Leuleuia get in the Engalnd team? probably not IMO.

We need to get over this attitude that we have zero chance when playing NZ and AUs....its 17 men against 17 men and what they do over the course of 80 minutes. We are not that far behind, in everything except attitude IMO. Our team go onto the pitch thinking they are beaten most of the time.

In three years time and best 30 against best 30 - we are talking now and 17 against 17 - Perrett has significantly more ability than either Hall or Fox never mind Raynor, he is a better player than Morris too.

To hold down a place in a better comp by definition suggests some ability do you think the NRL would be selecting Raynor, Hall or Fox - no I didn't think so.

Distance ahead - time will tell the best thing that could happen to England is for the Kiwis to get a big lead and relax we might then make it respectable.

I actually think we have a really great chance but we have to get off to a good start and smash their forwards because playing on the front foot Eastwood and Tomkins will tear the Kiwi's apart

I mentioned 3 years time simply for Tomkins.
I said we had more depth, you disagreed with my initial point which is why I brought the 30 up.
As for the bit in bold; Ryan Tandy anyone?
They're well coached, a couple of world class players but ultimately not that much better than us, both of us are miles behind aus.
We'll see tomorrow anyway, if we get tatered, i'll be happy to concede

Soo Serge...
You were saying?