Pretty much agree with that. Hopefully Percival improves his game so that he demands selection. Either that or someone like Gildart steps up. At halfback I'm not sure what the options are really. We do need to be able to attack down both sides of the field. Widdop was good IMO but we're lacking a stand off for the left side attack.

If Sutcliffe is now to make Left Centre his own for Leeds as seems the plan, that could well be the perfect solution as he will already have struck up a good understanding with Hall.

Agreed, if he can make the step up. He, Percival and Gildart are the future in that position.

It's No 6 that's the problem area IMO.

from the England team that played in the final who wont be around in 4 years time to keep the progress going and finally win it??

o'loughlin will be too old
mcgillvary will be 33
roby
heighington
hall?
graham?

5 stars wont be there next time possibly, need the next ones to come along to keep us going upwards

I think next point of call for planning is for the Ashes 2 years away which is winnable, 4 years is a long way off.

For 2019 the only players you would certainly write off are SOL and Heighington. The hope is some of the younger lads start pushing themselves on to a higher level and force out the old guard over this four year period.

I hope he stays on and can build on what has been started. I’ve seen us beat Australia in the odd game here and there but never compete like that in a game of such significance.

I believe the difference between the two sides is SOO. The Australian squad all have experience of games of that magnitude and know how to perform. When you look at our key players in the final Widdop, Brown and Gale don’t have that experience and knowledge. We have the raw ability but certain players need to learn to perform on the big day.

I agree that many of our players lack experience of playing that level of game. Outside of the NRL they're not likely to get it either unless we start playing NZ and maybe Tonga regularly. Widdop has played plenty of NRL and it's no surprise he performed best of the three playmakers.

I hope that the next generation of halfbacks and backs get plenty of gametime for their SL sides next year (I'm thinking of the likes of Richardson, Trueman and Walker) so they ready for tests in 2-3 years. By then I hope Williams has established himself too.

This.

I’ve just got back from Aus, and the feeling over there post match I got from talking to other fans was that we carry on with Bennett.

That’s the closest we’ve been in decades in a WC. 7 points from winning the World Cup in the Aussies back yard does not require the level of criticism I’ve seen from certain “fans”.

Bennett set that team up to win the game pretty much perfectly. Unfortunately we were a killer pass, kick or ankle tap away from it being carried out.

He’s been with that squad what, just 70 days(?) worth of face to face time in total, if that. Imagine what he could get out of the England side after another 4 seasons.

But that's one of the problems with keeping him imo. He's too busy throughout the year coaching Brisbane week in week out. As pointed out on other threads this England team will need to evolve and change over the next few years. Is a man who is busy coaching at the other side of the world the ideal man for that? His selections struck of somebody who hasn't watched too much SL and whilst people may slate the quality of SL over the NRL at the end of the day that is where nearly all our player pool is competing in.

If he can get that close to beating the Aussies now then what could he do if he took up the role full time and spent quality time over here watching English players in action. If he isn't prepared to do that then he should go.

And it's ok saying one pass here or there, let's not forget he was one dropped ball in the SF from overseeing one of the most embarrassing capitulations in sporting memory.

ashes in 2019? how many games and what country is that played in?

that would be a good one to focus on for sure

Better start giving some new players a go eh if you want them to be ready for the next World Cup.

Its a 3 test series in Australia like the old days not sure if there are any other games but it would be nice if we could play any of PNG/Fiji/Samoa/Tonga before the series begins.

Should be a 5 game tour:
Samoa
Fiji
New Zealand
Tonga
Australia.

Has that been confirmed? The three test series against Australia, I mean.

2 good reasons to keep Bennett:

1). The players seem to want him.
2). Schofield says he should go.

Number 2 is a good enough reason on its own