The RLWC of 2008 was about as embarrassing as it gets for the national side when our top SL players were shown up for what they really were. There are still way to many of those failed international players of 2008 who are still available for selection in 2013.

Since then the playing standards in SL have been falling year on year, and particularly so since the establishment of the franchising experiment, the 14-team SL and the 8 team play-off system which has reduced intensity, rewarded mediocrity and watered down the product.

Given that SL is in a worse state now than it was circa 2008 in terms of playing standards and intensity, one wonders how embarrassing the RLWC of 2013 could play out for England in particular?

On the positive side, the tournament is being played in England and they also have the option of selecting a handful of players with critical NRL experience. Those two factors ought to be enough to register an improvement on the 2008 World Cup experience in terms of England performances and results.

Oh do shut up, you tiresome troll.

The standard hasn't dropped due to franchising.
It has dropped because SL has gone from having 47% of its players from overseas to 17%.
The missing former NRL players have been replaced by young British players coming through from the academy system.
NRL players have usually played 150-250 games over there before they arrive here. They know their way around a Rugby League field.
Lads coming out of the academy are learning.
Are they as good as the NRL/SoO/Intl players we used to get.
Of course they are not but we have have to take the British players as the future of our game.
An example is Saints, at right centre they have gone from Jamie Lyon - Gidley - Shenton - Turner. Nothing could exemplify more the drop in standards than Lyon to Turner but Saints don't have a choice.
We can't get players of Lyon's calibre over here anymore.

Regards our centre crisis and the Aussies producing them like bacteria, is it due to other Australian based sports they may play as a kid?

Is there something they're learning as kids in something else which is then transferred over to RL?

Just a wild guess/theory

The playing standards in SL have fallen for several reasons and the lack of overseas stars in SL is without a doubt another major contributory factor in that fall since 2008. The salary cap combined with the weakness of the UK currency in comparison to the Australian and Kiwi dollar are a couple of other major contributory factors.

However, you cannot dismiss the role of franchising, the increase from 12 to 14 teams, the 8 team play-off system and their overall effect on watering down the SL product and lowering the intensity. When the extra 2 teams were introduced into the SL franchising mix in 2009 and P&R was done away with, anyone with any sense knew it would weaken the overall playing standards of the competition - where teams were suddenly rewarded for their mediocrity via a Top 8 play-off system or rewarded with continued SL membership and no threat of relegation for being worse than mediocre.

It remains to be seen what effect the fall in domestic SL playing standards since 2008 has on England's performances and results during the World Cup in 2013. They were a total and utter embarrassment in 2008 and that was from a far healthier position in terms of domestic playing standards.

I've heard many players say how amateur the England set up was in 2008. I'm not saying a professional setup = a winning side, but it certainly never helped.

This time around it seems to be far better and the players seem to be more prepared for the tournament.

Centre is a problem and always has been. It will be interesting to see how well Watkins and Cudjoe play for England - if they are the two selected

what sl stars? name names.

What aload of tripe, can you actually use some examples of how the quality of play has dropped? or have you just pulled it out of your ass?

I can't remember the last time we have had such competition from the top 5/6 teams all with home grown players making up most of the squads.

The England selection pool is much better than 5 years ago.

There's no doubt that centre is our weakest position, I'm quite nervous about them defending against NZ and particularly Oz.

Anyone defending against Aussie will struggle - it's what they do

However with Cudjoe and Watkins I think we have our best chance, certainly Cudjoe's defence is outstandingly good on the flanks

I'd still like to hear who these supposed overseas stars are you are referring to?

I wouldn't play Shenton, but the point about left sided centres is valid, Only Ablett (part time centre) and Atkins are naturally left sided out of pretty much all of the names mentioned.

Ratchford is a good shout and Widdop has played left centre too, but a long time ago.

Cudjoe is happy down either flank FWIW

I would imagine he is thinking along the lines of, matty johns,brett dallas,darren albert,jamie lyon,trent barrett,steve renouf,alan langer,david furner,chris mckenna,stephen kearney,shaun berrigan,ali lauiatiti,stacy jones,brad mackay,logan swann.thats just quickly off the top of my head you could go on and on with the big names coming over through the first ten years of SL.the quality has seriously dried up the past few years.

Watkins if fit, Ablett and goulding for me...