People!!!

Enough!!!!

Who REALLY cares that much who is in the squad/team???

We ain't gonna beat the aussies so why waste your time.

About 90% of Bridge's assists have been at centre. I've lost count of the time he's put Hicks over this season.

From difficult positions too.
Look this is all irrelavant because the centres will be Gleeson and Shenton unless Senior has a change of heart or Smith decides to do whats right and puts Pryce there.

I'm not sure if playing pryce in a position he hasnt played regularly in a long time, after a poor world cup and a season that was far from his best, is doing whats right.

Can't agree more with the OP.

Tony Smith is a closest Rugby Unioner.

Do remember this is a train on squad.

Barry

Hayne's played fullback all year but will be playing on the wing for Aus.
Inglis used to play 6 all year then move to the centres. Not that big a deal imo

he's not going to be as good as if he played there all year is he? he hasnt been that great at stand off this year, and he's a far better stand off than he is a centre. I can understand your desire to get him in the team as on his day he can be a great player but i would rather play someone in the position they play all year than just slot them in somewhere for the sake off it. Theres no recent evidence to suggest that pryce would do well in the centres.

Bridge has been far better than Pryce this year

Neither however should be in the final England Squad

From memory Bridge had played 2 or 3 games more.

I was just responding to someone who said Yeaman's stats are better than Bridge and therefore he is more deserving than Bridge to be in the England train-on team. In reality this wasn't true.
It's good that people are suggesting alternative names rather than just slagging Smith off without justifying who they would rather pick. I think certain players may feel slightly hard done to such as Welham, but I don't think there is a clearcut case of someone who is clearly more deserving than Bridge and Harrison who hasn't made the squad, Yeaman included.

bridge and yeaman are nothing alike, kirk has always been argued about as a centre cum second rower which is what was holding him back from being a truly class centre and kicking on, more in the style of senior and latterly atkins where he runs hard and direct, bridge is a gleeson footwork style where he's got the ability to put the step on and accelerate around a defender through a gap, this is how in our eye's he's done a bloody good job of replacing big gleeson. And some of us have been saying for ages that he's a below average halfback but would make a great centre.

Ben Harrison I can understand as IMO he has great potential but Chris Bridge? Seriously?

I think I'd prefer Fielden in the squad than Bridge.

The biggest problem I have with this is not the selection of players for a train on squad that in reality is not going to beat Australia any way.

It's the blatant abuse of powers as the national head coach in appearing to be picking players for the squad becuase they play for him. ATEOTD and IMO neither Harrison (yet) or Bridge would be any where near the squad if Smith wasn't in charge.

I like Smith as a coach and the effect he has had on the domestic teams he has coached cannot be argued with, however at international level he just has not cut it (not had the cattle perhaps).

I just don't like the advantage this gives him/Warrington when it comes to delivering a message of 'come play for me and the national setup awaits', nor do I feel to comfortable in having some of the leagues best youngsters in the presence of someone who is appears to not be bothered about abusing his position.

This squad would of had 8 Warrington players in it if Atkins hadn't pulled out, thats more than both Leeds and Saints are likely to have and don't tell me that Smith didn't play the I'm the England head coach card when trying to sign Myler/Atkins

I don't particularly blame Smith more the RFL/system, it was the same whilst Noble was in charge it just didn't seem as 'in your face' as it does right now.

I like the idea of train on squads and bringing players who are on the fringe into the setup for the experience but as far as I am concerned the coaching setup should be headed by a full time coach (no idea who) who is not linked to any club and is therefore not providing any unfair advantage to any team in the league.

Whilst last year was pretty poor, the way you and many others talk, you would think the 2007 series against NZ never happened.
How did the team we stuffed do a year later?