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

In Schofield's day we were still bringing in RU outside backs of quality, and we still never beat Australia. We haven't had access to that source for over a decade.

What we haven't seen is a halfback (6 or 7) come through with the natural ability of a Schofield or Gregory. In fact I'd say that's part of the problem, we rely on someone magical turning up despite poor development. In Australia every year there's at least one new halfback with real potential somewhere. They don't all make it, but they at least have a pathway. You won't see a new kid in the NRL who can't at least pass and kick accurately, unlike some of the 'halfbacks' starting in SL.

I've said it before, but I'd love the clubs/RFL to pay for someone like Andrew Johns to run a halfback clinic with Academy players once a year. Even better would be to provide decent coaching to them throughout the year, but as ever money would be the issue.

No. There's talk of us going around the Pacific Islands instead. Either way expect us to be going down south that year.

and talks as though his era were much better against the Aussies - bar the odd result, they weren't really, and they were on a much more level playing field with the Aussies than today's players.

disagree somewhat. 1982 we were blown away out classed in every department, the young lions team of 84 including Schofield were also well beaten but were starting to claw the gap back, 86 we were beaten by they best international term ever assemble, we played well in the first test and played some cracking rugby, we were well beat in the second test and robbed blind in the 3rd. 88 injury hit squad was competitive in every game and famous win in the 3rd. 1990, 1992 (including world cup final) through to 94, all those serious were were not only competitive but we could and should have won one if not all, 1990 was the won we really lost rather than Australia won. Schofield was at the helm for all those serious. we also had Andy Gregory, Shaun Edwards, all time greats, plus pretty good world class halves around like Derek Fox, David Hulme, and Darryl Powell. we really have struggled to produce not more that 5-6 really and i mean really good halves in 20 years of super league. we have had players who look the part but he don't kick on not at international level.

nothing confirmed about these ashes you talk of

Quote: brearley84 "nothing confirmed about these ashes you talk of'" apologies I may have got things slightly wrong, however there is going to be a southern hemisphere GB tour in 2019 ( unconfirmed who we are playing as of now) which could include tests against Australia. And the Kangaroos are definitely playing at least three tests against GB and one against France when they come over in 2020 as stated below - www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-league ... rnational/

Quote: brearley84 "nothing confirmed about these ashes you talk of'" apologies I may have got things slightly wrong, however there is going to be a southern hemisphere GB tour in 2019 ( unconfirmed who we are playing as of now) which could include tests against Australia. And the Kangaroos are definitely playing at least three tests against GB and one against France when they come over in 2020 as stated below - www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-league ... rnational/