also a good sport, the other week when played cas, the cas fans were chanting "Gale for England", after a particularly poor couple of minutes from him the giants fans chanted "Gale for Batley" and he took it in good spirits and had a giggle about it.

I'm not sure but isn't Holmes Scottish and played for Scotland? (That hasn't stopped McBanana in the past) but get your point
Few years ago Danny Kirmond was the best second rower in the comp but wasn't selected because he didnt play for a fashionable club. That's the problem with England, always selecting on reputation and not form. There's that saying - you keep doing the same thing you get the same results.

"Upset?"

Not unless I switched allegiance to Cas without knowing.

IIRC, McNamara stated before the world cup that he wanted England to be "team England", and set out to more or less turn the national team into a club team, with a squad , he then proceeded to more or less pick every eligible wigan and leeds players plus a couple from warrington, hull, hudds and rangi chase!

the idea been that as leeds and wigan were the top club sides at the time then the "team England" should be more or less based around 1 or 2 club teams.
it nearly worked though in terms of getting to the final.

The top teams are the top teams because they have the best players within their squads. So, it makes sense that the most of the England players come from the top sides.
The likes of McGilvery will be in contention for selection, but he plays in a position we have a lot of depth in at the moment, so if he doesn't get selected then he'll be unlucky, but it won't be a travesty. Well, it will be if Charnley or Makinson is selected in font of him.

As for Gale, he's had a great season, I think he deserves his place in front of Matty Smith, and I think he will get selected in front of him.

England will never ever be made up of the 13 most in form players in their position (eligibilty allowing), it never has been and half the team is and will always be picked on past reputation or club colours.

We could have squad members from Canberra, St George, Catalans, Brisbane, Canterbury, NZ Warriors, Souths, Leeds, Wigan, Huddersfield, Warrington, Saints, Hull, Castleford - how many sets of club colours do you want?

Look at this side from the 2008 W/C semi to see how things have moved on:

England: Wellens (Saints), Gardner (Saints), Gleeson (Warr), Senior (Leeds), Calderwood (Leeds), McGuire (Leeds), Burrow (Leeds), Graham (Saints), Roby (Saints), Peacock (Leeds), Westwood (Warr), Ellis (Leeds), Purdham (London).
Replacements: Pryce (Saints), Morley (Warr), Higham (Warr), Wilkin (Saints).

Does it, why? The top teams usually have the better squad, the better first starting 13 and often a better coach not mention great academy structure to back up.
There were quite a few 'top' players from 'top' clubs that were average at best in the 2013 World Cup, Smith was goddam awful, Charnley was average yet got picked over Briscoe for the big games on the back of what? lockers was totally ineffective despite being bigged up against weaker opposition, Westerman performed far better yet got dropped and Lockers was a massive let down.
Even 'King Kev' wasn't all that except a few passes & fluffed up big time costing us the game in '13 when the pressure was on.
It's been the same old same old for years, top clubs so called top players not actually being able to produce at the top level yet still getting picked.

If Gale is considered to be one of the top half backs available and qualified to play for England, then the game in this country is shot at.

It wouldn't surprise me to hear that Danny Brough is considered to be in the mix

Anybody want to employ a crocked overseas 1/2 back anyone? Hull HR, Hull, Salford, Saints etc etc

not necessarily, the top "teams" are just that, Salford probably have better "players" than say, Castleford or Huddersfield, Warrington certainly do, but it doesn't make them a better team.
good individual players doesn't always equate to having the best teams.

the point is, that when it comes to England RL, players from the biggest and most successful clubs are automatically picked over players from lesser clubs, it's been that way as long as i can remember and ill continue to be.