MCILORUM IS THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD. EVER.

I don't agree with some of the selections but with a full squad you'd assume the likes of Graham, Reed, Widdop, the Burgess Bros, Watkins, Heighington, and Westwood would be included, with those names added the squad looks fairly strong. Some people need to calm down.

Do you guys reckon Luke Burgess would get in the squad?

So if your playing well in a team that is playing well, shouldnt that mean you should be selected? And if a player is playing poorly of late, why should they be rewarded with a selection? Would it not be better to pick on form and confidence, for example the charnley try in the corner at ethiad with the basketball pass, or the dink through just before the hooter, all the signs of a player high on confidence.

To be honest im quite happy that both micky and goulding will be getting a rest, and would like a few others not to be playing for either team, I just like the idea of players being chosen on merit and not on name. Lets face it we know what players like sinfield, wilkin, burrow and roby can or cant do at international level, so in a meaningless game, would it not be better to try the odd new face instead of half a dozen players who have loads of caps?

when all the aussie based players come back in I hope we line up something like

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Josh Charnley
3. Jack Reed
4. Kallum Watkins
5. Ryan Hall
6. Gareth Widdop
7. Danny Brough
8. James Graham
9. James Roby
10. Sam Burgess
11. Gareth Hock
12. Gareth Ellis
13. Sean O'Loughlin

14. Lee Mossop
15. Luke Burgess
16. Ben Westwood
17. Mike McIllorum

but you know the likes of Sinfield, Ablett, Wilkin and Peacock will continously be selected because of the brainless coach we have.

At least in the side named above you have an exciting back line with plenty of pace and a forward pack which is aggressive, you also have a very big and aggressive bench.

I couldn't give a monkeys what Clarke says and I wouldn't know as I don't have Sky and I watch all Wigan games in the flesh so i'm going off my own eyes only.

McIlorum is playing as an 80 minute hooker this year and is playing out of his skin. He is butchering teams in defence and physically hurting people (legally) . In saying that it's his attack that's improved massively. He isn't a scooter hooker that just jumps out of dummy half all the time, he is keeping Wigan ticking over with impressive and slick distribution that's getting our forwards on a roll and he's picking holes in teams when running himself.

I can't speak highly enough of how well he's playing this year and like I say he has 'test match player' written all over him. I do believe he got in trouble for missing an ETS training camp recently though so his non selection may not be a playing issue anyway.

As for Goulding I agree he's probably not quite test match standard. He's the form centre in superleague and is playing a very important part in a very good Wigan side and Charnley is reaping the benefits (it's no coincidence Charnley has 21 try's) but when it comes to marking guys like Inglis, Hodges, Kenny-Dowell etc etc and going the other way when attacking them i'd back big athletes like Atkins, Reed or Watkins to get the job done rather then a player like Goulding who's great for his winger in superleague but won't get the same space at the international level.

6 Leeds players

if sinfield is 6 for england this week then i have changed my mind and banana skin should be sacked. one of the worse 6's in superleague he only knows how to tip it back inside and run across the line.

Then what's Leroy Cudjoe? Daz Goulding blows him out the water yet he is picked above him. I'm not disagreeing with your assessment BTW but IMO Goulding should be playing against the Exiles next week over Cudjoe.



I'll have to agree to disagree with you. McIlorum is a brilliant player and I will sing the lads praises till I'm blue in the face. He's only 24 and is really kicking on. He's an 80 minute hooker who's defence is absolutely ferocious. He might not make the same amount of tackles as Roby but he dominates the vast majority of the tackles he makes and really hurts the opposition - Roby doesn't. He's at the very fulcrum of all Wigan do in attack by some intelligent plays - leading our huge pack around the park. Like NickyKiss said I'd interchange him with Roby. He's certainly international class IMO & at 24 will continue to get better and better too.

I watched Sinfield closely against Warrington and i have to say that he was dreadful.
Defence - as weak as
Passing - every pass put his runner under pressure or was off target.
Kicking - rubbish
Lack of Speed - I think it was Grix from memory who went past him and Sinfield chased but it was like he was running up and down on the same blade of grass.

Watching the Leeds Wire game last night just enphasised what a joke it is that Jamie Peacock is going to be captaining and leading the England team. He got dominated in pretty much every carry and hardly ever makes any extra ground after first contact. He also never hits hard in defence, he's a shadow of the great player he was a few seasons back and it was embarassing at times how easy he was dominated by the likes of Hill and Carvell. The likes of LMS, Prescott, Hill, Taylor should be given a chance. Westwood would do a better job at prop aswell.

if leeds had a good 6 they would still be a good team, soon as sinfield gets the ball in attack it just dies and you never see him organising other than the 1 player who he wants to give a flat ball to (after running across and taking all the space away).

also if zak hardaker learns to pass he will be a very good fullback

I'd be very happy with that team but like you said "because of the brainless coach we have" personally i expect a very different looking team sadly

Are you out of your mind! Not enough Leeds players! Need to chop out at least 3 in form players for peacock, jjb and burrow (although he the least terrible)and then shoe horn in sinfiled somewhere for him to be crap again at test level.