And we've been just as "competative" since those players retired. The teams of the late 80s and 90s won just as much as the current crop. The fact is we were 5hit then and we're 5hit now, and I'm not convinced the young players coming through will change anything. No doubt the likes of Myler and Westerman will get their chance, be average for 1 or 2 games, and be written off as not good enough, and then the cries will start again for "the youngsters to be given a chance"... and so the cycle continues.

I don't remember regular 30-40-50 point hidings at the hands of Australia during the late 80's-early 90's.

We may have been beaten in series against them and in world cups but they were alot closer then the way we've pushed them in the past 4-5 years.

We got beat by 40+ points in the world cup, in the tri nations final of 2004 and by nearly 60 points in the one off test over there aswell a few years back. That never used to happen.

We pushed them to the edge in 1992 and in 1995 aswell as in Ashes series before that.

We may not have even been any good back then but i tell you we were a dam site better then we are now

I would go with a youthful team. Nothing to lose so why not give some of the young lads ago?

Briscoe
Ainscough
Shenton
Lee Smith
Hall
McGuire? Any other young British stand offs?
Myler
Luke Burgess
Diskin
James Graham
Burnett
Sam Buress
Westerman

Cant think of another young stand off playing in SL. To be honest I think that would do a job on the French team. Try get them playing together as I see some of them being in the GB team for years to come.

Tomkins? wheeler?

McGuire, and Pryce are in better form anyway, and I don't think Wheeler has played 6 that much this season.

Just the first young standoffs i could think of, plus i thouhgt the idea was to name some new young talent to be given a chance.

1. Lee Smith
2. Peter Fox
3. Michael Shenton
4. Ryan Atkins
5. Ryan Hall
6. Danny McGuire
7. Rob Burrow/Richie Myler
8. James Graham
9. James Roby
10. Luke Burgess
11. Sam Burgess
12. Paul Clough
13. Joe Westerman
Start with Burrow then bring Myler off the bench and move Burrow to hooker and give Roby a rest.

Sam Tomkins

Paul Clough

Kyle Eastmond is too soft to play at international level, he struggles in superleague with with physical side of it, he has no chance of tackling Kite, Bailey, Blair, Vatuvai but it would be quite funny watching it

I can imagine Vatuvai running through him and after he has scored picking the splattered Eastmond off the palm of his had like a splattered fly on a windscreen

Peacock is by far the best captain we have he leads by example and has the respect of the other players. Out of interest who you put at captain?

while i tend to agree with you about peacock i was'nt happy with the way he carried himself during the world cup...

were you happy with any of them?