I thought I must have just read a different thread when I saw that so I went back and checked. There are 3 comments from Wigan fans. 1 agrees TJ should get a place, 1 asks a question (wasn't he dropped earlier in the season) with no further comment and 1 supports the view that it shouldn't matter which club a player is from. How's that chip on your shoulder?

For what it's worth (even though Wigan fans' views shouldn't count as we're all clearly biased against Trinity!) is that the wing spots are the incumbent's to lose, as they have all performed to a high standard, including Makinson on his debut. After that TJ is probably next in line and I'd be very surprised if he doesn't make the squad in the upcoming tests and should get a game if England opt for Makinson in the centres again.

1 thread started by 1 poster if I recall.

Tom Johnstone has missed nearly a quarter of the tackles he has attempted. This is why he wont get near an England shirt. That is an embarassing stat

Regards

King James

I agree with that last sentence. Problem was at the very start of this thread you had someone say he was the best winger in the last 18 months and try highlight how he still hasn’t been capped. When it was correctly pointed out that he was injured for half of that time and England have barely played a game where he was fit in the last 2 seasons some including yourself took objection to this replying “what’s that got to do with anything”.

Everything else you wrote is laughable as Wakefield are the worst for the big club small club nonsense and on the Kohnstone thread on your own board you say “in a fair world he’d get a crack” whilst another says the only thing that might hold him back is that he doesn’t play for a fashionable club. Obviously has to be these sort of reasons when a Wakefield player doesn’t get picked and not because other players are better

That line you wrote about creating heroes from your own players whilst criticising any that don’t conform to your prejudices is certainly true but you need to look in the mirror when thinking of that line.

Ahem. Ben Barba. Ahem.

Disagree with this Pinter old boy.
There is absolutely no doubt that players from the "big four" do get a better than even crack of the whip when it comes to England selection and partly this may be fair, as generally they have more "big game" experience which weighs heavily in their favour, just as previous form for England (or whoever) form also puts a huge tick in the plus column.
Kevin Brown and George Williams are good examples of this, with Brown moving from Widnes to Warrington and then making it into the Englans set up, almost instantly and there are numerous others over the years.
Players like Ashurst would have certainly made the Knights had he been at a more fashionable club. I know the Knights are more diverse in their club make up than the full England side but, the point still stands.

Please provide a link to this stat please and we can then examine it.

Matty Smith is the prime example.

You don't really know how a player will fare at international level without giving them a fair crack at it Id argue Mcgilvarry has exceeded expectations and performed better for England than many first thought? Hall has been consistently good but as stated is getting older and now injured so the likes of Eden ,Johnstone ,3 x Wigan wingers all merit looking at.Charnley and Lineham also have a case but it depends how much Bennett wants them making metres in own half or scoring tries (Ok ideally both).Our back 5 last tournament only Watkins could go full length. Hall and Jerry are mega solid but not rapid.Johnstone for me looks the best of the bunch and deserves a shot imo. If Hardaker keeps nose clean and gets back to speed then we have some real strike in the backs

Kevin Brown played for England in November 2016 vs Australia whilst a Widnes player, Warrington signed him the following month when Sandow went AWOL. (Also played in 2010 whilst at Hudds)

Ashurst won’t be in the Knights squad because of his age. He’ll be turning 29 this Autumn and you should look at the other players ages in the Knights squad instead of what club they play for. Playing for Wakefield hasn’t stopped the Knights picking the 25 year old Reece Lynn.

A few Hudds players played for England when they were top 4 regulars and Cas players getting in too so you don’t have to be at the “big boys” to get in.

Quote: vastman "Please provide a link to this stat please and we can then examine it.'" www.rugby-league.com/superleague ... ayer_stats

Quote: vastman "Please provide a link to this stat please and we can then examine it.'" www.rugby-league.com/superleague ... ayer_stats

It's not only posters from the big clubs who are tired of Trinity fans claiming the world is against them, and they get no consideration because they are a small club (i'm a Huddersfield fan) . McGillvary got picked from our 'small club' because he was good enough, END OF! Anyway, thanks for bringing Johnstone to our attention i'm sure we will be signing him soon like we do most of your players who show promise and can offload some past his prime player in the other direction. We have a great soon to be 36 year old halfback i'm sure you will be wanting to snap up in exchange!!

Indeed, clearly no club bias there

Funnily enough, he got picked for England when he first topped the SL try charts and got in the dream team in 2015, see if the same happens with Tom.

Also shows Ryan Hall has missed 24 of his 64 tackles & McGillvary has missed 19 of his 43, what can we take out of that? Johnstone has a better percentage rate than the current internationals, Hall 37% missed, McGillvary 44, or that stats don't tell you everything.