I am not sure why people keep posting line-ups with Farrell starting.

He is definitely on the bench, as is Ablett. Ferres is starting.

In the top league?

Not in the NRL he hasn't. George has played 28 times for Souths, Tom has played 9.

Is this confirmed?

Is it me or have we just got no pack leader what so ever? Over the years we've had Sculthorpe, Andy Farrell, Fielden then the bat got passed to JP with the help of Moz...but that forward pack doesn't have one for me.

In the past we haven't gone badly against Australia in the forwards, we just generally lack the intelligence out of dummy half and in the half backs. But with the old guard firmly in retirement It really lacks experience. The hopeful return of Graham and O'Loughlin will be a huge bonus next week, but I fear for us this week. Sinfield has it all to do leading this mob around the pack.

Not officially but unless Farrell himself is giving out false information to his nearest and dearest, it's definitely true.

Sam Burgess will have to step up and lead the pack.

... for 60 minutes?

He won't half, but has he got the 'captain of the forwards' in him?



Indeed.

The problem with basing the team selection on NRL experience is that with Graham out through disciplinary and Reed injured this would only leave Sam, Tom and George Burgess and Gareth Widdop left to play the Kangaroos. Personally I would rather we selected 17 players rather than 4

Or in other words. Of course the first team Super League experience that Tom has needs to be taken into consideration when discussing experience. The fact is that Tom has played more first team rugby than George so we either say that both are too inexperienced or both are good to go, we cannot say George has the experience and Tom doesn't

In his career maybe. But on current form I saw Tom in a North Sydney jersey a lot more than a Souths one. ie. He was playing in the reserves in Australia. How can he be a top choice for England?



I do wish him well having said all that as he'll be wearing the jersey.

Bottom line is that England is weak in the halves. Both Sinfield and Chase are good club players but have never risen to the international challenge. England's backs will not have many opportunities when dependent upon inadequate halves.

Choosing Widdop is the only way that England can compete. But McNamara has not shown any inclination to do that.

England will compete if the forwards match the Aussie forwards. If they don't, we'll lose badly. Whether 1 player is in or out is almost irrelevant compared to what attitude our forwards will be in when the game starts.

I seriously hope McBanana knows what he's doing, as I'm really not confident.

I had my doubts over him leaving Matty Smith out of the squad and picking Chase, as I think Smith has been far more consistent than Chase for the last two seasons. I don't like Sinfield as an international standoff, if we need to boost our playmaking because we don't have enough quality in the halves I would much rather have gone with Smith and Widdop and move Sinfield to 13.

I'm hoping they surprise me, I really am, but without Graham and O'Loughlin the pack looks underpowered, I'm not even a great fan of O'Loughlin, but this side just looks a bit makeweight when we know the Aussies have got some real quality throughout their side. How many of our squad would get close to an Aussie squad? Graham and Sam Burgess are arguably better than a number of forwards in the Aussie squad, and I'm sure they'd find space for Tompkins even if as a back-up player, Hall is probably as good a winger as they have got, and maybe Roby might just edge in as a back-up hooker. But otherwise it doesn't look great.

McNamara has just walked out of the press conference. Persistent questioning about Hock and the players not picked and he stopped the conference