I know it's the age old question of 'how do we catch up to the Aussies' but, are we on the right track? Looking at last years England team, we had a lot of class with a lot of years infront of them. Plus adding in a lot more this year with the likes of Hardaker and Watkins to just name two. But who else do you see making the step up to international level that could peg the Aussies back? To me, England are lacking in the halves, yet if you look at the Superleague table, the top clubs all had at least one English half back (if you can count Smith at Wigan) So who will make it from being first team regulars with their SL clubs, to being Internationals?

I think the battle is between Myler and Lomax at the moment, yet if Ratchford could get a regular run in the halves he could push closer to a shirt.

Ratch won't play in the halves. He's being groomed as Hodgson's replacement at FB. Myler is miles ahead of Lomax but I still don't think he's ready just yet either. We all know its going to be Sinfield & Chase at the World Cup injuries permitting anyway.

EDIT - Well unless Widdop has a late shout.

Where will Widdop be playing for Melbourne though, with Finch signing. He's not going to play 1, 7 or 9. Maybe another Ratchford/Pryce play wherever I can player.

I'd prefer to play Chase, Sinfield and a number 7. Sinfield is as good as any loose forward in the game, so play him there.

Sadly we'll probably never catch up and be on an even footing with the Aussies and even the Kiwis with the way things are going but I still want us to be as good as we can be. I believe the talent pool is increasing and there are some good young players coming through and we may possibly be able to shock the Aussies in a final at some point.

I look at the squad now and it has more depth then it has had for a long time. Guys like Hardaker, Charnley and Watkins have added real competition in that backline and we have a host of young props ready to burst through and replace Peacock and Morley. The backrow is full of quality and we have some cracking options at hooker but we'll fall short in the halfbacks IMO. We can't seem to produce that alround half that can do everything like a Thurston, Marshall or Cronk. I can't knock Sinfield at superleague level but he lacks the pace to cut it as an international 6, Chase is unpredictable but doesn't do the basics well enough. I like Widdop and it would be him and Sinfield for me because after that the cupboards pretty bare. Guys like Myler and Lomax have a long way to go in their development and Brough just seems to fall short in the big games. A young halfback I like is Gaskell and 12 months back I thought he may be a shout for 2013 but he's basically lost a year whilst Hohiha has stank the place out and it's probably too late to get him to the required level.

Apart from the halfbacks I'm pleased with how the squads shaping up though. A place in the world cup final should be the aim.

Watkins is not International standard. His defence is awful.
Likely as not the Aussies will go with Slater at full back and Inglis at 4. The idea that Watkins can defend against Inglis is laughable.
As for half backs. First of all we have to recognise that we have a half wit as coach. As has been said he'll probably go with Sinfield and Chase at 6 & 7 thus leaving Widdop out or having him on the bench.
Widdop plays at Melbourne, GF winners and 2nd in the League, he is most certainly worth his place. Finch won't replace him, he's half back reserve.
Chase isn't worth a place, out of form and playing in the 2nd bottom team in Super League. McNamara isn't just mad picking Chase but absolutely barking!
We'll do well in this year's Intl comp but McNamara leaves me very worried about the World Cup next year.

Personally i think we are catching up to the Aussies. Last year i though we played pretty well in the 4N, like the OP said, our players have years ahead of them. Tomkins, Hall, Briscoe, Burgess are - 3,4 or 5years off their peak IMO

Then look at the players underneath, i genuinely believe we have world class players coming through in Ward, Bateman, Clark, Jones.

I believe a massive hurdle was overcome last year in that our players genuinely believed they could beat Australia when they went onto the field. Yes Australia had that extra touch of class when it mattered, but Thurston, Smith, Slater are all seasoned internationals who have played together for years. A lot of our England players are just starting their international careers.

I think Australia will win the WC next year, but i believe we have a genuine shout of challenging for the trophy next year, but Australia will be favorites. In 2017 the golden generation of Thurston, Smith, Slater won't be playing and i think we will see the lights of Bateman, Ward step up.

Halves are definitely the problem, clubs just haven't developed and persevered enough with producing their own. Neither Hull FC and Hull KR for example will have Englishman at 6 or 7 next season.

The problem we'll always have though is the Aussies will simply produce another batch of superstars to replace these guys. It's long been the case from when I started watching rugby league and they had the likes of Meninga, Langer and Lazarus and since then it's just been a production line of world class talent from Daley to Fittler to Barrett to Lockyer to Thurston, From Meninga to Renouf to Gasnier to Inglis and so on and that will continue.

All we can do is try to be the best we can be. I believe we're heading in a good direction but any win over them will always be more shock then expected.

I think we are so far behind the Aussies as we try to play the game they play. The 5 big forwards and organised to the point of rigid attack structure. We were closer when we just played, just went at them and played what was infront of them. We have talent, Graham, Burgess, Morley and Ellis have gone over there and shone in their competition, I've no doubt Tomkins and Hall would get in the majority of teams.

For me, pick a spine 1, 6, 7, 9 and 13 that can play, and stick with it. It will smooth out over games together. Tomkins, Chase, Myler, Roby and Sinfield for me, with the big men in the middle that always do the job, add in the flurry of young talented back and we have a team. It may take a few games to get things working well, but that is why we have 'nothing' games like the two this year and the mid year games

RE: Hull KR - can't Dobson play 7 for England?

I think there's a plethora of talent coming through in the backs.

BTW - Sinfield should NOT play at loose. He is an out and out stand-off. Don't be fooled by his jersey number at Leeds, he has barely played there for years.

Widdop should be one of the first players picked.......

He wasn't exposed in the WCC.

But how can he, if he is not playing regular for Melbourne, as it looks as though it will be Finch and Cronk at 6 and 7 in 2013. I agree he's a great player, but gets pushed out of the way in such a star studded team.

Pretty sure finch is being used for cover during origin and for back up and mentoring. I doubt widdop will be replaced and even if he did he is still the best player we have for the job.

Therin lies the problem. Widdop is a good player but still some way behind the Aussie halves.
If the SL clubs keep on bringing Aussies over to play 6 & 7, then we will never develop our own players.
If the sport at national level is deemed to be important, we be better off having some kind of embago on Aussie players
and force our owm to play every week.
Ok, in the short term standards would drop but, if we are patient and employ decent coaches, we would make progress.
The problem is, just like in the round ball game, club sport has a much higher priority than the national game, which is one
of the reasons that there is so much apathy from the fans.