should be:

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Josh Charnley
3. Kallum Watkins
4. Leroy Cudjoe
5. Ryan Hall
6. Kevin Sinfield (C)
7. Rangi Chase
8. George Burgess
9. James Roby
10. James Graham
11. Sam Burgess
12. Ben Westwood
13. Sean O'Loughlin

14. Rob Burrow
15. Chris Hill
16. Tom Burgess
17. Brett Ferres

For me Ferris keeps his place.
Burgess will probably get a ban so O'loughlin can replace him but if not Westwood should be on the bench

Chase can't be involved again IMO. He isn't offering enough and looks out if his depth.

Its a different thing picking a team I want to what it actually will be. I'd move Tomkins up to 6 and put Hardaker in at 1 but it won't happen. If it was up to me I'd go-

Hardaker
Charnley
Watkins
Cudjoe
Hall
Tomkins
Sinfield
G Burgess
Roby
Hill
Ferres
Burgess
O'Loughlin

Subs
Graham
Westwood
Farrell
Burrow

That teams our best hope of winning the competition IMO but I don't expect to see it anytime soon.

In a way it should not matter who turns out.


Just a pity that the players who needed to drink, excluded themselves out of the key game in the group.

You honestly expect Sam Burgess to be available for this game after he nearly took Thaiday's head off? We'll be lucky to have him back for the Fiji match.

I'd line up like this

Tomkins
Charnley
Watkins
Cudjoe
Hall
Widdop
Sinfield
Graham
Roby
Hill
Ferres
Westwood
O' Loughlin

McIlorum
G Burgess
T Burgess
Farrell

I would bring in Hardaker at No 1 bringing Tomkins at No 6 alongside (last chance) Chase at No 7.
Sinfield operating at No 13, Graham replaces Mossop and starting prop with Hill.

Burrow on the bench to play at 7 or 9.

Ideally props from the bench should have been G Burgess and Crabtree, so it looks as though T Burgess could get anther gig.

if Burgess is suspended, I'd start Ferres alongside Westwood and bring Carl Ablett onto the bench.

O'loughlin's fitness permitting i would expect all seven that were not involved against Aus to play in this one. That is quite important for squad harmony. After that every player will have had a chance. I am sure everyone will get a run against Ireland or Fiji

not sure which game people who thought Sinfield played poorly were watching. On yesterdays form the England players who should be nervous about selection for the quarters would be T Burgess, Mossop, Widdop and surprisingly Westwood. They should though all get another chance to impress.

I have to say despite pre-tournament criticism both centres played very well and both Ferres and Ablett in the second row performed very well also. That said the quarter final selection should be made on tournament form after the next two games, plenty opportunities for all to impress.

I’m not sure I would have selected Chase in the squad but to be fair he is a man of steel winner (and one of those players who people would say ‘if only Chase was English’ if we wasn’t with us)

Anyway, now the squad has been selected I think McNamara needs to develop some continuity and get us playing together as a team both in attack and defence. This means don’t shuffle the team around as they won’t get a chance to gel

We have two more group games and a quarter final which ‘should’ be reasonably straight forward so we can develop this continuity over the next 3 weeks ready for the semi which is looming against New Zealand

This means…

The backline of Tomkins, Hall, Cudjoe, Watkins and Charnley is the best we can put out, let’s fill them full of confidence by running in a few tries

Sinfield and Chase now have a chance to work together for a month and get some real understanding

Some rotation in the forwards for the next few games may be more sensible (and enforced with S. Burgess) but from what we saw yesterday a front row rotation of Sam Burgess, George Burgess, Graham and Hill would provide 80 minutes of go forward

Ferres was very good and has some size so I think he keeps his spot and while Westwood gave away a few dumb penalties, he has enough credit built up for another shot, O’Loughlin back to lock the scrum would add another dimension

Not for the Ireland necessarily but as we move towards the back end of the tournament

Tomkins

Hall
Cudjoe
Watkins
Charnley

Chase
Sinfield
Roby

Front row rotation of G Burgess, S. Burgess, Graham & Hill

Westwood
Ferres
O’Loughlin

Interchange

The two front rowers not starting plus
Michael McIlorum
Carl Ablett

Is it possible to bring Crabtree into the England squad or not? Regardless of whether he would or not

Like yesterday then?

Sinfield is still the biggest liability IMO.
He is not a half back for a start.

It would seem that those in the NRL disagree.

With Sam Burgess

1. Tomkins
2. Charnley
3. Watkins
4. Cudjoe
5. Hall
6. Widdop
7. Chase
8. G Burgess
9. Roby
10. Graham
11. Westwood
12. Sam Burgess/Ferres
13. Sinfield

14. O'Loughlin
15. Hill
16. Ferres/Farrell
17. Burrow

If no Sam Burgess then Ferres starting with Farrell on bench.

Change the record, its getting boring.