Had a think about this and here is my team

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Tom Briscoe
3. Michael Shenton
4. Jack Reed
5. Jamie Foster
6. Gareth Widdop
7. Richie Myler
8. Sam Burgess
9. James Roby
10. James Graham
11. Gareth Ellis
12. Joel Tomkins
13. Sean O'Loughlin

I am ready to be shot down

Jack Reed?

english centre, plays for brisbane.


personally it would be a choice between shenton and bridge for the right centre spot.

although myler is improving i dont think hes quite there yet so widdop and brough in the halves, westwood in at second row with joel tomkins on the bench.

Shenton over Atkins or Bridge?

Not shooting you down, Doc, but the RFL/McBanana would never go for something as adventurous/green as that side.

You could argue a case for all of them, Ellis excepted, as he's never really (imo) transferred his excellent club form into an international shirt, so you'd probably swap for Westwood. Also, isn't Burgess on a long term injury (I'm probably wrong).

There'd be mass uproar if Myler got anywhere near the side, without picking the likes of Burrow, McGuire or Sinfield (no anti Leeds bias here, honestly) ahead of him.

I fear another whooping (unfortunately) come October/November for the internationals. Hope I'm wrong though.

tomkins over westwood

Most of the team picks itself but Foster should be nowhere near the side, problem is who else to pick? Briscoe is our best winger but after him we lack another international quality winger.

1.tomkins
2.hall
3.shenton
4.reed
5.briscoe
6.lomax
7.brough
8.graham
9.roby
10.burgess
11.ellis
12.westwood
13.oloughlin
subs
14.robinson
15.carvell
16.tomkins
17.crabtree

People have been argueing for a while now that the England/GB team should be picked on form, suprised nobody has picked Kirk Yeaman as he's been the in form english centre this year.

I'd go for something similar to this, yeh a few picks are brave but it can't do any harm rewarding form players like Jodie Broughton ahead of the likes of Ryan Hall, and yes no Widdop as i see Lomax as a more natural stand off than him and Widdop isn't going to replace Sam Tomkins. Ben Jones Bishop is another winger knocking on the door.

1. S Tomkins
2. T Briscoe
3. Chris Bridge
4. Kirk Yeaman
5. J Broughton
6. J Lomax
7. D Brough
8. G Carvell
9. J Roby
10. J Graham
11. B Westwood
12. J Tomkins (Compliments Westwood well, workrate and pace in the back row)
13. S Burgess (sorry can't have O'Loughlin at this level)

14. Luke Robinson
15. G Ellis
16. P Wood
17. E Crabtree

1. S.Tomkins
2. T.Briscoe
3. C.Bridge
4. K.Yeamen
5. R.Hall
6. G.Widdop
7. D.Brough
8. J.Graham
9. J.Roby
10. G.Carvell
11. G.Ellis
12. B.Westwood
13. S.Burgess

14. L.Robinson
15. S.O'loughlin
16. J.Tomkins
17. E.Crabtree

S Tomkins
Jones-Bishop/Charnley/McGilviray
Bridge
Yeaman
Briscoe
Widdop
Brough
Carvell
Roby
Graham
Westwood
Ellis
O'Loughlin

Robinson
Mossop
J Tomkins
Wood

Spot on apart from Charnley. Awful defensively.

The sad thing is, the teams listed in this thread are as good as we're going to get and the most wouldn't even get in an Austrialia 3rd team(if they were aussies).

Average, just average.

1. S Tomkins (Wigan)
2. T Briscoe (Hull FC)
3. C Bridge (Wire)
4. J Reed (Broncos)
5. J Foster (Saints)
6. G Widdop (Storm)
7. D Brough (Hudds)
8. S Burgess (Rabbitohs) (Out all season - Carvell to start, Crabtree on to the bench)
9. J Roby (Saints)
10. J Graham (Saints/Bulldogs)
11. G Ellis (Tigers)
12. B Westwood (Wire)
13. S O'Loughlin (c) (Wigan)

14. L Robinson (Hudds)
15. G Carvell (Wire)
16. D Griffin (Hudds)
17. B Harrison (Wire)

I don't think we have the quality in the outside backs to beat the Aussies straight up. Keep it simple, big team, big bench. If we get the opportunity to play ball, we have good enough players out wide with the required skill set to score from an overlap or hole in defence but otherwise I'd look to bully them out the game.

I'd have Sarginson (Quins)at centre, what i've seen of him so far he won't be at Quins long.