I thought Widdop was the rising star at stand-off, what with him playing for Melbourne regularly and that? Now he's got a Kiwi competing for his place...bit odd, this.

It is not too difficult to summise my position on the matter. My view is similiar to wigan (repeatedly) breaking the cap or, to a similiar extent, watching chelsea play football a few years ago. If you are gonna play a game (to strict rules; ie a game) then why go against them. It reall is a question of 'what is the point?' As the criteria becomes looser and looser the purpose to watch diminishes. If the possibility of anyone playing for any team (eg chase playing for exiles and then england) I may as well watch randomers play in the park. The game has become pointless. There is nothing to prove.

I would rather england lose often and know they are sheet than know a team of random mercenaries can beat a team of other mercenaries on the other side of the world.

It is just my opinion and I am certainly not trying to protect some english identity. I want to watch a meaningful game that entertains me.

He's just won MoS as well.

Good! It has been a few years since an englishman has won it.

Was his turning nationality, his '30 peices of silver'?

Under this resident rule where Rangi Chase has qualified for England, lets see what sort of team we could put out.

1. Brent Webb
2. Tom Briscoe
3. Matt King
4. Jake Webster/George Carmont
5. Ryan Hall
6. Rangi Chase
7. Danny Brough
8. James Graham
9. Michael Monaghan
10. Garreth Carvell
11. Gareth Ellis
12. Steve Menzies
13. Sam Burgess

14. James Roby
15. Kylie Leuluai
16. Adrian Morley
17. Joel Tomkins

Ryan Hall? Screw that. Get Pat Richards in there.

The sad thing is, the complete lack of pride to play for you country has gone. It should be an honour to pull on the jumper, sing the anthem and go out to play for queen and country, whereas its now seen as a CV builder. No passion and commitment is what has killed our international game

Hear, Hear, Side Burns

In the past decade or so, playing for your country has been seen as an inconvenience to some people in ANY sport, not just RL.

All these Premiership footballers, with their "Oh, I've retired from internationals now" guff. Especially the ones (Chris Sutton comes to mind) who've got about half a dozen caps, and realise there are 5 or 6 ahead of them in the pecking order, so they wont get a game. It's just "look at me, I really am Billy Big Biscuits, because I'm retiring...no you weren't as good as others.

People pulling out of international matches with the tiniest injury/runny noses

Last week, Gerrard at Liverpool asked not to be included for England's upcoming game as he wasn't fit, yet he was fit enough for the Derby, the week before.

In our game, we have people changing nationalities because either
a) there are people better than them in their original nationalities ....Pat Richards
b) they know their original choice of nation is a pile of plop at the game, but they wanted international recognition at the time. Now they've improved as a player, they want to change their nationality...Chris Bridge/Gareth Carvell.

GET SOME PRIDE

Pat Richards doesn't look the same player after his injury, ive read people on your board say similar. He's deffo lost a yard of pace.

Anyway he's irish through and through, it would make a mockery of our international game if we started to let players from other countries play for England.

To be fair to Pat Richards, both his parents are Irish. So he's a full Irishman really.

And with Ryan Hall scoring 30 tries or more for 3 seasons in a row, you wouldn't pick anyone else. That guy is top class.

That's a little unfair as it seems like you're saying that this is how it is on the whole. Whereas i think it's just the odd players who are like this every now and again. I reckon loads of players love playing for their country (their proper country) and have a lot of pride in doing so.

great news for players from the southern hemisphere that cant get a full cap with NZ or AUS....Now that they know we are willing to give England international honours to foreigners they will be flocking over.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Rangi Chase is English, he'll never be a pie,
Would he play for Wigan, I guess he'd rather die,
Playing for Wire, would be an awesome sight,
Man of Steel Rangi, makes young Sam look shyyte.

It makes me laugh how all these England fans are so bothered about having a New Zealander in the team.

Would you rather have Sam "Rat Boy" Tomkins?

Remember the exiles game.....we haven't booed anybody so hard since Frank Lampard played for England

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"English talent" does anybody really care apart from Phil Clarke and Eddie Hemmings