Aussies Break English HeartsEngland simply needed to avoid defeat to make it through to next Sunday's Four Nations Final where they would again meet today's opponents, Australia. Any thoughts that Australia would field a weakened side were crushed when they announced their strongest line-up, the Aussies determined to make it a clean sweep of victories in the group stage. Wayne Bennett rang the changes for England with Kevin Brown, James Graham, and John Bateman all in the starting line up with George Williams moved to the bench after his starring role last week. READ MORE ON THIS STORY...

Aussies Break English HeartsEngland simply needed to avoid defeat to make it through to next Sunday's Four Nations Final where they would again meet today's opponents, Australia. Any thoughts that Australia would field a weakened side were crushed when they announced their strongest line-up, the Aussies determined to make it a clean sweep of victories in the group stage. Wayne Bennett rang the changes for England with Kevin Brown, James Graham, and John Bateman all in the starting line up with George Williams moved to the bench after his starring role last week. READ MORE ON THIS STORY...

After watching todays game and Greg Inglis, Am i still the only one on here who thinks Roberts is worth training up as a Centre, He has size and a bit of pace, whether he could ever be as good i don't know but i would certainly give him the chance.

But Inglis is full back in his club position.

If we want to compete with Australia ever again we have got to get some real size in the outside backs,this is where they are killing us right now.Should have left Crabtree in the centres all those years ago.

England need a kicking game yesterday's was shocking to miss touch twice from the hand is criminal.

Halfs have been poor too all decent Superleague players but none of International class.

Went missing far too long often in all three games what would a Murphy or Millward be worth today ??

Or more to this particular thread point, A Neil Fox, P Newlove. I do agree with you about the halves, but to be fair they are a level above us in every position on the field. England defended very well in the first half, but it was never going to last after all the pressure defending their line, On top of that giving them the ball when you have the penalty is just not good enough.

I suspect you are like me, and can remember when we used to beat them, When they used to tour , even some club sides would beat them. Those days are long gone and are unlikely ever to return.

Well there we go again, decent first half good defence and looking to go in only 2 points down then ourselves in the foot with the second penalty that failed to find touch and the half ends with a penalty kicked for them. A good solid start was needed for the second half but when Sam failed to take the pass to go over under the sticks it was game well and truly over as they scored soon after, that 12 point swing seemed to knock the stuffing out of us and with Thurston, Cronk and Smith playing behind a now powerful dominant pack, the far superior Aussie Centres had time and space to cut loose. Was surprised and disappointed with the team selection in regards to the third half back pairing in 3 games as for me George Williams had done enough against Scotland to have kept his starting place,and to have no interchange number 9 to bring on to try and use different tactics from dummy half was ludicrous. As has been said earlier in this thread what we wouldn't give for players of the calibre of Fox, Newlove Murph and my favourite ever stand off, Millward, oh well hoping for a good game at Anfield for us perennial neutrals.

In some ways can understand the Hodgson kick as he was looking for good field position as there were only 40 seconds on the time clock.The Widdop missed touch finder early on was the real bad one.
England were good for the majority of the 50 minutes it has to be said until they switched off at the Aussie scrum.This was followed by the 'soft' Scott try which maybe no surprise happened when Sam Burgess was being spelled.Game over at that point.

Sam Burgess is still our stand out player,gets through a ton of work,even though that spell in rugby union has not helped.Had he been on the field don't think Scott would have scored.

Disappointing,but overall think Bennett might have us moving in the right direction.

Sam burgress gives away to many soft pens at that level as a captain he needs to lead by example not given someone a cheap shot at the end of the first 40 and an easy 2 points then at the end winge about the ref. where not far off them where like the giants just panic

Well i can't agree there, We hung in for half a match being driven backwards for most of it. yes we had the odd chance but most of the half we were on the defense, That wasn't anything but the Aussie forwards being more powerful. Second half we were just outclassed, I'm sorry to say they are better than us in every position and have been for the last 40 years.

I don't have the answer, I wish i did, I have been hearing this, we are getting there for half my life but we never make it, I just think they play at a different level, and they have no weaknesses, I don't think anything is set to change anytime soon, It's depressing really.

Sam Burgess 46 tackles and the only England player to gain 100 metres,not bad to say many concluded he had a poor game.By his own high standards maybe not quite as top drawer as previous series.Concerned that age might be catching up to his form,but they are speculating that move to rugby union was what set him back.

That shoulder barge was daft,probably frustrated that Hodgson did not find touch.

Without S Burgess in the side I give England no chance in the WC.

Pretty much agree with that, I am not criticizing the effort from the English lads in any way at all, I'm just saying what the results for a long time have been confirming, They are a level or two higher than we are.

I think when we have a player who is good ( S Burgess etc ) they stand out over here, ( big fish in little pond so to speak ) when they go over there, the really good ones raise their game again and match the Aussies and make a real name for themselves, " Morley etc " The ones who can't do that usually come back fairly quickly. I think the reason the coach picks so many of them that play in Oz " whoever the coach is " Is down to the fact that everybody knows the game is at a higher level over there and therefor they should have a better chance of competing.

The game is afloat with money over there, It's difficult to see how we are ever going to get close to them again.

There's more money in the game over there but its not afloat with it, and still has to compete with RU and AFL, not to mention even the NFL in the case of Hayne.

AFL is becoming a serious threat to Australian RL in NSW/QLD,they said it would never happen but there are now two well supported 'ping pong' franchises in both those states.

Give it 30 years or so for AFL to come in full effect down the eastern seaboard and we might be RL World Cup winners once again.

As far as i know the current RFL deal with sky for 5 years is 90 million, Or something around that. The last 5 years deal for the Aussies was 1 Billion, Now that might not be awash to you, but i would call it fairly healthy no matter what RU and aussie rules are doing.