Not at all...iirc, he was one of Saints best on Good Friday. Looked very useful.

No Widdop? he out performs both halves and the fullback you mentioned in both positions.

In your opinion.

I'm not sure he's a better organiser/kicker than Sinfield or a better full back / 6 than Tomkins.

I perhaps don't watch as much NRL as you so could be wrong.

Widdop had a shocker in the WCC and looked very weak defensively which we just can't afford.

He'd be in my 25 man squad but not my 17 man team at the moment.

Talking of a 25 man squad and the players that will miss out on the first match day 17 in the World Cup, I think we'll see guys like Hardaker, Briscoe, Widdop, Hill, Farrell etc all sitting on the sidelines waiting for opportunities which shows the strength in depth that has been built up. All of them are quality players that would have walked a first 17 place a couple of years back.

Widdop was poor in the WCC but by all accounts he's playing exceptionally well in the NRL.
Picking Tomkins at 6 when he won't have played there for three seasons seems wrong to me.
Widdop at 6 with a choice of Brough, Myler, McGuire or Smith for the 7 shirt. I wouldn't have Chase anywhere near the squad never mind the first 17.Chase is an out of form player playing for the bottom placed team in the League. Only McNamara could pick Chase.

I disagree. Widdop is a very average player playing in an outstanding team, put him in Super League and he wouldnt get a mention for England. Smith, Cronk and Slater call all the shots and Widdop certainly is not the creator and organiser at Stand Off that he would have to be in an England team. There are numerous players in Super League that would do as good a job, if not better, than Widdop playing in that Melbourne team.

That's always been my take TBH and I've not seen a great deal to change my mind.

Matty Smith is a man to watch this year, he's really the only out & out 7 we have knocking around at the moment worth taking a punt on.

Myler is not international standard IMHO.

I'd even be tempted to play Burrow at 7, with either Sinfield or Tomkins at 6. If you do play Tomkins at 6 it frees up the option to play Hardaker at 1.

What is good is the quality of young backs we have got compared to 6 years ago.

At the moment, you'd have to put forward Callum Watkins for one spot.

Briscoe, Hall & Charnley could fight it out but the main question is, with McNamara, Sinfield will be in the backs to play O'Loughlin at 13, leaving 1 spot for the 7 shirt.

Who is the best 7 in the league at the moment...?

Wilkin/Wellens?

Widdopp is playing very well for the Storm, but he's not running the show, which is what England would need him to do at 6. He also rarely makes any kicks (not surprising with Cronk and Smith in the team). No idea how anyone could suggest he'd definitely be better at fullback - he only plays there when Slater is out. If Tomkins moved to 7 and others were out of form I'd consider it - perhaps ahead of Hardaker who for me still doesn't look to pass enough.

BTW I've been a big critic of Jack Reed but he's started to get some form back. He's painfully slow, but causes defences problems because he always looks to pass to his winger, meaning that he has options every time he gets the ball. Supposed 'centres' who never pass (or only look to pass once they've been tackled) are a pet hate of mine. Why coaches can't see that the likes of Jamie Lyon (or an in-form Reed) can be dangerous without being monsters is beyond me.

Sorry, but unless Tomkins starts playing at HB you can't expect England to pick him there.

1. Tomkins
6. Sinfield
7. Widdop
9. Roby
13. O'Loughlin

That's a cracking spine.