Quote: Father Ted "Widdop's problem is he's playing behind a mainly SL pack.
The lad has come through the NRL system from youth to 1st team and that must be totally different from the SL academy route. He has never played in SL.
He is very good in the system he's been brought up in.
Also, McNamara must be the most inadequate coach he's ever met.
'"
Based on what I've seen of him he's only the first choice because he's in the NRL.
He looked poor for the majority of last season as well though, and he was playing behind a pack containing; Graham, Hodgson, Cooper, and Tom Burgess (plus Whithead, and George/Sam Burgess will probably be in the starting pack as well next season), I don't think that's a valid excuse. It seems clear to me that when you actually examine his skill set there isn't much there. No long kicking game, no game management, no passing game, no real running threat. He's a great defender, but you don't pick your halves based solely on their defense. I really don't think he offers more than Gale or Tomkins would in the halves for England behind that very good English pack.