news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/mobile/rug ... 612222.stm I think it's a pretty poor choice. No Welham, no Yeaman and no recognised 6? This could end badly.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/mobile/rug ... 612222.stm I think it's a pretty poor choice. No Welham, no Yeaman and no recognised 6? This could end badly.

To be fair though, it wouldn't be a Mcnamara side if he wasn't found to be making mistakes from the very start.

I agree with you, by the way. I thought Brown and Yeaman would have been worth a shot. We won't miss McGuire, but Sinfield at stand-off ???

I know he can do a bit of a job in that position, but it seems to be the 'international disease' that we have coaches - usually second-raters - who seem determined to field players out of position. Remember Hanley being made to play on the wing?

When you bring the guys in from the NRL, Ellis, Burgess and Widdop (who is playing out of his skin at 6) then the squad becomes much stronger.

I do not really see a problem with going in with no recognised 6 as in truth all are pretty average unless you throw Sam in there. Long term the shirt is Widdop's so not selecting the Australian based players probably influences the decision on who to pick at 6.

Brough and Myler could also play in the halves without too much concern for me.

Surprised to see Yeaman miss out, and it will be very interesting to see where Joel lines up. Yeaman has been playing really well and looks very dangerous ball in hand and mean in defence, getting back to the form that earned him a GB.

A really boring and unimaginative selection that. It was a perfect chance to get some guys like Lomax, McGillvary, Mossop and Welham a chance to show what they can do whilst in prime form yet he opts to bring in a couple of players like JJB and Carvell that seemed to have been deemed not good enough in the past.

Abit depressing really at a time when things were starting to look a little more positive.

Hopefully the england team will be:

Cudjoe
Briscoe
Atkins
Bridge
Hall
Myler
Brough
Morley
Roby
Graham
Westwood
Wilkin
Sinfield

Robinson
Crabtree
Peacock
Carvell

Wow the England squad is dire. I've never felt this dejected or pessimistic about the quality of English players, there are a couple of gems in there but overall we're just not good enough.

This is the best Super League has to offer in terms of English players? Compare with the Exiles squad:


Louis Anderson
Danny Buderus
George Carmont
Rangi Chase
David Fa'alogo
David Faiumu
Craig Fitzgibbon
Brett Hodgson
Matt King
Kylie Leuluai
Thomas Leuluai
Steve Menzies
Joel Monaghan
Luke O'Donnell
Mark O'Meley
Tony Puletua
Pat Richards
Iosia Soliola

Now I'm not criticizing the players in the Exiles squad but let's be honest if they played in the NRL the majority would not be in the top 10% of players in the competition. If the Aussies listed above were eligible to line up for Australia I'd be surprised to see them force their way in above the current Australian national team.

It just shows up how poor the British game is and how far behind we are in terms of producing English talent.

Indeed. we know that JJB, Carvell, Sinfield and Wilkin are average (at best) when it comes to the international game.

The aim of this game (apparantly) was to give players a decent step up to international level - but we are going to be left in the usual position of having 3or4 injuries in October and having to throw in the likes of Lomax, Foster, McGillvary and Welham in against the Aussies, without giving them the step up from normal SL action.

Exactly, a lot of the players in our squad have been tried, tested and failed at international level. They're not suddenly going to improve now, especially as most of them are at the back end of their careers anyway.

I'm glad to see Atkins, Hall, J Tomkins and Shenton in the mix.

But I'd like to have seen more youngsters who are showing potential given the chance. They may or may not be up to it but I'd have loved to have seen any of the following get a game:

Foster
Charnley
Whitehead
Lunt
Westerman
Mossop
Lomax
Farrell

What's the point of having the Knights squad if they're not given the chance to improve in games like this. Just look at how much Sam Tomkins' game improved after he was thrown in at the deep end at international level.

We've got nothing to lose and we need a little outside of the box thinking if we're going to crack the international scene. Good luck with McNamara in charge!

Will Sam, Joel, Lockers, Pat, Carmont and Leuluai back up for the Cas game? Or can this beat Cas:

Roberts
Charnley
Marsh
Goulding
King
Deacon
Finch
Prescott
McIlorum
Mossop
Hansen
Hoffman
Farrell

Tuson
Lima
Coley
Logan

I'm all for stability but the likes of Cudjoe and Atkins were dire in the 4 nations, Atkins has admitted this and has said that he doesn't expect to be picked. Not saying we should write off these guys but has their form been so good to demand a recall?

Hope that Peacock has been picked as a sympathy vote - his form no way deserves a call up.

Would like to have seen Yeamen (looks to have joined the Gleeson out of favour club), Lawrence of Hudds, LMS, Lomax and Farrell given a go.

Sounds like an ex Bradford coach selection. McBanana at his best.

Danny (bloody Braveheart) Brough . Dont get me started , not good for the heart at my age .

What a depressing squad - How the hell the likes of Atkins, JJB and Wilkin got in shows that McNamara is a feckw[ii[/it.

Was a real chance to give the likes of Lomax, McGillvary, Mossop, Faz and Patrick a chance to prove themselves. Was 50/50 whether to go but to see the same old faces who failed on numerous occasions given yet another chance means I'll watch it on the box and hope the Exiles stuff them.

Trust McNamara to put together a squad to dampen down any hype about this fixture.

I was looking forward to it as well, but England could get mullered here.