England Team for Australia Clash:

Carl Ablett (Leeds Rhinos, Hunslet Parkside)

George Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs, Dewsbury Moor)

Sam Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs, Dewsbury Moor)

Thomas Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs, Dewsbury Moor)

Rob Burrow (Leeds Rhinos, Featherstone Lions)

Josh Charnley (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks)

Rangi Chase (Castleford Tigers, Dannevirke Tigers)

Leroy Cudjoe (Huddersfield Giants, Newsome Panthers)

Liam Farrell (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks)

Brett Ferres (Huddersfield Giants, Smawthorne Panthers)

Ryan Hall (Leeds Rhinos, Oulton Raiders)

Chris Hill (Warrington Wolves, New Spring Lions)

Lee Mossop (Wigan Warriors, Hensingham)

James Roby (St Helens, Blackbrook)

Kevin Sinfield (captain) (Leeds Rhinos, Waterhead)

Sam Tomkins (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks)

Kallum Watkins (Leeds Rhinos, Latchford Albion)

Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves, Normanton Knights)

Gareth Widdop (Melbourne Storm, King Cross)

Head coach: Steve McNamara


Australia Team for England Clash:

1. Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm)

2. Brett Morris (St George Illawarra Dragons)

3. Brent Tate (North Queensland Cowboys)

4. Greg Inglis (South Sydney Rabbitohs)

5. Darius Boyd (Newcastle Knights)

6. Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys)

7. Cooper Cronk (Melbourne Storm)

8. Matthew Scott (North Queensland Cowboys)

9. Cameron Smith (C) (Melbourne Storm)

10. James Tamou (North Queensland Cowboys)

11. Greg Bird (Gold Coast Titans)

12. Sam Thaiday (Brisbane Broncos)

13. Paul Gallen (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)

Interchange (Two to be omitted)

14. Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers)

15. Andrew Fifita (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)

16. Luke Lewis (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)

17. Corey Parker (Brisbane Broncos)

18. Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta Eels)

19. Nate Miles (Gold Coast Titans)

Head coach: Tim Sheens


I cant believe Mcnamara is not going to let Micky Mac loose on the Aussies and im absolutley gutted that Lockers will play no part and for these reasons i feel that the team will come up short and im going for 26-6 to Australia, but i sincerely hope im wrong.

I think from this selection all the lads that were involved in the Hock drinking session have been effectively banned for 1 match by McNamara.

No Graham, no Hardaker no Micky Mac, all rumoured to have been involved. Fair play to the coach if that is the case.

If they where involved (Graham, McIllorum and Hardaker) the coach has done the right thing by giving them a one match ban. Huge blow to be missing Graham and McIllorum. I would have loved to see McIllorum start and rough up the Australians and then unleash Roby when the Aussie forwards are tiring. James Graham is a big miss but having George, Sam and Tom Burgess lining up against them doesn't dampen my spirits all too much to be fair.

Tomkins
Charnley
Watkins
Cudjoe
Hall
Widdop
Chase
Hill
Roby
Mossop
Farrell
Westwood
S. Burgess (c)

Bench

Burrow
Ablett
T. Burgess
G. Burgess

That would have been my side to be honest but we all know McNamara will have Sinfield in the halves at the expense of Widdop who will have a watching brief from the bench and will only be brought on with 10 minutes left when the game is dead.

Tomkins
Charnley
Cudjoe
Watkins
Hall
Widdop
Chase
Hill
Roby
Mossop
S Burgess
Westwood
Sinfield

Farrell
Burrow
G Burgess
Ablett

Ferres and Hill to miss out.

Rumour is that Lockers is carrying an injury at the moment so it's the right thing for him to miss out. I really can't fault McNamara for dropping the 'drinkers'.

Hill and burgess will start

He has been carrying an injury for the last 8 to 10 weeks and should have pulled out of the squad after the Grand Final.

The Australian backs will be too destructive.

12 - 36

cant see us scoring with that

Farrell is on the bench. Ferres starting second row

Why is Hill in at 8 then?!

How is Ferres suddenly above Farrell when he wasn't even in the squad to start off with?

I'd leave Ablett and Chase out but I bet he'll leave out Ablett and Burrow. Given the Italy result, the trouble in the camp, the players we'll be without and the fact McNamara's our coach I'll predict:
Australia 52
England 10 (both scored towards the end when the game's effectively over)

You don't have to start with your best 13 then put the next best 4 on the bench you know. Perhaps he wants Farrell running at gaps when the Aussies have tired a bit