I think that is were Ellis will play. I cannot see him getting in the second row.

Gareth Ellis won't make the second row? Are you high? He's been arguably the best second rower in the NRL this season, Tigers fans absolutely love him. He will be the first choice in the second row.

I agree he'll walk into the england side

BUT

to say hes the best in the NRL is a huge statement. watmough, hindmarsh
just to name two.

Third best second rower. Official.

He'll play every game at second row. From that squad (would have played Senior and Pryce instead of Smith and Shenton, and was starting to think about giving Diskin a spot) I'd go:

FB Shaun Briscoe
RW Lee Smith
RC Michael Shenton
LC Kyle Eastmond
LW Ryan Hall
SO Danny McGuire
SH Sam Tomkins
P James Graham
H Scott Moore
P Jamie Peacock
SR Sean O'Loughlin
SR Gareth Ellis
LF Kevin Sinfield

S Adrian Morley
S James Roby
S Gareth Carvell
S Sam Burgess

Tell Sinfield to just kick, tackle and try not to screw things up. Everyone needs to be on top form defending against their backs, the good thing is that the forwards should at least give us a good platform to work off.

No Leon Pryce

So i'm right then

People are debating the merits of certain players chosen in the squad against some that have been left out. Personally I am willing to allow the coach to choose the squad he thinks can give us the best outcome and will support whoever is chosen. However having said that I can't see any merit whatsoever in the incusion of Lee Smith. He is a decent player who is playing well but despite what his new employers (Wasps) are willing to allow he is no longer a RL player, he won't be available for any future internationals. His inclusion is a waste of time when we according to the coach who selected him are looking to develop a group of young players into the side to take us into the next World Cup.

Tony Smith selected Sam Tomkins for the mid season game against France to allow him to gain the experience of being in an international set up (Smith stated this in interviews at the time). In Richard Owen we have a promising young full back who at present looks likely to be second in line after Briscoe in the coming years. The same principle should have been applied and Richard Owen not Lee Smith should be in the squad. He will be available for RL internationals in the next few years, unlike Smith, and this would have been the perfect opportunity to give the lad a bit of international experience.

But Owen is injured. So he's not available. If he was I think he would have been selected, I can't see any other player that could fill in as well as he could at full back if Briscoe picked up an injury.

Personally I'm happy seeing players picked on form through the season rather than the names that normally get picked and then don't play well. Lee Smith played well in the world cup, and has played well all season. Its an end of season tournament, so I don't have a problem with him being picked.

The one I am a bit miffed about is Myler. He hasn't played for ages, and in the Salford team Ratchford has had the better form through the whole season, not just at the start of it. You can't drop 1 player due to form and then pick another that hasn't been playing!

I hadn't actually thought of Ellis being played at centre, but that could be a good call to try and stop their outside backs. It would mean our pack could have O'Loughlin and Burgess at second row for good defence and size, and Ellis is an 80 minute player in the NRL I believe, so could switch to the second row to rest other players, so we aren't losing size in the pack.

We have a young full back in Aussie making a huge impression.

In their equivalent of the reserve competition yes. And if he'd been picked do you think he'd do anything against australia and NZ? lets wait for him to get a few games in the NRL to see how he handles them first.

Its like Vievers getting called up for the England 24 picking that other lad

Shaun Briscoe
Peter Fox
Michael Shenton
Lee Smith
Ryan Hall
Sam Tomkins
Richard Myler
Jamie Peacock
Scott Moore
James Graham
Gareth Ellis
Sean O’Loughlin
Kevin Sinfield

Sam Burgess
Adrian Morley
Kyle Eastmond
Earl Crabtree

Didnt say we should have picked him.

Just said we have a good youngster in aussie winning the toyota cup player of the year.

ah right sorry, when you said that I thought you were meaning pick him.