Well Connor will surely have to play instead of Gildart? I agree with most of that, but I think you were a bit hard on Lomax, who I thought improved GB when he came on, although I wouldn't make any great claims.

And as I've said before re Hodgson, he is a proven performer at the highest level week in, week out for Canberra. If Bennett can't make it work at GB level, OK, pick someone else at dummy-half. But it's up to the coach to get the best team out of his squad.

Because I don't buy the argument that he is overrated and only owes his place in the squad to playing in the NRL.

To me, Hodgson seems to look like hes doing a lot when in reality hes doing very little. Whats all this running sideways and then passing i just dont get it? A ball can travel faster through the air than somebody running with it. He just gives the defence time to move up on the edges and cut down the play.

Well, like I said, Hodgson plays well for Canberra and has won plenty of plaudits for it. If Bennett can't adapt his game to how he wants GB to play, it's up to him to choose someone else. Or maybe Bennett is happy with Hodgson? Who knows, he never tells us much.

He’s trying to take out and stand up defenders for attackers to run through the gaps left behind or hit the weaker shoulder of the stood up defenders and make more ground. It works at Canberra as the players around him are quick enough and have game sense to hit those lines. It didn’t work yesterday as it went back to kids RL where everyone runs sideways towards the touch line.

I seriously don’t understand some of Bennett’s choices. The amount of halfbacks in comparison to wingers and forwards is crazy.

Graham looks past his best. As much as O’loughlin has the back end of this year. Players running past him with ease.

If he’s so desperate for wingers who will make yards. Why did he not select Sarginson who makes as many yards as anyone plus can cover any back line position.

Watts not being in the squad is crazy too.

Agreed with all but one from the “no longer good enough” and “need to step up” lists; Hodgson. He’s a far better hooker than Clarke will ever be and is streets ahead of any other English hooker. There is literally no other option.

The “outsiders” list though I’d tend to agree with. Though I do question Grace, he would have been mullered v Tonga and I’m inclined to think he would v NZ/Aus but we’ll never know until he’s been put in there. Williams’ exclusion is down to his 9’s performance IMO which was sub standard. Philbin, Hughes likely excluded in the pack purely down to size. Connor excluded to make way for Hardaker who in turn made way for Coote. Connor should be given his chance v NZ given Gildart’s injury.

FWIW I think the only reason Clarke was excluded was down to needing a big bench to match the Tongan physicality.

Wayne Bennett as GB coach is akin to me playing Career mode in FIFA where I’m internal boss of a football team as well as a club side, you get an email saying you have to submit a squad ‘now’ so you just accept the previous squad without even checking it because you’re hearts not in it, your only coaching that international side so you can scout the players for that nation for your club, which is probably what he’s doing too. Eg Thompson