We will NEVER beat Australia by playing some form of unstructured, chuck the ball around and hope game. Australia will be moved around by halfbacks who plan and excute a whole set of 6. They will not be phased defensively by panicky offloads or hail mary passes.

Where I think England have a better chance than before is that if everyone is fit and on form we MAY have a pack that can stand up to Australia and even give them a bit of a kicking. If G+S Burgess, Graham, Ellis, Hock and a few others play to their best, I don't think Australia would fancy any kind of forward-oriented game at all.

Again a big if, but if all our best backs play to their absolute best - especially the 3/4s - then we at least look capable of matching Australia physically out wide (I wouldn't suggest for a second we look better).

So, if all goes well it would come down to halfbacks, where sadly we look hopelessly outgunned. I keep changing my mind on Tomkins - in attack he can play the same role regardless, it really comes down to where you want to put him in defence. Sometimes I think at fullback he'll have to make fewer tackles, and then I think of him being rained with bombs.

In any event McNamara picks Sinfield precisely because he offers control, and some kind of kicking game. Ideally we'd have Brough, Chase, Widdopp etc able to do the same. However, Brough looks sketchy at times, Widdopp doesn't run his team, and Chase has very little sense of control at all. I'd love it if GB had a better attacking option than Sinfield who could also control the game, but IMO we don't - or at least nobody who does it consistently.

In the end I suspect that no matter if all our players are fit and in the form of their lives, we'll come undone in large part through not having world class halfbacks. Tomkins is our one genuine hope there, but may be a bit outgunned in a Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader in the Empire Strikes Back kind of way.

Well summed up.

I think we need an element of surprise to beat them but we also just need some control from halfback. Sinfield and Tomkins could 'possibly' bring it for us.

No one has mentioned what could be an halfback partnership that could be devastating and take the Aussies by surprise.

Keven Sinfield and Paul Wellens.

Agree.
England should have a strong pack so they will need a #7 with a good kicking game and the ability to link with the back line, Sam Tomkins in particular.
They don't need a headless Chook like Rangi Chase, the best man for the job is Matty Smith.

Wilkin and Wellens by a mile. . . .

I'd like to see:

1 Lomax (provided he maintains his electric pre-injury form, Hardaker if not)
6 Tomkins
7 Sinfield

Agree

If I was picking today:

1 Lomax
2 Charnley
3 Pryce (preferred to Atkins as I worry about his defence)
4 Watkins
5 Hall
6 Tomkins
7 Sinfield
8 S Burgess
9 McIlorum
10 Graham
11 Westwood
12 Farrell
13 O'Loughlin

14 Roby
15 G Burgess
16 Hock
17 Hill

You'll probably deride me for bias, but wouldn't be surprised to see Walmsley as a bolter for the squad - looks immense early doors for Saints and would provide more impact than Hill from the bench IMO.

In your opinion.

I'm not sure he's a better organiser/kicker than Sinfield or a better full back / 6 than Tomkins.

I perhaps don't watch as much NRL as you so could be wrong.

Widdop had a shocker in the WCC and looked very weak defensively which we just can't afford.

He'd be in my 25 man squad but not my 17 man team at the moment.

Talking of a 25 man squad and the players that will miss out on the first match day 17 in the World Cup, I think we'll see guys like Hardaker, Briscoe, Widdop, Hill, Farrell etc all sitting on the sidelines waiting for opportunities which shows the strength in depth that has been built up. All of them are quality players that would have walked a first 17 place a couple of years back.

Widdop was poor in the WCC but by all accounts he's playing exceptionally well in the NRL.
Picking Tomkins at 6 when he won't have played there for three seasons seems wrong to me.
Widdop at 6 with a choice of Brough, Myler, McGuire or Smith for the 7 shirt. I wouldn't have Chase anywhere near the squad never mind the first 17.Chase is an out of form player playing for the bottom placed team in the League. Only McNamara could pick Chase.

I disagree. Widdop is a very average player playing in an outstanding team, put him in Super League and he wouldnt get a mention for England. Smith, Cronk and Slater call all the shots and Widdop certainly is not the creator and organiser at Stand Off that he would have to be in an England team. There are numerous players in Super League that would do as good a job, if not better, than Widdop playing in that Melbourne team.

That's always been my take TBH and I've not seen a great deal to change my mind.

Matty Smith is a man to watch this year, he's really the only out & out 7 we have knocking around at the moment worth taking a punt on.

Myler is not international standard IMHO.

I'd even be tempted to play Burrow at 7, with either Sinfield or Tomkins at 6. If you do play Tomkins at 6 it frees up the option to play Hardaker at 1.

What is good is the quality of young backs we have got compared to 6 years ago.

At the moment, you'd have to put forward Callum Watkins for one spot.

Briscoe, Hall & Charnley could fight it out but the main question is, with McNamara, Sinfield will be in the backs to play O'Loughlin at 13, leaving 1 spot for the 7 shirt.

Who is the best 7 in the league at the moment...?