+1
money signing, ex-stains, unlucky history of injuries in Aus all had all the ingredients in a recipe for disaster…..glad to say my fears have been unfounded

What a joke, he hardly touched him

Faz-96 mtrs-15 carries-53 tackles
Ellis-96 mtrs-18 carries-56 tackles
Havard-80 mtrs-13 carries--52 tackles
Thompson-145 mtrs-17 carries-48 tackles
Pretty impressive stats from our forwards.

Another example of the public being denied the chance to see our best players in an international series. Luke deserves a rest though but not enforced.

Can't you just see all those single-cell creatures sitting round the MRP table, saying: "How dare Wigan beat that team we'd invested so much hope in. We'll p##s on their chips. Thompson - suspended! That'll bloody show 'em. Meanwhile, can't wait for the Test series ... oh, hang on!"

It was the obvious conclusion to come to. He hardly impressed in the NRL and had numerous injuries. Not somebody I would have been happy to get into a bidding war for at the time. But fair play to him, he's been immense.

i've never met or spoken to him but he appears to be an absolute professional (dont know about his time at Saints). I'm a member at Total Fitness, and have seen him regularly doing some mobility / stretching in the pool by himself. Literally a 30-40 minute session where he methodically goes through a routine, but that for me just shows the dedication he puts into his job and ensuring is body is in the best shape for the rigours for RL

And not to rub it in (well to rub it in a bit) but he's everything Saints need. A metre making prop, who plays big minutes and would allow you to rotate guys like Delaney, Walmsley and Stephens around him.

I do find his time in the NRL a bit sad in a way. He's far too good for a stint over there to have not been a massive success but there isn't much you can do about injuries. It was much the same with Sam Tomkins. A very good year was followed by a year of being injured/playing with injury and then you get labelled as not being up to it but it just isn't the case.

We did exactly the same with Williams before last seasons tests.

The club are appealing the decision to ban Thompson.

They will probably increase his ban

Yeah, they'll probably ban him for the other Test as well, and then complain bitterly when England get spanked in the forwards.

The club do right. There really was nothing in it; certainly not worthy of a ban.

Who would be the likely replacement as a starting prop for England? Mulhearn? Harrison?

Top quality options are thin on the ground really. I think that's summed up by Dupree being in a 31 man squad because his form hasn't been good enough IMO. If Thompson gets off this charge, I'd start him and Havard and play McMeekan and Tom Burgess from the bench. If he doesn't, then I'd push Burgess to start and bring Mulhern on to the bench. Realistically though, Lees is Wanes type of prop and I suspect he'll start both tests.

I rate Mulhern and think he should get in there. But front row seems to have gone from being easily England's biggest strength to perhaps their biggest weakness. Be great if another Burgess family popped up from somewhere.