But how else does he get experience at that level? We want to see Nsemba up against the Aussies next year, no use playing him against France or against an Exiles team. A team like Samoa would've been a good opportunity to see how he copes against a big physical pack.

I see similarities between the Lewis/Smith situation.



People want to see Nsemba play but ultimately there is a lot for him to work on. He’s a freak of an athlete who we want to see play but the coaches will be patient and bring him through when they feel he is ready.



He’s yet to play a full season in SL, Bateman is a tough battle hardened player who won’t let you down on occasions like this.



I personally don’t subscribe to the give him a shirt for experience. Test shirts need to mean more than that. You need to be ready and it’s not an arena to blood a player. We need to win this series, at the moment Bateman is best placed to do that in view of the coaches and it’s hard to disagree on the evidence of yesterday.

The only thing I'd disagree on here is you don't need both Radley and Knowles. One or the other. Both are capable of 80 mins and nothing is added by the substitution. That's where Nsemba could get game time and actually add to the rotation instead of what is basically a wasted interchange.

I agree but would you have him starting, I wouldn't.

If he was to come on from the bench, who would you have left out from the four subs yesterday?



Interestingly, assuming Thompson is going to play next week, who gets left out.

Maybe the MRP can do us a favour and ban a few!!

We were sat in the South Stand and had to laugh when Welsby and then Lewis both celebrated with the fans in front of the stand they were goading only weeks/months previously. I love that sort of twist when it comes to internationals and back anyone in an England shirt to the hilt but some people just can't find it within themselves. I look at other forums and on social media and there is definitely an element of Rugby League fans who want us to fall flat on our faces, so Wane gets the boot. He can't really win in these sort of series because if he wins, he should've won by more and if he loses, he's getting hammered. Wane needs that Ashes series next year more than any other Rugby League person in the country. I think he's made for a series where we are genuine underdogs.

That was the change for me and in no way shape or form because Knowles plays for Saints. You just don't need 2 loose forwards in your 17. The Aussies aren't playing Yeo and then carrying a second 13 on the bench and that goes for sides across the world and in both major leagues. I wouldn't have had an issue even if Wane decided to play Knowles as a prop from the bench and then leave out McMeekan, Burgess, Lees or Havard but to split that 13 role seems pointless.



Thompson and Nsemba both should be involved on Saturday and that is not Wigan bias, that is because they are comfortably in our best 17 players, with one our best prop and one undoubtedly one of our best 3 second rowers (and to me the best balance of a bench is always 2 props, a second rower and a utility or second hooker).

I wouldn't start him no. I also agree with those that say Knowles is a waste of a sub. The only reason I can assume he is on the bench is if they want to move him or Radley to 9 so that Clark doesn't do 80 mins. At Saints Bell works well as an interchange (or did do before last season

) but Radley is world class and capable of doing 80 mins.



I'd have Nsemba off the bench and probably replacing Knowles

Can you imagine if we scrape a hard fought 2-1 over the Aussies and win the Ashes for the first time in over half a century with Waney in charge?

Agree. Nothing to do with club bias as you say. I want England to compete and ideally beat the Aussies and I don't think we can pretend to carry two 13s against them and not suffer. I know where you're coming from regarding Knowles as a prop rather than spelling Radley but I don't even agree with that option as Lees and Knowles are too similar at prop. There are better options such as Robbie Mulhearn for the extra prop role and he offers something different. One of Lees or Knowles (probably Lees) and one of Radley or Knowles (definitely Radley). Hard on Knowles maybe, as he hasn't let us down, but that's the harsh reality, or should be, at international level.



For me, it's the one area of weakness in Wane's 'loyalty first' approach. As Stu says, Radley is genuine world class. Play him for the full 80. If he's not available Knowles is the next cab off the rank. In the meantime get another potential world class player in Nsemba on the field. That can only benefit England going forward. Can you imagine if his first international outing turns out to be in the probable Ashes series next year because of a decision to play an extra 13 when we didn't need to?

He's played 44 first team games. What's the minimum required for an international cap? We aren't playing prime Australia, this Samoa team is average.



Would you have been happy, if Isa had been fit this year, that he started most games ahead of Nsemba because he is a "tough battle hardened player who won’t let you down"?

It wouldn't be my choice playing Knowles as a prop but if it meant getting Nsemba in, I could live with it. Having both him and Lees in doesn't work though as you say. I've posted elsewhere that Wane's greatest strength can be his biggest weakness and that is his mentality of 'X player has done well for me in the past' so he stays in. That cannot always be applied when you have glaring top quality options staring you in the face but it does build trust and loyalty and keeps a level of consistency within a squad but I just don't see how he leaves Nsemba out again this weekend. You know it's a strange decision when even the biggest Wigan haters out there are crying out for Nsemba to come in.

Same kind of argument re.Marshal, by a country mile the top try scorer this season but even as a Wigan fan I'd have Ashton and Young ahead of him at international level.

Sometimes it's just hard lines when it comes to international selections.