I honestly don't believe he is good enough to play anywhere else, it shows how poor our no9 situation is, when the best hooker in SL in going to call it a day next year.


If was Smith I would of got Diskin & Cunningham for this 4 nations, ballcocks to youth & the world cup we should be building of a good basis and getting shown up in the 4 nations imo is not a good basis to be building from.

The problem with Roby is that he was built up every other week by Abbot & Costello on SKY as 'The saviour of Rugby League / Best youngster in World RL...etc'. Similar story to Wellens & Maguire, pumped up as true greats when realistically they would be lucky to serve in any NRL teams at all.

Not the players faults just the hype around them is and has been ridiculous for years, so much so when they play truly class sides like the Aussies and Kiwis they are shown to be what they truly are: distinctly average.

He can be a handy support player which at present is all he is capable of. He is also a hard worker and every team needs those. Defensively he is very good and again, every team needs those. I wondered why Westwood was included and yet I was reminded yesterday of what a workhorse he is. We need workhorses too.

We don't need gifted players in all positions (which is probably a good job really!) but what we do need is defensively sound players and gifted players in the playmaking roles. We will never have 17 gifted players. Not even Australia has 17 gifted players. It's just that they have enough to intimidate other teams and, given half the chance (and we gave them a full half), drive them through the floor.

Three of our young players showed up many of the senior players yesterday. Tomkins, Eastmond and Burgess all brought the x-factor to the game and that is exactly what we need. The old guard had to go and we may as well ditch them now while we have chance to build for the world cup than wait for another world cup washout.

Wellens has been a superb fullback. His positional sense and defensive qualities have been the best over the last 10 years. The only way in which Wello lacks is in pace and he always has lacked pace. It didn't matter so much when he first played but the game has changed and has left him behind in that respect. Hence, he wasn't picked this season. I hope he has enjoyed his rest and time with the family. At least he doesn't get the stick this year!

I would also like to have seen Michael Lawrence included in the squad in place of Lee Smith (going to Rugby Union why put him in)

I can't stick this bloke and I am sure many posters are aware of how he never gives English players any praise and berates the entire English game but I give you LeagueFreak's take on Sam Tomkins:





Sam had an impressive debut. Our kicking close to the line improved when he took control and caused Billy Slater (the best fullback in the world?) some problems and as the game went on he looked much more dangerous.

He has to play next week.

Yes they certainly hype this Ozzie team. For me they are very far from the best Ozzie team ever.

Comparing Lockyer to players like Wally Lewis or Brett Kenny is insulting .

Lockyer is very good by todays standards, but won't go down as a legend.

The 80's Oz teams were better IMHO.

If our forwards 'beef up' we can beat the Ozzies no problem.

Sam talks to Sky Sports Eddie Hemmings after the match - [url=http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid29318049001?bctid=47151938001Click Here[/url

I think that's being unfair to Lockyer, the Darren Lockyer you're seeing at the moment (and for most of this season in the NRL) is a pale shadow of what he's delivered year on year through his career. I'm certain Lockyer will go down as one of the NRL greats.

Lockyer has beaten Mal Meniga's record for the number of appearances for Australia.
He has broken Clive Churchill's record for the number of times he's captained Australia.
Lockyer yesterday equalled Ken Irvine's record for the number of tries scored by an Australian in Internationals. Score against the French and he will have the Irvine record.
Lockyer is one of the all time greats, if not the greatest, an absolute legend!

And on top of all that, he's good looking and intelligent too!

*drool*

Because LeagueFreak said so



No but really, no english player other than Morley gets any praise so I think for him to stand out in his opinion is pretty good.

We're desperate for some young outside backs to come through now that we seem to be sorting our halfback problems out. A clever hooker wouldn't go amiss either........maybe McGuire can mould McIlorum into a clever hooker to add to his energy and his toughness(and then we'd need to get him to switch over to England).

As for the outside backs it's be great for the national side if we rounded up the likes of Lawrence, Cudjoe, Ainscough, Hall, Briscoe, Watkins, Wheeler and co and sent them all over to Australia to play in the NRL.

IMO the best way to find a clever hooker is to put a half-back at hooker.

Noooo!! We want him here to play centre for Saints!

Or a halfback playing without much pace playing at 13 like Sinfield.

Having just watched yesterdays game back for the first time i thought Sinfield was excellent when he went in at hooker and really got us rolling forward with crisp and clever distribution.

I had him down as my 6 for next week but i've changed that now to 9 with Myler partnering Tomkins.

I have been saying Sinfield should play hooker for england for quite a while, let him for most of the match and let someone like Eastmond who is rapid try and get us moving forward quicker.

I remember Sinfield having a couple of good games for GB in 2001(i think) playing at 9 at times.

To me he could well have found his position at international level there. It suits his game because he's got a good passing game and is a pretty clever player. It will also give him abit more time to get his kicks away without being closed down on the back of a bad dummy half pass.

He should take a leaf out of Cameron Smiths book when it comes to dummy half kicking........Awesome stuff yesterday.

Why is it that Aus can always find the space when kicking and we can't, Thurstons kicking is amazing and Smiths from dummy half is superb, it gives you a better option to kick early IMO.

Sinfield should play hooker next week if Tony Smith was watching the game.

Purely and simply it's thier sheer speed of the PTB. If you notice, in most tackles Australia find their elbows and knee's, which makes for a quicker PTB and more often than not a defensive line looking like a dog's back leg.

England get turned over onto thier backs thus slowing the PTB down and letting the opposition have more time to set their defensive line.

Are you Paul Cullen



You are correct though, its not rocket science, you can get up easier if you are not on your back. We let them dominate the collision too much sometimes.

Bloody knew some smart @rse would ask that

Some chap at the game kept screaming at the ref for letting the aussies hand on longer in the tackle..

But it was the fact there PTB was so much faster than ours. really hope MM can bring that into our game next season becauses a killer for defences

It really is the only thing he used to comment on though

For my next Paul Cullen impersonation - A,B,C defenders