Today's game was another of those that made me wonder if, yet again, we've fallen into the trap of imagining that players who can kill it over here are superstars when in fact they're pretty ordinary out in the real world. Too often, we've heard our commentators describe Player X as 'the best player on Earth' when he's never done it internationally and clearly never will.

The fly in that ointment, of course, is the GB pack, who are mostly proven NRL players. And yet, to a man they were well-beaten by the Tongans. Even though Bateman scored, he didn't stand out otherwise.

All our so-called stars today looked ordinary in my view.

It's early in the tour, so rustiness is bound to be an issue, but there were some weak individual performances as well.

Coote looked out of his depth, our wingers are too old, too slow and too error-prone, neither of our centres is international standard (not on that showing), our halves should have been one of our greatest strengths, but both were largely anonymous (though Widdop put in a shift), and the pack were totally dominated.

Injuries, of course, will now force a reshuffle. Be interesting to see what Bennett comes up with for the Kiwis, who, on their showing yesterday, may not be as tough an opponent as Tonga were.

Thoroughly depressing all round to be honest. Poor performance, poor result, poor attendance. Incompetent administrators dragging the sport down. Selection of players out of form or players who have barely played. Injuries to key players - one of them a Wigan player.

Hardaker and Gildart were solid enough. Hastings didn't do much wrong but had little impact - he really overplays that inside ball.

Shame it took them 65 minutes to realise that taking it up the middle of the field wasn't going to work and if they actually passed it out wide we may score!!!!

Tonga were too big, strong and way to fast for our little lads.


Matt

Agree with most of that although i thought Bateman did ok. I wouldnt expect him to be as dangerous or as dominant at this level but he still made some very good carries and probing runs.

The biggest difference for me was simply the strength and size of the Tongan backs. Nearly all of their 17 are built like forwards so its like you're facing a team full of forwards but many of them have the speed of the average back coupled with some great handling and quite a few also having great footwork. You could see they were enjoying every collision whilst the GB players were grimacing and getting up weary most of the time.

I actually think this Tonga team could be the best in the world right now. Lets not forget, they should of really been in the World Cup final a couple of years ago but for the ref saving our bacon.

It was up to GB to come up with something different tonight but in typical Wayne Bennett fashion it was low risk 5 drives and a kick. I really think Bennett is well past his sell by date. Where was the attacking kick to Ryan Hall? why was Coote not allowed to organise the last tackle plays when we know how dangerous his kicking game can be?

Seconded.

The tactics were poor too, Coote told to kick for height rather than length meant the Tongans were always on the front foot. Hastings seemed to have been told to simply tip the ball on until we got to the last 10min. To be honest, the way they played reminded me of us, plenty of heart/structure in defence but no creativity at the other end of the field and poor errors killing any attacking momentum.

And who thought playing a RL international, let alone relaunching the GB Lions, in NZ when there was any possibility of the All-Blacks being in a World Cup semi-final would be a good idea?

Bennett picked the wrong side and played the wrong tactics.

If you’re playing a big side like Tonga, what you want to do is tire them out, you do that by offloading and having a second phase play in which to tire them out. I don’t think we managed 1 did we? All game.

We played 1 man rugby and didn’t offload, we made it easy for Tonga.

We need some creativity and should bring in Tomkins, Williams, Clarke, Connor and Watts.

Watts not being in the squad is a crazy call and looks even worse now with Thompson out and him back home in Cas.

Josh Hodgson kills me, he’s built a huge rep over there but I’ve yet to see him do anything for England/GB, other than refuse to pass off the floor which kills his forwards, hog the ball and not get quick ball to the halves and generally run round like a headless chicken.

I thought Watts was in the squad?

The stand by squad IIRC

how Daryl Clark can't get a game is beyond me. He is 5 times the player Hodgson is but doesn't play in the NRL.

This post is frustrating.

Not because you’re wrong, but because I want you to be but I know you’re not.

Thompson is a superb prop, no doubt about it in my book. The big BUT is that where is his club form where it really matters; on the international stage. Webcke, Civinoceva, Fielden, Peacock etc. All made their names on the big stage. I’ve yet to see Thompson do it for England and GB (though I accept he was injured quite early on).

Now that’s not picking Thompson our for singular criticism, there’s plenty of others who fall into his bracket; Gildart, Hall, Clarke, Hill, Williams to name but a few.

The problem with today was that we just didn’t physically want to know or want to match the Tongan’s. If we’d have done that our play would have been a world away from where it was today.

It is what it is but we need an improvement versus New Zealand. I can only thank the RL Gods that Australia didn’t want to play GB.

Im sure Hodgson is a great player for Canberra but he has proven time and time again that he cant do it at International level. I dont know if he is being told to play a different game or if the team just dont understand him but he has to be dropped next week and Clarke must be given a go.

I think the point about Hodgson is that at Canberra he is dominant playmaker (probably more so than Wighton and certainly more so than Sezer). So, for example, he does an above-average amount of kicking from dummy-half. And for Canberra, it works very well. For England less so. There wasn't much organisation on display for England today between him, Widdop, and Hastings. I don't think that means that Hodgson is a bad player (or that Clark or Roby are 'better' players). But it might be worth giving one of the two a try against NZ.

He was left out and I guess has now flown home after the nines as Sam Tomkins has done. I’m all for continuity and giving lads who’ve historically done well for England the chance to continue that form, ala McGillvary and Hall but no Watts when players like Hughes, Philbin and Hill have been selected is crazy really. Those three are good players but Watts has been a stand out in super league all year long and should’ve been in. To pick 6 halfbacks but not find a place for Watts was always the weirdest call for me. It looks a shocker now!

No longer good enough for GB

Graham - burned out/plodder
Hill - Lost a lot of his physicality, now a plodder
Hall - Never a fast winger but even slower now. Looks old and tired.
McGilvary - Strong carries nothing else.

Need to seriously step up

Widdop - Too hot and cold for me.
Burgess - No longer runs his weight, similar to his brothers - declining
Lomax - Couldnt create beans on toast. Mega over-rated
Hodgson - Obviously good at Canberra but does not fit the national team

Time to give the outsiders a go. Clarke, Williams, Philbin, Grace, Connor and Hughes to come in but i can see Bennett going with a similar team again just replacing the injured players.