I do actually think we may have improved slightly, although NZ have gone backwards, and Aus won at a cantor.
Chase and Sinfield gave us nothing all competition yet widdop doesnt get a sniff, neither did Morley and Peacock and carvell is on the bench too.
A fit Sam Burgess would have made us a much tougher proposition, and overall I think our threaquarters were ok too.
Time for a big re think, there are things to be positive about, but we are desperate for young British players to get some decent footy time.

I reckon our whole game needs a radical overhaul. We need to stem the tide of second rate foreigners coming over here because they can't get a game in their own country (and we should know, as we're guilty of it as much as anyone else). It might set us back for a few years in the short term, but unless we do something drastic then I can't see us getting close to the Aussies. Sacking McNamara would be a good start.

What we need to do is bring over some second rate Aussies and they'll teach our young guns out to play and in the mean time keep them out of the side

Widdop must wonder what he's done wrong, one of the high spots of tonights game, watching a player take them on instead of watching Chase hide and Sinfield try but fail.

I bet the Aussies are laughing at Tompkins being billed as one of the worlds best, I reckon he'd struggle to play 1st grade if he went to NRL. Boyd showed him how the role should be done. Chase ran scared, and we won't talk about Sinfield. Roby looks like the only player with a bit of class.

We have to face it second rate Aussies will still wipe the floor with us, we are just not producing the talent. It's not a matter of second rate Aussies diluting our game, some nations are just a lot better and stronger than us. Australia will dominate for many years t come.

NZ haven't gone backwards, they were decimated by injury. The aussies also were missing a good few players who would have played in this tournament and were still way too good for us. We just aren't good enough. Throwing kids in before they are ready isn't the answer. What it needs is to look at the standard of coaching they receive at a young age. Too many of our guys have fundamental flaws in their game that never get ironed out. And we also need to get more of our big name players into the nrl so they are exposed to a higher intensity competition.

Where is "pocket 4's".
At the start of this thread I was slated for posting this game as a "foregone conclusion"
Aussie should have beaten us by 40+ tonight, bar some refs calls.
Yes, Ryan Hall was "hit" by Thurston and Graham copped some high stuff, but Briscoe, Sinfield and worst of all Chase were exposed as second rate.
Once again, the Green and Gold machine has done us over with plenty to spare.
Why didnt we get in their faces and see what they have to give and why play second string NZ players that ran scared.
I'd rather see, Brough, Robinson, Myler at HB and not the man from Cas.
Having said all that. we were never going to beat Aussie, so what next.

Tomkins ok in super league ,world stage ,bottled it.utter rubbish tonight.a lesson in rugby league tonight by the green and golds.

Absolute tosh! With the squad the kiwis had, they were capable of playing some footy, bit they were too busy playing big man rugby and there main form of attack was stopping the oppositions attack, and that is rubbish!
I never claimed that throwing kids in was the solution, just that wothout getting regular match time they will never develop.
SL wil never compete with the intensity of the NRL and SoS, but we could do ourselves a favour by dumping the average overseas players in favour of our own.
Until the RFL see this and force clubs happy with mediocre players from overseas and a national coach happy to pick players who dont know the words to the national anthem, pointless will be our pursuit of the antipodeans.

Damn right man, bring British youngsters through in front of second rate/ journeyman Aussies.
Although it takes time, surely that is why we have the franchise system !!!

Sorry but you're wrong. Yes the Kiwis got their tactics very wrong but if they had there first choice team out they'd have beaten us anyway. And as you say they were still capable of playing some footy but didn't. Just goes to show the strength in depth they have now. Three teams reaching grand finals last year. If thats going backwards then i'll have some of it thanks.
As for the kids yes they deserve a chance but only when they are ready. If they aren't up to the task then they'll not develop no matter how much game time they get. As I said in my first post, it comes down to coaching. The Aussies & Kiwis get there chances earlier in life because they are ready earlier, purely down to the higher standards of junior development.
The average overseas players can go yes, the sooner the better. But the sad state of affairs is that right now those players are better than a lot of the english players and to kick them out would actually lower the standard of SL. If the kids are not yet ready then i'm afraid they'll be staying until they are. Invest in the kids and in ten years we may get to where we want to be but to right now theres no chance of it changing anytime soon.

a rather enjoyable evening watching Oz in the second half

England should of mixed it at the start of the second half as they was given an opportunity to stay close score wise and a bit of claret wouldn't of gone a miss, what happened a whimper

in fact the lads in front of us was more entertained flicking elastic bands at one miserable camera man that couldn't take a joke and made it worse by complaining to the stewards the wuss

the after match celebrations and the walk around two of our Stanley players had each received Gregg Igliss's boot and another that was a mascot got Thurston's boots and a picture

I know its not only me complaining but the RFL should pull they head out of the sand and take the smack on the chin as they are just clueless

That was a depressing spectacle; our pack did plenty of hard work, but the backs bottled it big time - Tomkins was like a rabbit in the headlights, Chase was totally ineffectual and Sinfield kicked like a pub footballer. Just awful.

Hopes were raised by a competent performance against a sub-par and ill-disciplined Kiwi side; we should have known better.

Totaly out played and out classed as for the decisions hers my take

The disallowed first Aussie try should have been awareded Ian Smith should hang his head in shame if we have to make decisions like that to compete with the best.

Ryan Halls penalty try I am sure others will have a differing view but when he copped it from Thurston he still had control of the ball and then dropped it over the line a penalty for me not a penalty try Smith again bottled it.

The second Aussie try I thought it was a try all day long in slow motion and a fantastic effort. Sky claime dhis shirt touched the line for me benefit of the doubt.

As for the team clear out those that are not born in England and clear out the old boys network and ensure the coach clears off no where near good enough.

The pivot of Westwood Chase and Sinfield were laughable compared to the other side who totaly dominated. I dont think the Aussies hit top gear.