Was stood at the Tonga v Samoa game with a lad who was an analyst for the RFL’s high performance team under Wayne Bennett.

I mentioned the lower intensity than I expected and he put it down to the Islanders being more prevalent in the NRL systems and more measured in their approach to play not just relying on their physicality because inevitably they could not play to the high levels of intensity for the full 80.

What I find somewhat odd about your post is it seems like you are almost hoping the England team struggle on Saturday and are certainly not giving them credit for how good they have been so far in the tournament.

The NRL/Australian comps were always going to supply the majority of the knock out team players as quite simply there are 20 times the players playing the game professionally over there and even more than that playing the game as juniors.

Penrith Panthers alone have a junior linked system with more junior players in it than the whole of England has juniors playing the game.

I don’t think England will win by 60 again far from it, but I do think there will be 2 or 3 scores in it.

He’s not hoping, what he’s doing is using the typical English defence mechanism. Talk England down so you if we get beaten you can say I told you so and avoid humiliation.

TBF I don’t blame people, how many times have we been here before, only to get wiped out when it gets serious?

I don’t predict these days, all I can do is say that so far England have looked good. What I don’t understand is why Alegend feels the need to dismiss that element, that I do find a bit odd.

I think the Samoa Tonga game was by far the most competitive of the tournament so far, maybe because both teams were as fast as each other, regarding 'line speed' etc.
Whether the big hits appeared or not, to me doesn't detract from the fact that no player on the park had anything else to give at the end of the game and that to me is all you can ask for.
I thought personally it was a great game.
England have looked very good so far, and I suppose the yardstick will ultimately be against Australia - after we overcome a very different Samoa to the one we played in the first game.
I think England have their best chance for years of success - but those Aussies just won't lie down easily!

Agreed. I think we genuinely have a chance of winning it. We are second favourites behind the Aussies but for the first time in decades I think they have weaknesses that can be exposed.

The key for them in my opinion is Harry Grant. The pack is not one that terrifies me any more in fact I would say it is the most average pack the my have sent over in my lifetime. Grant though when he is playing well and allowed even a half yard of space gets them on the front foot superbly well.

This is where I think the Pacific nations lack a little quality and depth. They have wonderful athletes who seem purpose built physically for the game, but they do lack a bit of consistency and depth at 9, 6 & 7 and their 13s tend to be a little one dimensional.

I am of the opinion this England team can match most teams physically and also skill wise if we can keep out best 17 fit. It’s the belief and the Aussies knowing how to win that worries me.

We cannot overlook Samoa who will be a very different animal to the one we played in the first game but I think we will have the quality to go in confident we can and should beat them.

I’ve never seen an England forward pack dominated, though we have been consistently dominated 1-7 since I can remember. If we can contain Latrell and co we stand a chance.

At the risk of howls of derision, I fancy the Kiwis to get it together on Friday night and beat Australia.

the left edge of the aussies is the one - keep latrell and the Addo-carr. Keeping them quiet for me is the way to win the game.

That would be the best result for us. It's not that I don't rate the Kiwis less than the Aussies as a team, I just don't think they have quite the psychological advantage over us that the Aussies do.

I don't think they'll be even close.

Fox Sports NRL page is saying that the Kiwis are really upset that the World Cup organisers have booked their flights home for Sunday, expecting them to lose, which will cost the organisers thousands of pounds if they have to reorganise the flights. If that doesn't get them up for the game, nothing will.

No way, that’s scandalous

If true I suspect it’s logistical incompetence rather than the over dramatic Fox interpretation. Have they booked Samoa’s flights?