We don't have the players.

Are we really surprised at this result?

A week before the world cup and you expect players to put their body on the line at the risk of missing out on one of the biggest games of their careers?

Granted we should have won but its understandable why we didn't.

Its also worth remembering this isn't the usual Italian squad, its almost entirely NRL players who wouldn't normally play for them but are doing so to be involved in the world cup.

I don't agree with a lot of the England selections, but the team we have should still give us some cause for optimism in the WC.

Because his arrogance and petulance lead to him ruling himself out of selection.

It doesn't get round the fact that Brough is the best English 7 playing at the moment.

How many times does a player need to be let down before he says enough is enough?

Maybe it's more him letting himself down?

Who's our best 6 and 7?

Exactly right, he needed to get his head down and prove he was worthy of selection, instead he switched to Scotland in protest.

Its now come back to haunt him because he's had the best season of his career in a world cup year and would have almost certainly being selected.

You reap what you sow.

Brough was told by mcnamara no way he would be first choice for england,so what would you do? Brough is 30 and probably his last chance to play in a world cup and knowing your 3rd choice at best,do you captain scotland,or sit on the bench for england knowing unless their is a stack of injuries or the idiot who coaches england has a brainstorm and picks the best british number 7.
He knew he wasn't going to be picked by mcnamara so he took the same option as most of us would have done in his situation. Great result yesterday,against a team that got 56 start on the bookies handicap.
Mcnamara = Useless.

Someone posted on the VT that McNamara is the RL equivalent of steve maclaren which I thought was a bit unfair on mclaren

Bet the RFL are gutted, this will badly affect ticket sales. If you were in two minds about going to Cardiff for example, watching on TV now looks more attractive than having to sit there and see Australia rip England a new one!

Its almost slander!!

we really, really don't.....

We still must pick the best available,brough was one of those till our record breaking coach stepped in and told him he wasnt.

McNamara is a buffoon, simple as that. Not only does he insist on not picking players who are in form he also insists on playing players out of position!

Ah the old Dickie Agar routine.