[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7721897.stmGardner & McGuire omitted[/url

thoughts?

Not sure Smith knows his best back line yet, so not surprised, would have had McGuire on bench though, tough call .

I only saw the highlights against Australia, but from that McGuire's removal would seem right to me. He looked very lazy, which is unacceptable IMO even if the game was already gone.

Gardner I don't know. I think the right hand side has been weak no matter who's been on the wing so far, the problem seems to maybe be further infield to me, around the centre and 2nd row.

Is interesting, McGuire and Gardner still may get brought in though as Wellens and Pryce aren't fully fit yet and could miss out.

McGuire and Gardner can't complain, Smith and Calderwood have been better than AG and Danny has doe nothing either. I know Pryce has not done much aswell but for me Pryce would get the nod and sacrifice DM bench spot to the second hooker.

Our problem is that the British game is so different to the Austalian game.

We select players that are masters of our version and ask them to go play against the Aussies at their version.

A class examples of this are Wellens and Sinfield. Fantastic players in the Super League but at International level the game is different and they're just not good enough.

I'd have taken these two out of the squad to play NZ. Pryce for Full Back which for me is his ideal position. McGuire & Burrow for Half Backs and Purdham or Ellis for Loose Forward depending on the game plan.

That is something that really pi55es me off, it's the same sport, there should be no "versions".

Its not different versions as such, the fact is teams in SL adopt a lightening ptb and dummy half running to create tries and once that fails then we have no plan b. The moment Australia or NZ slow us down we have no creativity when faced with a set defence. Thats where dummy runners and pace into the line comes into the equation, we struggle then.

Coupled with an absolutely atrocious kicking game.

A half decent kicking game would at the very least give the Aussies something to think about when moving up quickly in defence.

I know it happens in all sports (like in champions league games when we get comments like "he'd have got a card for that in the premier league", I just think it makes it unfair. Smith ad a rant about having Aussie refs because their interpretation of the rules are different, shouldn't happen in an ideal world/

Exactly. Its all down to interpretations of 'the basics'.

In the NRL the basics are about ball movement and creating overlaps and gaps. Its why so often top Aussies that come over here are able to move to half back from other positions and adapt so well.

In the Super League the basics are more around the play the ball and possession.

Yep, the aussies do the basics as well as you possibly can and thats what wins them games. RL is pretty simple really. They kick and chase well. They are disciplined in defence and move up in one line. They work the ball forward with the big men and they have deep attacking lines and hit the ball at pace and always support the ball carrier.

The make other teams work out of their own half and as the pressure builds they make mistakes, then the green and golds take advantage.