A New Fresh Gb 17 For The Future

[Big-Hitter]

I've had a re-think - Drop Wellens, solid player he is, and give Ben Cockayne of Hull KR the no.1 jersey. I really rate this kid.

I read this at first and thought: "this bloke is nuts! Cockayne has never even played Super League!!!!"

However, I do share your enthusiasm about this lads potential and am looking forward to see whether he can recreate his NL1 form in the top flight.

 

[HUDDERSFIELDUK]

I've had a re-think - Drop Wellens, solid player he is, and give Ben Cockayne of Hull KR the no.1 jersey. I really rate this kid.

Heard of these ?

Chris ashton
shaun briscoe
stuart reardon
richard mathers

all super league players

 

[nqboy]

Geez, aren't we lucky the Poms didn't bring their best side out here? I mean, so many names being thrown around here as would-be world-beaters, we'd be on a hiding to nothing.

 

[The Original Eye]

Heard of these ?

Chris ashton
shaun briscoe
stuart reardon
richard mathers

all super league players

Ashton's not as good as Cockayne;
Briscoe's the English Brett Hodgson - too lightweight;
Reardon's in my 17 on the wing;
Mathers is a strong candidate if he's fit and playing at FB for the Gold Coast.

 

[Coastbloke]

Carney was up there in most of the 'good' stats this year for the Knights.

He had a major part in the Knights reaching the top 4 in the NRL.

No way he can be dropped for GB....

 

[bartman]

Will only get a clean approach is there's a change in coach.

I expect that Carney should cease with Gb now, and play for Ireland in WC qualifiers in a years time, if he is passionate to play for them in the WC finals.

Next year's GB tests could be a rep swan song for guys that should not play for England in the WC finals a year later (Senior, Long, Newton, Sculthorpe, Morley) but should also be used to blood the guys that can come through.

Will only happen with a coach who has a eye on development, not quite Noble's strength at GB level imo.

 

[JJ]

I thought there looked to be quite a few reasonable players in the squad, and really the one's that need to go are the ones with the big reputations...

Senior, McGuire and Long should not be selected again. The latter two have never done anything at this level, and don't appear likely to. Newton is a has-been

Fielden was awful, but deserves another crack and Morely and Peacock remain great - Ellis, Hock, and o'Lachlan(??? the lock) all looked decent promising players...

 

[Mal Meninga]

Does anyone reckon Mathers will cut it in the NRL?

 

[Deleted member 10972]

Pryce would be a good fullback IMO, in the Inglis mould. Can play his standoff role plus have free running game. I think now i would go with:

1. Leon Pryce
2. Brian Carney/Stuart Reardon
3. Martin Gleeson
4. Kirk Yeaman
5. Gareth Raynor/David Hodgson
6. Danny McGuire
7. Lee Briers
8. Stuart Fielden
9. Mickey Higham
10. Gareth Carvell
11. Adrian Morley
12. Jamie Peacock
13. Gareth Ellis

14. James Roby
15. James Graham
16. Gareth Hock
17. Danny Sculthorpe/Andy Coley/Ryan Bailey/Eorl Crabtree/any other good props at that moment

 

[JasonE]

Why are people writing off Paul Sculthorpe ? fully fit he is the best player in the UK by miles, Sure he has had injuries over the past 2 years but don't write him off he is still only 29 and his time out could actually extend his career.

 

[screeny]

Why are people writing off Paul Sculthorpe ? fully fit he is the best player in the UK by miles, Sure he has had injuries over the past 2 years but don't write him off he is still only 29 and his time out could actually extend his career.

I would argue with the 'best player in GB' tag and pour scorn on the 'by miles' comment. Most overated, hyped up player by miles, yes.

 

[bartman]

I'd made the assumption that Paul Sculthorpe might be too injured to even get through the domestic season this year? But maybe I've over-rated his injuries and ability to recover to past levels.

 

[Charge]

Ashton's not as good as Cockayne;
Briscoe's the English Brett Hodgson - too lightweight;
Reardon's in my 17 on the wing;
Mathers is a strong candidate if he's fit and playing at FB for the Gold Coast.

Ashton is better than Cockayne, who I do think is pretty good. I guess we will have a better idea next season though.

 

[winnyason]

the big things hurting england
1. the league full of reserve grade nrl players nathan wood, brent grose, henry fafilfi, scott donald the list goes on.
2. the slow movement of france toward being a top tier international team,
this is a major reason why the english play no one in there domestic season.
3. the promotion/relegation the sooner it goes the better, come 2009 teams will finally put time into bringing up young engilsh kids & not flying over has beens or never wases, the young kids playing in britain have potential showed by there junior teams perfromances vs aussies.

what needs to happen in england
1. more national team players willing to play in the nrl to better game rather than go for the easy cash in super league.
2. get rid of dead wood in english side, start with new generation, newton drop, senior drop, gleeson (what a sh*t defender) drop.
blood rooney as the new halfback has great kicking game with mcguire the playmaker, atkins & yeaman centres, calderwood to the wing & blood young ashton in the backs some where. love the new crop of forwards hock, ellis & sean o louglin very impressive while roby must be the starting hooker with diskin or alker off the bench.

 

[expansionist]

This is a very interesting thread and I really enjoy reading the thoughts of UK based people who see these guys week in week out.

i think the general concensus here is that what is needed is a fresh start. Certainly it appears that a lot of these guys have been selected on reputation rather than form, and in some cases not even played on tour.

The people being picked out as being dropped (Senior, Newton etc) should never have toured this year.

What was cried out for in this tri nations from GB was a little bit of creativity. Try some things.... horne in the centres or full back maybe, roby starting etc.. instead what we got was good old fashioned Noble-ball. stock standard asnwers all over again.

In the business world we say 'the definition of stupidity is trying an unsuccesful thing over again and expecting a different result'. Well Noble is the definition of stupidity.

the buck must stop with mr Noble - bring in a coach who rewards form and is prepared to back youth (who dont play for Bradford or Wigan)

By the way, my thoughts on the centre pairing.. should have been Yeoman and Gleeson. Yes Gleeson didnt play well, but my theory is that after he was (wrongly) dropped after his first game it really hurt his confidence. I personally think he looked dangerous in that first game and was very unfairly dropped. It must have made it hard for him.

end of rant.