England 4 nations squad

[Johnny_L_O]

Widdop plays 6. Is a GK aswell. maybe tomkins 7. widdop 6.

Crabtree IMO went well last 4 nations maybe he struggles week to week but performs in the big games.

The good thing for you guys is Australia is missing almost a whole team injured.

Thing is we have McGuire, Sinfield, Peacock and Eastmond injured too so a light squad as it is missed those 4 more than the Aussies miss a team

 

[Hudds lad]

I would have taken Mason ahead of Griffin. Certainly both ahead of Fielden.

Mason isn't big enough and has been injured most of the year Griff has been very very consistent although he is prone to fighting!

 

[franklin2323]

Thing is we have McGuire, Sinfield, Peacock and Eastmond injured too so a light squad as it is missed those 4 more than the Aussies miss a team

Yeah possibly. From a England point of view No Inglis, Hodges, Lyon, Thurson would look beatable. It's good some good young players in the squad so prob might surprise people. I can't think of any players picked on repuation like Senior, Gleeson etc in the past. The games I have watched Goulding, Briscoe etc look to be good players

 

[S.S.T.I.D]

Awesome pack. Is Leon Pryce on the outer at international level? If not we are talking about Eastmond, Pryce, McGuire and Sinfield as ball players who are all missing. Only Australia has the depth in the halves to be able to cover the loss of 4 playmakers.

 

[JasonE]

Awesome pack. Is Leon Pryce on the outer at international level? If not we are talking about Eastmond, Pryce, McGuire and Sinfield as ball players who are all missing. Only Australia has the depth in the halves to be able to cover the loss of 4 playmakers.

He's out injured mate, has a bulging disc in his back and had/needs an operation.

 

[S.S.T.I.D]

He's out injured mate, has a bulging disc in his back and had/needs an operation.

Yeah, I knew that. But there are a few players that seem to have been blackballed from the English team. Burrow, Wellens, Senior and Gardner (even though I know he is also currently injured) spring to mind. Is Pryce in that group or still a walk up when fit?

 

[shiznit]

as i said in another thread... this could be redemption for Fielden.

his career went down the toilet after the Tri-Nations down under in 06.

and i think hes a much better player than he showed on that tour... this could be his chance to go back to his pre-wigan days.

also... Roby's a mystery for me... i see him sporadicly when Cunningham isnt resting or injured but every time i see him for Saints he looks dynamic.

if he can translate that to England i reckon that could be the spark to ignite the poms.

 

[westie]

I'm super excited to watch Fielden go around. He's fearsome on form.

Gleeson ripped it up at Old Trafford, can't imagine why a guy who was wanted by Brisbane and Melbourne can't make that backline.

I guess we get to see what Australia can do without the class centres and Thurston. We looked impotent in Melbourne with Cronk at half, I hope we don't put in another game of the dribble. We've still got Slater and Hayne in the backline with superstar abilities.

 

[Rich]

Given the paucity of talent available in SL these days, of the matchwinning variety anyway, I don't think the squad is as bad as some are making out.

Tomkins simply HAS to play at fullback as he is a magnificent attacking fullback. But the selection of Widdop, who hasn't played FB since the French Test (maybe I missed one game), is bizarre.

Kevin Brown deserves his chance and I have a feeling Luke Robinson will do a decent job. What I like about players like these two and many others who don't play for the traditional big 4 (although that was broken up long ago) is that they'll have a great attitude throughout the tour and won't display any big-nameitis when things aren't going well. They're used to playing for an overachieving non-glamour team (with the greatest of respect to the Giants) and that can only be a good thing for England.

I'm still not convinced about Fielden. We'll never see his best form again - it's like Iestyn Harris after he came back from union who put a decent-ish 18 months together, but was never close to being the player he was at Leeds. Fielden still loses out in too many collisions for me, and surrenders possession a bit too much.

But the forwards look great. Even so, I think the best we can hope for is a great one-off victory somewhere along the line. Getting to the final would go down as an incredible achievement but it is something that looks to be beyond us.

 

[Rich]

Agree with Jason about Coley. He was unlucky not to get a game in 2006, but is a better player now. He should be there and I'd have taken Liam Farrell too.

 

[Evil Homer]

I'm super excited to watch Fielden go around. He's fearsome on form.

Gleeson ripped it up at Old Trafford, can't imagine why a guy who was wanted by Brisbane and Melbourne can't make that backline.

Fielden won't make the side unless McNamara is even more stupid than we thought. Gleeson should probably have toured and that's probably the omission that has confused people the most.

Yeah, I knew that. But there are a few players that seem to have been blackballed from the English team. Burrow, Wellens, Senior and Gardner (even though I know he is also currently injured) spring to mind. Is Pryce in that group or still a walk up when fit?

Burrow and Gardner haven't been 'blackballed', their form hasn't been good so they haven't been selected. Senior has been 'blackballed' because he's 34. Pryce would probably have got a run if he was fit. There's no list of players that are being excluded or anything like that. Their form hasn't warranted selection.

 

[The Clan]

I think Steve McNamara will start with S Tomkins at Full Back with Brown and Robinson as the halves. He will play Widdop off the bench as insurance against Brown being found out at Stand Off (straight swap) or Robinson being found out at Scrum Half (Widdop to FB Tomkins to SH).

Tomkins
Briscoe
Shenton
Atkins
Hall
Brown
Robinson
Morley
Roby
Graham
Ellis
Burgess
O'Loughlin

Widdop
Westwood
J Tomkins
Crabtree

Players missing would be:
Sinfield
McGuire
Pryce
Eastmond
Peacock

Gleeson should have been there as Michael McGuire has sorted him out and he's been superb in the latter half of the seaon.
I'd love to have had Gareth Hock available for this tour.

 

[Evil Homer]

I doubt either Brown or Robinson will be 'found out'. Neither have any real deficiencies in their game that would be exposed, it's just the case of them possibly not being able to do what some of the other options might have, although Brown in particular is a very good player and I would have loved to see him alongside McGuire.

 

[roughyedspud]

fielden will get found out......again

i can see it now....if he plays,the very first kick off will get punted right down his throat,he'll charge it back in with all the commitment in the world.....and get tattooed and when he wakes up he'll think he's at the SFS again back in 2006

 

[The Clan]

I doubt either Brown or Robinson will be 'found out'. Neither have any real deficiencies in their game that would be exposed.

I'm not actually suggesting that they do but neither have played at this level before and some very good players at domestic level often can't step up. It’s equally possible that both may find this level suits them and excel as O'Loughlin does. Either way we'd be stupid to take the field against Aus or NZ without having covered the possibility that one of them flounders.

 

[Indelible]

I can't believe Coley's not there. He's NRL quality.

 

[roughyedspud]

hahaha


well i suppose if shane tronc can get a gig in the NRL...you are probably right

 

[Bman26]

Widdop will be the utility, FB, Center, Wing(assuming) & 5/8 and im sure at a pinch Hooker.