england 4nations injuries

[WireMan]

I wasn't talking relocation, more perhaps using the franchise/license (whatever you want to term it) structure to slowly introduce a more diverse region of teams.



Missed this bit, beyond your obvious bias I agree, though Warrington's guys don't get me as excited as others they are definitely an example.

I'll tell you who's not an example, Leeds. Webb, Delaney, Ablett at centre, constant mixing in the halves and forwards. Ben Cross. And look how they've gone this season, directly south compared to previous performances.

Well the Franchise thing might work. We could start by sticking a team in Wales. That might go well.

Not having a pop at you, but the RFL are trying to spread the game. Its just insanely difficult for rugby league to get any coverage. Biggest league game of the season yesteday, there was more coverage of the Union world cup (not even started yesterday, Moody is injured for the first game, big whoop), and the 4x100 relay team dropping the baton (again) at the world athletics. Its not Aus. There are no obvious big cities working hard for a team. Maybe Bristol in a few years, but nothing now.


Warringtons Imports are great. King and J Monas were international players when they came over. King could easily be again. J Monas probably not, but thats nothing to do with his ability..

Anyways, Leeds does show that if you recruit wrong from down under then it does effect your team. The coach doesn't help either though.

 

[roughyedspud]

matt king took a while to find his feet though did'nt he...been awesome the last year/18month though..and he'll walk into the NSW team next year....and probably australia too

 

[Bobby DIGital]

your not number 1 in the world anyway you f**king clown...the rankings came out last month and your still frigging 2nd


being number 1 requires you to back up performances..WHICH YOU DON'T

LOL You wish and pray that you can win just one single tournament, let alone winning one and then "backing it up". LMFAO @ you.

Last time I checked we won 3 tournaments in 5 years. Australia's won 2...and England has won...?? oh yeah zero lol.

Keep hanging on to the glory days of 07 mate, I'm sure it keeps you warm at night.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Backing it up for England will mean beating Wales in this tournament and not coming last.

 

[roughyedspud]

christ you 2 are thick


2005 won something
2006 failed to back it up
2007 failed even more miserably
2008 won something
2009 failed,f**k you even failed to make the final,world champs failing to make a final..poor,very poor
2010 won some thing

you're both too dumb to realize your just as likely to lose to england as win against australia....everyone else knows it :lol:


and cry and whinge all you little boys want...you ain't number 1 in the world :lol:

to even be considered no1 you have to start beating australia in the anzac test and winning back to back tournament

 

[Fast Eddie]

Australia have also failed to win back to back tournaments in that period.

You guys won any? I think you guys made a final recentish but got hammed by 40 or something.....

 

[NRL-TGG]

The ANZAC Test is gone after next year.

 

[roughyedspud]

Australia have also failed to win back to back tournaments in that period.

You guys won any? I think you guys made a final recentish but got hammed by 40 or something.....

australia dominated for 40 years prior to 2005 and then traded comps with NZ..thats why they are still number 1

and this is'nt about england winning anything this is about where you think NZ are


and that final...the final score nowhere nearly begins to tell the story of the game..it was 22-16 with 20mins left..then michael shenton got knocked out and left the game....then every single australian point came do that weakened leftside of england line....very very clinical by australia......yet after the game the likes of petero & tim sheens praised england and that the injury to shenton defo changed the game..


so forgive me for taking their opinion on board and not yours l'ittle eddie'

 

[Fast Eddie]

What was the final score? If you can makes excuses for that loss and about being 'praised' then we'll just claim the 2006 final as well. We were down to a two man bench and lost in golden point. I think yours ended up 44-16, so you guys nearly got the win I spose...

 

[Bobby DIGital]

England/GB haven't been relevant since 94.

 

[WireMan]

England/GB haven't been relevant since 94.

They are relevant round here, so thats half the playing population of rugby league.

The fact the other half of the league world has an attitude like that, while starting threads crying about Aussie rules daring to expand the game shows a real lack of forsight.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Sweet, win a tournament this year and then actually become relevant.

 

[WireMan]

Sweet, win a tournament this year and then actually become relevant.

As soon as we win a competition Aussies pretend that its not relevant and probably cry about the weather or something.


The England rugby team actually is relevant. Australia isn't the only country that plays rugby.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

As soon as we win a competition Aussies pretend that its not relevant and probably cry about the weather or something.

We do do we? Please, show me a thread where Aussies complained about the weather costing us a competition against England....... oh wait, the internet didn't exist then.

 

[roughyedspud]

the world club challenge will do.....for the sake of winning a argument :lol:

 

[WireMan]

the world club challenge will do.....for the sake of winning a argument :lol:

You know that was exactly the comp i was thinking about. :lol:

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

the world club challenge will do.....for the sake of winning a argument :lol:

You didnt. Just made a fool of yourself.

 

[roughyedspud]

how?? your clubs and press are always whinging about the weather for the world club challenge lol so you've just made a fool of yourself tezza :lol:


btw on england injuries

GARETH ELLIS IS GOING TO PLAY IN THE 4NATIONS.....GET IN!

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...enforcer-ellis-at-kickoff-20110908-1jzxn.html

Ellis clearly relishes the more attacking role he has been given here by Sheens. ''He's brought the best out of me, no doubt,'' he says. ''Not bad running off Benji or Robert Lui every now and then, is it? This group of lads, they're a special group. They play how they are off the field. They're pretty tight, pretty relaxed. A lot of the personality is expressed on the field as well. It's been fantastic to be around such a talented group of players.''
For how much longer, Ellis does not know. His only plans to go home now are for the Four Nations - and to marry Rachael in December. Yet with the big forward refreshed and ready for battle, Ellis might well have a ring on his own finger even sooner.

 

[Arucard]

As above, Ellis has been cleared for the 4Nations.
http://www.nrl.com/tigers-ellis-set-for-league-four-nations/tabid/10874/newsid/64924/default.aspx

 

[BrisbaneRhino]

There are a lot of reasons why England hasn't been that competitive in recent years. The biggest for me are lack of structure/plan (in both attack and defence), an absolute lack of any class in the backs, and overrated forwards who don't do anything like as much quality work off the ball as the Aussies. A lot of that stems from the very poor standard of play across too many SL sides.

Hopefully having more players from the NRL will help with the structure and off the ball work. It should also help with our ability to deal with 2nd man plays in particular which has been a HUGE weakness for years as someone else said. Its unbelievable how mesmerised GB/England's outside backs have been by simple decoy plays - to the extent that they don't even register as missing a tackle because they don't do anything. When Tony Smith was coach he had to organise special training sessions just to show them what they were defending.

In attack we simply don't plan sets of 6 at all. Or so it would appear. That's where Widdopp will be vital, especially if he can gel with a regular partner and Roby at hooker. We also need to lose the British obsession with losoe forwards being 'extra playmakers'. It doesn't work and hasn't for 40 years.

The other plus is that we seem to actually have a number of reasonably big and quick outside backs coming through. When Tony Smith was coach a few years ago I walked past our right side pairing of Calderwood and Lee Smith in Brisbane, and was genuinely shocked at how skinny and small they were (especially in comparison to the Aussie backs I've bumped into). Absolutely no surprise to see them wiped out by Inglis and co.

I have no hope of England winning something this year, but hopefully if the kids coming through continue to develop (especially key players in Tomkins and Widdop) we should at least be far more competitive in the future. Whilst I'd love England to win a tournament, the least I want is for us to give Australia and NZ a really tough game every time.