England team now set in stone

[Fairleigh Good!]

I think tonight confirmed GB's and England's best half back combo. That being Leon Pryce and Rob Burrow. McGuire is poor in comparison with Pryce and I think Pryce brings more out of Burrow than McGuire does, despite them being team mates at Leeds, they don't combine at all.

I don't like O'Loughlin, but his performances during the Tri Nations and this series mean you can't really argue if he is selected in the second row. I'd personally have him down as first replacement for those back rowers named.

I can really only see Kirk Yeaman's place being under pressure of those named. The only alternatives I can think of are Ryan Atkins and Stephen Wild playing out of position. The hooking role is one we are struggling with, I don't rate Newton or Diskin, Clarke is average, Alker is playing second division rugby and there doesn't seem to be too many other choices. It shows how dominant Keiron Cunningham still is. Shame he's over the hill and ... erm... Welsh:lol:

There is a lot of depth in the forwards for England now, shame it isn't like that in the backs. Bar injuries I reckon probably 15 of those players will start for England next year.

1 - Paul Wellens
2 - Ade Gardner
3 - Martin Gleeson
4 - Kirk Yeaman
5 - Gareth Raynor
6 - Leon Pryce
7 - Rob Burrow
8 - Jamie Peacock (C)
9 - Jon Clarke
10 - Adrian Morley
11 - Lee Gilmour
12 - Gareth Ellis
13 - Kevin Sinfield

14 - Ginger Graham
15 - Maurie Fa'asavalu
16 - Sam Burgess
17 - James Roby

Hopefully next season will see some bolters come into contention, particularly at hooker and in the backs but they won't have much opportunity to prove themselves before the World Cup.

 

[RLIF]

Rob Burrow will get destroyed by Australia, he maybe good against the big kiwi players but i really think he will struggle against them.

Wow what a team! You even have two Adrian Morelys in there!!

 

[Mickl84]

Backrow is our strong point.

Ellis, Hock, Buchanan, Wilkin, Wild, Burgess, Langley, O'Loughlin & Purdham all will be in contention.

We are relativley well covered at Hooker aswell, Newton has to start, Roby on the bench.

 

[LordLeague]

Your rotating hookers should Roby and Higham, should keep defence on their toes for whole game.

Lord League

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Australias strength is everywhere.

Front row (Petro, Price, Mason), hooker (Cameron Smith, Robbie Farah, Danny Buderus), 2nd row (Hindmarsh, Gallen, Hoffman, O'Donnell), lock (Johnson, Bird), halves (Lockyer, Thurston, Prince, Cronk, Bird, Inglis), centres (Hodges, Gasnier, Inglis, Folau), wingers (Hayne, Folau, Grothe) and fullbacks (Stewart, Hunt, Miniciello, Bowen)

All over the park, unless injuries occur, Australia at full strength strong all over the park and even if injuries occur, quality players will take their place.

 

[Mickl84]

Australias strength is everywhere.

Front row (Petro, Price, Mason), hooker (Cameron Smith, Robbie Farah, Danny Buderus), 2nd row (Hindmarsh, Gallen, Hoffman, O'Donnell), lock (Johnson, Bird), halves (Lockyer, Thurston, Prince, Cronk, Bird, Inglis), centres (Hodges, Gasnier, Inglis, Folau), wingers (Hayne, Folau, Grothe) and fullbacks (Stewart, Hunt, Miniciello, Bowen)

All over the park, unless injuries occur, Australia at full strength strong all over the park and even if injuries occur, quality players will take their place.

Very True indeed 1ET, Thats why its so difficult to beat the Australians.

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

Thats why the world cup is a joke more like.

We know the 1,2,3 already. All the world cup is useful for is sorting the ability levels of the semi professional Australians that make up the other sides.

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

Rob Burrow will get destroyed by Australia, he maybe good against the big kiwi players but i really think he will struggle against them.

Wow what a team! You even have two Adrian Morelys in there!!

Obviously I meant Burgess for the bench spot.

Burrow will be fine against Australia, as will Leon Pryce.

We don't have the ability to beat Australia, we know that. England's best hope is to steal 2nd from the Kiwis.

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

Australias strength is everywhere.

Front row (Petro, Price, Mason), hooker (Cameron Smith, Robbie Farah, Danny Buderus), 2nd row (Hindmarsh, Gallen, Hoffman, O'Donnell), lock (Johnson, Bird), halves (Lockyer, Thurston, Prince, Cronk, Bird, Inglis), centres (Hodges, Gasnier, Inglis, Folau), wingers (Hayne, Folau, Grothe) and fullbacks (Stewart, Hunt, Miniciello, Bowen)

All over the park, unless injuries occur, Australia at full strength strong all over the park and even if injuries occur, quality players will take their place.

6 or 7 non-Australians? The Roos need to be less selfish with international players.

The S.O.O selection criteria is already a farce. It shouldn't matter which country you represent. SOO is the reason those players are 'Australian', they couldn't give 2 shi$s about playing for the Roos. Look at Farah, who would love to be Lebanese for the World Cup, but won't now because it'll stop him playing in the Origin series.

 

[Mickl84]

But won't now because it'll stop him playing in the Origin series.

And how would that be?

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

And how would that be?

You have to wait 2 years to play for Australia or in S.O.O if you represent another country.

 

[Mickl84]

You have to wait 2 years to play for Australia or in S.O.O if you represent another country.

Thats rather harse, hasn't he already represented Lebanon?

What about Hazem El Masri also, he played for the Cockroaches this Origin Series.

 

[Mickl84]

What about FuiFui MoiMoi/Tonga/NZ?

How is Frank Pritchard elibable to represent Samoa, after representing the Kiws at Test Level?

There are some shocking laws in our game that allow these things to happen.

There is only one way of sorting this and that is you represent your country of birth, unless of course that is a non league playing nation, then of course you would play for the country where you learned to play the game.

 

[roughyedspud]

Rob Burrow will get destroyed by Australia, he maybe good against the big kiwi players but i really think he will struggle against them.

burrow played for england A against australia in the 2003 tour,england 'A' lost by 2 points i think, burrow's ripped australia to bits...


for rob borrow read alfie langer.......but burrow is a damn sight quicker..

 

[eels_fan_01]

Thats why the world cup is a joke more like.

We know the 1,2,3 already. All the world cup is useful for is sorting the ability levels of the semi professional Australians that make up the other sides.

Exactly the same as the rugby union world cup and no one complains? Sure they probably had about 6 sides who could have actually win it.

 

[Rutager]

burrow played for england A against australia in the 2003 tour,england 'A' lost by 2 points i think, burrow's ripped australia to bits...


for rob borrow read alfie langer.......but burrow is a damn sight quicker..

Comparing Borrow to Langer. :crazy:

 

[The Clan]

Australia can only play 17 men during a game, if they come up against an England or NZ team that has its top 17 on show then they can be beaten.

If injuries start to deplete the Aus, Eng & NZ teams then Australia's greater depth of talent comes into effect.

England pack,IMO, will be the best in the World Cup and while Australia have better half backs if their pack is on the back foot Burrow & Pryce are good enough to capitalise.
Englands pack will be boosted by Carvell, Langley maybe a resurgent Hock.

England need to have a better threequarter line and I can only hope that we have a couple of bolters during the 2008 season, like Sam Burgess did this year. Penny at Warrington, Atkins at Wakefield, Hall at Hull FC, Smith at Leeds.

Wellens does so many good things well as a fullback but lacks the pace to make him a threat going forward so a serious contender needs to be found. Blaymire at Wakefield, Mathers at Wigan we are weak at fullback.

 

[deluded pom?]

Rob Burrow will get killed by Willie Mason

Just corrected your typo RLIF ;-)

 

[Ari Gold]

Thats why the world cup is a joke more like.

We know the 1,2,3 already. All the world cup is useful for is sorting the ability levels of the semi professional Australians that make up the other sides.

Yeah you're right, World Cups are a complete waste of time...