Fielden left out of Britain Squad

[International RL]

Interesting...

Seems his form is down since his Tri-Nations tour. The Kangaroo pack really took aim at him and his 'best prop in the world' tag, and tried to destroy him. Seems they did...

He never really recovered after being layed out by Mason.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/7035568.stm

Fielden left out of Britain squad



Wigan Warriors prop Stuart Fielden has been left out of the Great Britain squad ahead of the three Test series against New Zealand.
Fielden has been a key figure in the GB team in recent years and has 25 caps.
But the 28-year-old had a poor tour of Australia and New Zealand last year and has been out of form this season.
"I had a really good conversation with Stuart and he has been battling with injury, which is all credit to him," said Great Britain coach Tony Smith.
"He'd love to play for his country but he realises his form probably hasn't warranted selection for GB on this occasion."

Fielden, who became the world's most expensive player when he moved from Bradford to Wigan for £450,000 in 2006, made his Great Britain debut in 2001.
Fielden's Wigan team-mate Sean O'Loughlin has been added to the GB train-on squad following the Warriors' elimination from Super League, but there was no place for second rower Gareth Hock.
Smith has been hit by the withdrawal of prop Garreth Carvell and scrum-half Richard Horne from his train-on squad.
The Hull duo both have injuries, with Carvell suffering from a bulging disc in his neck while Horne has a foot ligament injury.
With Bradford captain Paul Deacon withdrawing last week, Smith is now short of options at scrum-half and Leeds' Rob Burrow seems certain to wear number seven in the first Test in Huddersfield on 27 October.
Players from Leeds and St Helens will not be added to the squad until after Saturday's Grand Final.
Meanwhile, Warrington prop Adrian Morley will captain the Northern Union against the New Zealand "All Golds" in the centenary international at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on 20 October.
But Morley, who captained GB for the first time in the mid-season Test against France, is expected to surrender the skipper's armband for the series against New Zealand.
Current Great Britain train-on squad:
Matt Blaymire (Wakefield Trinity Wildcats)
Kevin Brown (Huddersfield Giants)
Sam Burgess (Bradford Bulls)
Jon Clarke (Warrington Wolves)
Andy Coley (Salford City Reds)
Martin Gleeson (Warrington Wolves)
David Hodgson (Salford City Reds)
Andy Lynch (Bradford Bulls)
Richard Moore (Wakefield Trinity Wildcats)
Adrian Morley (Warrington Wolves)
Terry Newton (Bradford Bulls)
Sean O'Loughlin (Wigan warriors)
Kevin Penny (Warrington Wolves)
Michael Platt (Bradford Bulls)
Gareth Raynor (Hull FC)
Jamie Rooney (Wakefield Trinity Wildcats)
Paul Sykes (Harlequins RL)
Danny Tickle (Hull FC)
Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves)
Stephen Wild (Huddersfield Giants)
Kirk Yeaman (Hull FC)

 

[Deleted member 10972]

That is a very new look squad.

As an Aussie who doesn't watch Superleague much, i haven't heart of Burgess, Moore, Blaymire, Brown, Clarke, Penny or Platt.

I assume some of the usuals like Peacock, Pryce, Roby, Gilmour, Wilkin, Bailey, Burrow are on their way in.

No Jamie Thackray?

 

[Misanthrope]

He never really recovered after being layed out by Mason.

Illegally...

 

[westie]

1. He's apparently injured.
2. He hasn't had form for at least two years now.

 

[Deleted member 10972]

In the same series, Soliola decked him, as did Matai.

He is soft as.

 

[westie]

I've seen members of the Aussie forward pack describing one of his games against them as the best prop forward performance they'd seen. Not too bad for a softy.

 

[lockyno1]

soft anyway

 

[International RL]

I've seen members of the Aussie forward pack describing one of his games against them as the best prop forward performance they'd seen. Not too bad for a softy.

I agree. He has produced some incredible performances and has an engine that few players have...

I think that he was targeted last series, and his pack didn't protect him enough, left him out to dry a little. Seems he has lost confidence.

 

[Nook]

Fielden was unbelievably good a few years back against the Aussies (although I remember lots of the Poms were saying at the time he was playing ordinary footy at club level). I reckon he outpointed Webcke when they went head to head.

Sad to see him play so badly last year and miss out on this years team, hopefully he gets his act together before the World Cup. The were a few bright lights for GB last year though - Peacock was easily the pick of the forwards in the tournament at prop, Ellis is all class and Roby, Wilkin, Hock are good young players. Haven't seen much of some of the new faces in that squad but hopefully some of them will live up to the hype.

 

[LordLeague]

Where the bloody hell is Mickey Higham??

I have watched all the internationals involving GB for the last 6 years and Higham is one of the few guys, when given a chance, has really put his hand up and had a go. His dangerous running and support play has been exceptional. GB are a different team when he is on the field.

I would have Roby and Higham alternating at hooker or even play Higham at 7. Roby and Higham on the field together would cause countless headaches. I feel this would be a combination that GB/England could build on for next year.

LordLeague

 

[Magpie Nick]

No Jamie Thackray?

Thackray is at Leeds so he hasn't had a chance to be added to the squad. His lack of consistent games for Leeds will probably count against him though.

 

[nadera78]

Roby and Higham are very similar players, both quick and mobile and like to run ata tired defence. Much better to have a stedy-eddie type hooker on the field to start with and then bring one of the others on once the game has been going for a while. of the two Roby is a much better player and will be around for a long time to come. Expect to see Jon Clarke start with Roby coming on later.

Of the other newcomers;
Burgess is an awesome prospect at prop, just 18 and will be the cornerstone of the pack for the next decade.
Moore is a prop, had a lot of discipline problems in the past but has really come on this year, likes it rough still.
Blaymire is a young full back, good prospect perhaps not yetready for GB.
Platt is Bradford's full back, and is great going forward but aweful under a high kick. Brown plays stand off or centre, smart and skillful player but lacks consistency.
Penny is a winger at Warrington, an absolute flyer just like Martin Offiah, but is very raw and needs work.

 

[hutch]

In the same series, Soliola decked him, as did Matai.

He is soft as.

the only one who decked him was mason.

2 years ago he was unstoppable, the aussies and kiwis could not contain him. last year in the tri nations he was terrible, especially after the mason incident. this yearin super league has has been really quiet from what i have seen. he is certainly not soft, he is just terribly out of form and needs to change the way he plays the game.

 

[nadera78]

He needs a rest as much as anything.

 

[CZ Andy]

Fielden's mother died the week before the tour last year and he said afterwards his mind was, understandably, elsewhere. He had a shocker on the tour and it seems to have affected him, having his nose broken early on clearly didn't help.

 

[deluded pom?]

At least it proves Smith isn't just picking the same old names who get in on reputation alone.

 

[bartman]

Fielden's mother died the week before the tour last year and he said afterwards his mind was, understandably, elsewhere. He had a shocker on the tour and it seems to have affected him, having his nose broken early on clearly didn't help.

I think that was a big factor in his performance last tour. But even this year he hasn't really to me got back to his best form. Time for a rest and a change.

Add in the Leeds and Saints players to that squad after the weekend, and it should be a good contest with what is a very new look NZ squad too over the course of this series. Could go either way, will have to wait and see.