GB squad named...

[East Coast Tiger]

http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/06/09/25/RUGBYL_Britain.html

This answers some questions but they're not the answers many were after.

GB Squad: Aspinwall (Huddersfield), Burrow (Leeds), Carney (Newcastle Knights), Carvell (Hull), Ellis (Leeds), Fielden (Wigan), Gilmour (St Helens), Gleeson (Warrington), Graham (St Helens), Hock (Wigan), Horne (Hull), Johnson (Bradford), Pryce (St Helens), Long (St Helens), McGuire (Leeds), Morley (Sydney Roosters), Newton (Bradford), O'Loughlin (Wigan), Peacock (Leeds, capt), Raynor (Hull), Roby (St Helens), Senior (Leeds), Wellens (St Helens), Wilkin (St Helens), Yeaman (Hull).
Standby-squad: Briers (Warrington), Coley (Salford), Higham (Wigan), Hodgson (Salford), Radford (Hull), Lynch (Bradford), Cooke (Hull), Wood (Warrington), Reardon (Warrington), Wild (Huddersfield).

Why pick a standby squad? I reckon it's to placate the fans by saying "these blokes went close, but..."
It's not a terrible squad but there are a few odd picks. Aspinwall? Surely he won't actually play for GB. He's a decent player but not a Test player.

 

[Evil Homer]

If one of the blokes gets injured,those are the players that can be called up to fill in.They've always picked a standby squad,but this is the first time it's actually been released to the press.

Aspinwall has been one of the top wingers this season and deserves to be there IMO.

 

[bartman]

I think the stand-bys are actually flying to Australia early, with anyone in the main 25 who is not in the grand final. The ten might get an initial tour game under their belts, and stay in Oz if there's an injury or two from the grand final, otherwise they come back and join the England Federation Cup squad.

I thought he'd go with a few more options around the play-the-ball... he's basically limited himself to a Newton/Roby hooking rotation (or maybe Burrow used differently), and a McGuire/Long halves pair, with Horne and Burrow as the back-ups? I guess Pryce and Roby could slot in there to cover an injury during a game...

And not enough front row options either, Graham along with I guess Peacock from the second row will be doing the front row work when Morley and Fielden get tired or worn down by the Kiwis?

 

[bartman]

7 St Helens
4 Hull
5 Leeds
2 Bradford
0 Salford
1 Warrington
0 Harlequins
3 Wigan
1 Huddersfield
0 Wakefield, Castleford, Catalans
1 Rooster, 1 Knight/Titan

14 of the 25 are still involved in the play-offs this weekend, and that will only drop by two if Bradford lose or one if Warrington do.

So the remaining 9 plus the 10 stand-bys should be on a flight to Oz (including Morley and Carney if they're back for a visit at the moment) on I think 4th October, in time to play the first warm-up game, which I think is something to do with Newcastle?

 

[bartman]

Actually, just read the first bunch fly out on the 10th October, everyone except those not involved in the grandfinal (which could be as many as 11). So at least 14 main squad players and 10 stand bys make that trip, and the warm up is on 20 October against a "Newcastle Invitational XIII".

I'd assume Noble will use it as a proper warm up playing first choice players wherever possible, and filling the remaining spots with a few of the stand-bys. So possibly 7 of the 10 won't get a game, but that's probably better than playing them at the expense of top-25 squad members who may otherwise not get another game on tour.

Guess it's worth the experience in training and bonding, knowing that this series might/should be the last rep games for guys like Senior, Long, Wellens, Morley, Carney? Other guys have to come through the ranks to step up into their boots before World Cup.

 

[warrington greg]

We will get battered. Need Higham for Roby, Reardon/Hodgson for Aspinwall and Briers should be in the squad without a doubt. we will get thrashed, but i will still be behing the lads:crazy:

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

We will get battered. Need Higham for Roby, Reardon/Hodgson for Aspinwall and Briers should be in the squad without a doubt. we will get thrashed, but i will still be behing the lads:crazy:

Putting Higham over Roby is laughable.

There is a reason why Higham was released from St Helens and ended up at a non top-6 side and that reason is Roby.

 

[JasonE]

Putting Higham over Roby is laughable.

I would've had both in the squad with Higham starting and Roby off the bench, Newton dosen't deserve to be in.

Andy Lynch is unlucky not to get in, what more could he do ?

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

GB Squad:
Aspinwall (Huddersfield) - Has done well but can't play wing for GB. Utility value has earned his call up and is bench material at best. Better players are in standby squad.
Burrow (Leeds) - Obvious choice, I'd play from bench with Roby.
Carney (Newcastle Knights) - Obvious choice.
Carvell (Hull) - Good choice, deserves it.
Ellis (Leeds) - Obvious choice.
Fielden (Wigan) - Obvious choice, but should be only Wigan player.
Gilmour (St Helens) - Obvious choice, great season.
Gleeson (Warrington) - Obvious choice.
Graham (St Helens) - Thoroughly deserved HAS to be in 17.
Hock (Wigan) - Laughable. Was a good prospect 2 or 3 years ago, but has been recovering from injury this season and is a woeful choice.
Horne (Hull) - Deserved on ability.
Johnson (Bradford) - Has been out a long time with an arm injury. Has no form and isn't a good enough player to be an automatic pick.
Pryce (St Helens) - Obvious choice.
Long (St Helens) - Obvious choice.
McGuire (Leeds) - Obvious choice for squad, only one of him and Burrow should get into the 17.
Morley (Sydney Roosters) - Obvious choice.
Newton (Bradford) - Laughable, pathetic, lame etc...
O'Loughlin (Wigan) - Worse than the selection of Hock. A decent prospect 2 or 3 years ago but is nothing but a high shot merchant. Has been rewarded for a shocking season with a GB call up. I can see the logic. Wigan being his club and Noble being his club coach is the sole reason he's there.
Peacock (Leeds, capt) - Poor season, doesn't deserve place on form. Ability gets him into the squad, but he's a poor choice for captain.
Raynor (Hull) - Good choice.
Roby (St Helens) - Brilliant choice. Thoroughly deserves place in 17.
Senior (Leeds) - Undeserved. CANNOT start.
Wellens (St Helens) - Obvious choice.
Wilkin (St Helens) - Thoroughly deserves his selection.
Yeaman (Hull) - Thoroughly deserved.

Standby-squad:
Briers (Warrington) - Should start in final 17. HAS to be given chance in warm up games.
Coley (Salford) - Unlucky to not be in first choice squad.
Higham (Wigan) - Doesn't deserve selection but is okay for inclusion in case of injury to Roby.
Hodgson (Salford) - Should be in first choice squad in place of Aspinwall.
Radford (Hull) - In the right place.
Lynch (Bradford) - In the right place for now. Deserves to step to bench for GB if he goes well in trials.
Cooke (Hull) - Bizarre. He should be in the starting 13 never mind the squad. An insult to him that he is behind O'Loughlin, a truly staggering decision. Cooke a contender for MOS left out for O'Loughlin, a player heavily criticised by his own fans at a club finishing outside the top 6.
Wood (Warrington) - Deserved inclusion in standby.
Reardon (Warrington) - Not good enough but solid backup.
Wild (Huddersfield) - Not good enough but solid backup.

Noble has picked alot of his mates again. There are names in that squad that have no place in a GB shirt. O'Loughlin and Hock are extremely poor selections as they have had awful, awful seasons at Wigan. Hock has been recovering from injury slowly all year and still hasn't recovered properly. O'Loughlin simply isn't good enough.

Terry Newton has been anonymous for Bradford and yet someone manages to inherit Cunningham's shirt. That is a truly staggering drop in quality and there are several better choices in Super League.

GB need to start picking players based on their form and not their name and stature in the game. Players like Newton, Johnson and Senior are still selected despite not earning their places. All because of who they are in the game and not what they have been doing all season.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

When you look at that squad man for man with what is the likely Australian starting side it's a big worry for GB. I think the Aussie side will be more of a form side. The Roos look unbelievably strong in the backs and at hooker with Cameron Smith. The Aussie centres are awesome: Gasnier, Cooper, Hodges, Inglis, Tate, King - they are all better than any GB centre. Even if King and Tate play wing as expected and Inglis or Hodges plays fullback one of those players will still miss out. Maybe Senior is in the side because he is the only GB centre big enough to handle these Aussies, not that he will. Lockyer is probably the best player in the world right now and it doesn't matter who plays halfback for Australia, it won't be Kimmorley or Gower, they will go well. Cronk should get it on form even though he is in his first full year and hasn't played Origin. Whoever plays fullback for the Roos they will be far more dynamic than Wellens. Inglis, Hodges, Slater, Hunt are good attacking players and are safe enough.

GB is still looking okay in the forwards but still short on depth. Apart from Morley, Fielden, Graham and maybe Peacock (although he is needed in the backrow) GB doesn't really have another prop of Test standard. Carvell and Lynch have gone okay of late but they'll end up just like Bailey, Ward, Thackray, Fozzard etc. who get one or two games and never play for GB again. Hock and O'Laughlin are not surprising picks but they probably shouldn't be there. I might take O'Laughlin in the squad becaue he was good against the Aussies last year and does have some ability. Being Wigan captain probably didn't help his game so without that burden he might go better. Cooke is clearly the worst omission but I'd say this court case has a bit to do with it. Roby is good but he can't start in a Test match. He doesn't start at club level so you can't ask him to start against Australia. That leaves Newton unfortunately but really GB has few good options. Higham went well last year off the bench but he was hardly noticed at club level this year. By comparison Australia has a good depth of backrowers and enough decent props to match the GB pack at least.
Possible match-ups:
Wellens Hodges
Carney King
Gleeson Inglis
Senior Gasnier
Raynor Tate
McGuire Lockyer
Long Cronk
Morley Price
Newton Smith
Fielden Civoniceva
Peacock Hindmarsh
Wilkin Mason
Ellis Ryan
Roby Berrigan
Johnson Menzies
Carvell Bailey
Graham O'Meley

 

[S.S.T.I.D]

From the other side of the world that looks pretty much like the same old same old. I'm not holding my breath that GB will win the thing now.

Base of the scrum should be Briers, Long and Cooke. It looks like a squad that was put together to not get smashed, as opposed to a squad that should be put together to win. Very disappointing. Sooner or later the selectors are going to have to take some chances.

 

[Weasels Ripped My Flesh]

Needs more Rooney.

 

[ByRd]

whats there most likley starting 17???

 

[Deleted member 10972]

They should go into the match prepeared for a forward battle.

1. Paul Wellens
2. Brian Carney
3. Martin Gleeson
4. Keith Senior (Kirk Yeaman would be a good choice though)
5. David Hodgson (best choice, other option is Leon Pryce)
6. Danny McGuire
7. Sean Long
8. Gareth Carvell
9. Terry Newton
10. Stuart Fielden
11. Adrian Moeley
12. Jamie Peacock
13. Gareth Ellis

14. James Roby/Rob Burrow
15. Jon Wilkin/Lee Gilmour/Paul Johnson (similar players, mobile backrowers)
16. Andy Coley
17. James Graham

That team would strike fear in the hearts of the Aussies. A towering backrow with two fearsome runners, a large aggressive frontrow, a tough defending lock with mobility, two crafty halves, pace out wide, two strong centres, a safe fullback, & a bench consisting of a mobile dummy-half, a mobile backrower to work out wide on the fringes, & two big props to rotate all game.

 

[ParraDude_Jay]

Hock (Wigan) - Laughable. Was a good prospect 2 or 3 years ago, but has been recovering from injury this season and is a woeful choice.
O'Loughlin (Wigan) - Worse than the selection of Hock. A decent prospect 2 or 3 years ago but is nothing but a high shot merchant. Has been rewarded for a shocking season with a GB call up. I can see the logic. Wigan being his club and Noble being his club coach is the sole reason he's there.

Not biased by any chance :roll: O'Loughlin was being selected for GB way before Noble was even linked to Wigan. And Hock is still good, I thought he was in pretty good form towards the back end of the year.

 

[Evil Homer]

No way should Coley be anywhere near GB.There are far better forwards available.

Hodgson has more attacking flair than Aspinwall,but Aspinwall has an all-round better game,which is probably why he was included in the squad over Hodgson,who I feel would be trampled by the likes of Matt King.Raynor should be picked before both of them though.

1.Wellens
2.Carney
3.Gleeson
4.Senior
5.Raynor
6.McGuire
7.Long
8.Fielden
9.Newton
10.Morley
11.Peacock
12.Wilkin
13.Ellis

14.Burrow
15.Carvell(should be Thackray)
16.Graham
17.Pryce/Gilmour/Johnson

would be my team.

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

Not biased by any chance :roll: O'Loughlin was being selected for GB way before Noble was even linked to Wigan. And Hock is still good, I thought he was in pretty good form towards the back end of the year.

Yeah probably very biased.

But when even Wigan players are raising O'Loughlin's name as a bad call for GB, it says a lot about him. He's not GB standard and there are better players left out.

Hock is a player I would have had in a couple of years ago, but who has done nothing since bar spend most of his time recovering from injuries. Playing him at test level will do him no good at all. He needs a proper off season to improve for the future.

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

From the squad plus the standby team who have the chance to impress in the warm ups I would go with:

1. Paul Wellens
2. Brian Carney
3. Martin Gleeson
4. Kirk Yeaman
5. Gareth Raynor
6. Lee Briers
7. Sean Long
8. Stuart Fielden
9. Terry Newton
10. Adrian Morley
11. Jon Wilkin
12. Jamie Peacock
13. Gareth Ellis

14. James Roby
15. Gareth Carvell
16. Rob Burrow
17. James Graham

I'm starting to think Richard Horne or Leon Pryce will be used as wingers or even Horne at hooker. I can't see why he has taken so many half backs with him as he should really have that decision made by now.

 

[warrington greg]

How can you say roby is better than Higham. Higham was one of the stand outs in the GB squad last year and roby has failed to impress me this year after really startin well in 2004 and 2005. he is to young, inexperienced and small and will get thrown around by the likes of hindmarsh and sonny bill. still, i hope he proves me wrong. it is obvious you are biased as all of the saints players seem to "obvious choices" and wigan players are laughable.

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

How can you say roby is better than Higham. Higham was one of the stand outs in the GB squad last year and roby has failed to impress me this year after really startin well in 2004 and 2005. he is to young, inexperienced and small and will get thrown around by the likes of hindmarsh and sonny bill. still, i hope he proves me wrong. it is obvious you are biased as all of the saints players seem to "obvious choices" and wigan players are laughable.

Probably because Saints have been sailing away at the top of the league all season and have far better players currently than Wigan do. All the Saints players in the GB squad have enjoyed superb seasons. All of them are amongst the best players in their positions this season and they all thoroughly deserve selection.

James Roby has been great this season for Saints. I watch him every week and he is superb from the bench, look at the Cup Final as a typical example of his performances this season. The game was tight until Roby came on and increased the pace around the ruck to a level Huddersfield couldn't contain. No Australian player will throw James Roby around, thats for sure. The ones over here can't get near him. He took Higham's position from him and never gave him a look in, he is better in that role.

Hock and O'Loughlin are the other end of the spectrum. They spent the season in the doldrums as Wigan struggled massively. Both developed discipline problems this season and it wasn't until Fielden settled the Wigan pack that they started to perform. Thats not the kind of platform from which to launch yourself into international games. Same with Paul Johnson who hasn't played much rugby this season.