Note: I am not as yet a fan of ESL for the sheer reason that i live in Australia & it isn't televised. But i've compiled a Great Britain team compiled from what i've gathered through this forum, & the Tri-Series from the last 2 years. All the people in the "Leftover" section at the end are players that i know little to nothing about, & if you feel they should be in either the GB 17 or the Backup team then please reply.
After a lot of deciding...this is what i believe would be the strongest Great Britain team possible (in other words, the team least likely for Brian Noble to choose). It's long, but i'm just giving my opinion on the players & why thy deserve their spots (Italics mean that they aren't in the current Great Britain squad, but i believe that they deserve a spot):
1. Kris Radlinski (Wigan Warriors) - As much as i admire Wellens for his recent performances, Radlinski is just in a class of his own. Relatively quick, with reliable support play, great defence, & a knack of defusing any kicks with superb positional play & catching, he is one of the best all-round fullbacks in the world. Does anyone else think that Wellens or even Radlinski himself might be capable of possibly filling the up-for-grabs spot in the centres? Both are better, in my opinion, than most of the other options. But in the meantime, Radlinski's surely the right man to go to as Great Britain's fullback.
2. Brian Carney (Wigan Warriors) - When fit, he is Great Britain's key finisher, & his speed, strength, & mental toughness make him an automatic pick for any Great Britain side. His only competition includes the likes of Reardon (more of a fullback, but not as good as Wellens or Radlinski), Walker (average, plus he is more of a centre), Pryce (solid, probably the best of the lot), Calderwood & Gardner (their momentary defensive lapses could prove costly, but they have blinding speed & are qualified finishers), & Carney is a class apart from all of them, so when fit his spot is pretty much assured.
3. Keith Senior (Leeds Rhinos) - The team's ever loyal stalwart, amazingly consistent & effective, who might be the only centre in the world able to contain big Mark Gasnier. Need i say more?
4. Martin Gleeson (Warrignton Wolves) - I was somewhat hesitant with this decision, but on looking at the other options, there wasn't much else to choose from. I am aware of his offence: a superb sidestep, along with his strength & a more than capable offload to his winger, but his lack of speed, & his average defence, might mean that he would have trouble against the far more mobile centres of the other nations, & I would suggest Senior mark up against the likes of Vagana & Gasnier. To me, he is a solid, if slightly above average, attacking player who doesn't solve England's centre woes...yet.
5. Leon Pryce (Bradford Bulls) - Well being up against the aforementioned possibilities (see '2. Brian Carney'), I believe he is the best option on wing. Pryce is far safer defensively than the likes of Mark Calderwood & Ade Gardner, plus is far more built physically than the others too. Unfortunately he doesn't have the attacking prowess or speed of Calderwood or Gardner, which may lead to a possible lack of firepower, but nevertheless is a great finisher. Be on the look out for his younger brother Karl, who is absolutely huge for his age, & is a genuine prospect as a GB back in years to come.
6. Kevin Sinfield (Leeds Rhinos) - He has been a revelation this year, & seems to be a more than worthy successor to Andy Farrell. Where Farrell failed (we all know that Farrell was a second-rower or even prop), Sinfield has all the ingredients to succeed, & succeed in style. He has a brilliant passing game, a kicking game of genuine potential, solid ball-running skills, & is a VERY good goal-kicker on his day. He lacks the bulk that Farrell had, but Sinfield's mobility in the forward pack, along with his ball-playing skills, earned him his spot as Great Britain's standoff. Can play at lock if required.
7. Danny McGuire (Leeds Rhinos) - The livewire, he did not get anywhere near enough game time during the last Tri-Series, & although his form this year has been up & down (due to injuries & inconsistency), he is an amazing talent, & hopefully the future of the GB team (fingers crossed). His speed off the mark is dangerous to lazy marker defence & in a broken field, while his passing & kicking games have been very strong in recent times. He can create something out of nothing, especially when he chooses to run the ball, & always has the defence on their toes. Can also play at hooker.
8. Stuart Fielden (Bradford Bulls) - Stuart is, when fired up, one of the best props in the world today. Capable of playing out the full 80 minutes from up front, his size, strength & momentum give him the ability to break tackles & offload with relative ease. He also tackles himself to a standstill if it means victory for his team, & never lays down & gives up. Fielden eats up the metres & is rarely ever dominated or intimidated by the opposition pack. Adding to that is the fact that he is still relatively young, & for years to come should be a certainty for selection in the strongest Great Britain 17.
9. Kieron Cunningham (St Helens) - When he puts his mind to it, Cunningham can be the most destructive dummy-half in the world. He runs the ball like an extra forward, passes & kicks like an extra half, can hit up & offload freely due to his large frame, & can even generate surprising pace off the mark when he's on his game. Add to that his useful short kicking game, & his trademark dummy-half barges from close range, & he SHOULD be an automatic selection. Can play in the backrow if required, due to his size & power. Now, about his fitness & commitment to the game...
10. Ryan Bailey (Leeds Rhinos) - Bailey can have extreme impact at international level, if he can keep his cool. The Great Britain firebrand is known for his sheer aggression & power, shown in his determined charges, destructive tackles, & thunderous hits. GB may have finally found a forward with the "intimidation factor" that New Zealand & Australia have had for so long. He lacks fitness, being only effective in short spells, & his tendency to give away stupid penalties from losing control of his temper are liabilities, but i believe he can get the job done, & leave a permanent mark too.
11. Jamie Peacock (Bradford Bulls) - The wholehearted second-rower & vice-captain is a quality player, & a certainty for England selection. He hits up with brute force, is very strong in defence, & is one of the premier backrowers in the world of Rugby League. It usually takes quite a few defenders to bring the big man down, & he plays with the aggression & go-forward of a frontrower. He rarely fails to perform on the big stage, & is supported by an already brilliant forward pack, including a second row that is nothing short of spectacular, both in skill & leadership. Can play at prop if required.
12. Adrian Morley (Sydney Roosters) - Whether it be his inspirational bustling runs, his crunching, bone-rattling hits, or his habit of stepping up when the going gets tough, Adrian Morley has matured into a leader. Having tamed his tendency to self-implode in the NRL, he has tightened his tackling technique, gives away far less penalties, & has gained a yard or two in speed, & as improved his match fitness to being an 80 minute backrower. He has now matured into a leadership figure in the Great Britain outfit, & would have genuine impact throughout. Can play at prop if required.
13. Paul Sculthorpe (C) (St Helens) - The captain, & one of the worlds finest. He tackles like a machine, runs hard at the line in search of valuable metres, passes & kicks with undeniable skill & accuracy, & is possibly the best lock forward in the world, #1 in defence & #3 in attack (behind Ben Kennedy & SBW). He never ceases to try his hardest, giving 100% in every one of his performances. He is also a brilliant captain, who shoulders the leadership & can motivate his team when things seem grim. He has always been more talented than Farrell, & deserves his spot more than anyone.
BENCH:
14. Nick Fozzard (St Helens) - Fozzard has outdone Jamie Thackray, Danny Ward, Danny Sculthorpe (most effective when fit, which unfortunately for GB is a rarity), Keith Mason, Paul King, Eorl Crabtree & Ewan Dowes at claiming a spot on the Great Britain bench. The powerhouse prop is capable of damaging runs, stinging defence, & I believe he will pick up the reigns where Terry O'Connor & Barrie McDermott left off. His own spot, though, will be under heavy competition from the aforementioned forwards in the years to come, & will need a standout Series to cement his position in the GB 17.
15. Robert Burrow (Leeds Rhinos) - The little jack-in-the-box of the ESL, he is a dangerous ball-runner who can fill in as one of the halves, or at hooker. His recent displays along Sinfield (during the McGuire injury) have been amazing, as he has displayed stunning all-round skills, including a pinpoint passing game, quick acceleration & footwork, & sound organisational skills. His kicking game still needs to be worked on, but there is plenty of time & talent to work with, & the Great Britain team with him & McGuire gives it a certain spark that neither Long, Horne, Diskin, nor Newton could produce.
16. Gareth Ellis (Leeds Rhinos) - Ellis's utility value would be superb in this already powerful team. His ability to play all over the park, whether it be in the backs or up front as a backrower, would give Great Britain an advantage, & a safety net to fill-in for any on-field injuries suffered during the course of the game. Possesses solid ball skills & is a strong runner on the fringes of the ruck, much in the mould of a Shaun Timmins, Steve Simpson, or Matt Gidley. Due to his stellar recent performances, he has cemented his spot, & the selectors consider him a certain selection in the Great Britain 17.
17. Lee Gilmour (St Helens) - Another utility in the mould of Gareth Ellis, he is also a great player capable of filling in at either the centres or in the backrow. He has earned his place through sheer consistency, though his position though might be under pressure for the inclusion of another prop, namely Jamie Thackray, Danny Ward, or Danny Sculthorpe (when fit he is brilliant). But with the current forwards such as Adrian Morley & Stuart Fielden being able to play for extended periods, along with the option of playing Cunningham as a running forward, Gilmour's opportunity is beckoning.
Back-Up - The "Shadow Team:
1. Paul Wellens (St Helens)
2. Mark Calderwood (Leeds Rhinos)
3. Ade Gardner (St Helens)
4. Gareth Raynor (Hull FC)
5. Stuart Reardon (Bradford Bulls)
6. Richard Horne (Hull FC)
7. Lee Briers (Warrington Wolves)
8. Jamie Thackray (Hull FC)
9. Matt Diskin (Leeds Rhinos)
10. Danny Ward (Leeds Rhinos)
11. Gareth Hock (Wigan Warriors)
12. Danny Tickle (Wigan Warriors)
13. Sean O'Loughlin (Wigan Warriors)
14. Chev Walker (Leeds Rhinos)
15. Terry Newton (Wigan Warriors)
16. Eorl Crabtree (Huddersfield Giants)
17. Danny Sculthorpe (Wigan Warriors)
Leftovers: Sean Long (St Helens), Kevin Brown (Wigan Warriors), Mickey Higham (St Helens), Paul Johnson (Bradford Bulls), Paul Cooke (Hull FC), Iestyn Harris (Bradford Bulls), James Langley (Bradford Bulls), Steve Wild (Wigan Warriors), John Wilkin (St Helens), Dave Hodgson (Salford), Chris Thorman (Huddersfield Giants), Paul King (Hull FC), Shaun Briscoe (Hull FC), Paul Deacon (Bradford Bulls), Richard Mathers (Leeds Rhinos), Michael Withers (Bradford Bulls), Keith Mason (St Helens), Luke Robinson (Salford City Reds), Ewan Dowes (Hull FC), Karl Pryce (Bradford Bulls)
TOTAL SQUAD NUMBER: 54 (14 TO BE OMITTED)
NB: When Karl Pryce matures, i believe he will play as a Great Britain back, with Leon dropping down to the reserve team, & hopefully Calderwood dropping out of the frame completely (don't know what people see in that guy, Ade Gardner is a far better prospect in my eyes).
It's great to read everyone's different opinions - anything could happen in the end.
