Noble picks a shocking GB team....

[screeny]

...I am dumbstruck. Noble has picked the worst possible scrumbase trio possible in Sinfield, Harris and Deacon.

he said he pulled off Deacon last week because GB were on the back foot - so how does that help by bringing off a 7?! He's given him 'a vote of confidence' by playing him again, and has left Horne out, so at least we don't have a HB on the bench like we did last week.

Sinfield was absolutely rubbish last week but at least he's not in the halves. Harris I'm a bit of a fan of even though most seasoned SL watchers say he's had it now, but Deacon...Deacon?!

The Australians are playing a really poor GB line up this week. My earlier prediction of a 30-0 GB win must be revised to a 16-10 GB win.

Great Britain: P Wellens (St Helens); B Carney (Wigan), M Gleeson (Warrington), K Senior (Leeds), L Pryce (Bradford); I Harris (Bradford), P Deacon (Bradford); S Fielden (Bradford), K Cunningham (St Helens), A Morley (Sydney Roosters), P Johnson (Bradford), J Peacock (Bradford, capt), K Sinfield (Leeds).
Replacements (from): M Higham (St Helens), J Thackray (Hull), L Gilmour (St Helens), G Ellis (Leeds), C Walker (Leeds)

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

This worries me. I fear Noble is suffering from his involvement with Bradford now. He brought Harris back to League and is both his club coach and international coach. I think there is a sense that he has to play Harris to justify his decision to spend massively on Harris, and to justify to Harris the reasons he should have signed for Bradford.

With Deacon I also think there is a bad case of picking a bad player because he simply doesn't know Horne well enough to coach him at that level, and also to prevent Deacon getting a strop on with him for dropping him.

FWIW I think we will probably see a half back partnership of Leon Pryce and Long/Horne/Brough/A.N Other next season. Pryce is moving to St Helens to play stand off, and if things go well there is very little competition for him in that role. Only Harris, who is past it at that level and McGuire who can't get a start for Leeds can compete with him.

 

[JasonE]

This must go down as the slowest scrumbase trio in history.

 

[aussies1st]

They are really missing Danny Mcquire. He was meant to be the next superstar.

 

[supersaint]

Let's face it we are going to walk all over the Aussie's with the sheer pace we have in our team.


Oh wait

The Aussies could be on crutches and still outpace half of our team.

 

[Evil Homer]

This is not the best side available for GB,not even close.I've lost most of my respect for Noble as a coach.

 

[League Freak™]

This is not the best side available for GB,not even close.I've lost most of my respect for Noble as a coach.

You still had respect for his coaching abilities after 2004?

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

Noble's only answer at club level is size. Bradford, Deacon apart, are pretty massive. Their wingers make more yardage in a game than the opposition props do most weeks.

If things go wrong, throw another forward on. Yet we get to the internationals and he has chosen three very slow players in the crucial positions and only has one proper forward on the bench. I cannot see how it GB can possibly win this one.

I personally would go with Pryce and Horne at half back at try to run them off the field. We haven't got anything in the halves bar a kicking game now. The forwards can do okay and the halves can kick. So if Australia don't score more than one try we should be alright.

 

[yakstorm]

I can live with Harris, as I do think he can compete at international level, he wont outplay his opposite number, but can keep like GB in the hunt for someone else to step up and pull out something special.

My question is what has happened to Horne? Deacon was dropped from the inital squad for this week for him, and now the sudden turn around? There is zero creativity in that GB halves combination, putting pressure on the likes of Cunningham, and the backs (excluding Wellens, no offence to the guy, he is safe, but slow) to pull out anything special....

 

[League Freak™]

I felt their best halves combo last year was McGuire and Harris.

I agree, Harris isnt perfect, but he'll get the job done.


I think Im right in saying that in the 6 games Noble has coaches since the 2004 Tri Series he hasnt used the same halves combination more than once.

 

[Mr Saab]

good to see noble cops as much crap as what bennett does in australia

 

[Charge]

Words cannot describe how angry and confused about this team. Only 3 props? Carney? Deacon??

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

The Deacon thing is understandable because of Bradford. After all, all but two of their English players are in the GB team.

The props thing is mystifying because of the Bradford thing though. How on earth can he expect to dominate Australia with 3 props? I'm guessing he'll use either Cunningham or Peacock in rotation with the props, or possibly both.

 

[Simo]

They are really missing Danny Mcquire. He was meant to be the next superstar.

I really really have been disapointed with Maguire every time ive seen him play. With all the wraps he gets, all the tries he has put on a year or so ago then when playing against us last year he was a dud (for a supposed superstar).

I thought last year it was because he was in a predominantely ST Helens backline with Sculthorpe at lock, Long at 7 and Gleeson in the centres. But after watching him in the ESL Grand Final, when Leeds needed some attacking flair - nothing. Just simple offloads to his centre all day, nothing creative.

I hope I have only seen the worst of him because with all the hype of Britain finally having a superstar in the halves, I have never seen him play any good.

 

[League Freak™]

I think McGuire was used terribly by Leeds this year and really wasnt given a chance in last years Tri Series.


He has everything you would want in a young player, but the Poms have had many like him in the past and none of them kick on.


If he came to play in the NRL you'd probably find he would develope into a really good player. But in SL.....

 

[Simo]

I hope it is not because he is more hype than talent because im not the only one thats gone in with expectations and come out with nothing but disapointment.

I cant watch a game with another person saying 'watch this Maguire, he is meant to be awsome' only to have the discussion after the game that he does nothing!

If he is that good please use him wisely and develop the GB team around a strong halves combo. Who would you play with him in the halves to compliment his game?

 

[bender]

I can live with Harris, as I do think he can compete at international level, he wont outplay his opposite number, but can keep like GB in the hunt for someone else to step up and pull out something special.

My question is what has happened to Horne? Deacon was dropped from the inital squad for this week for him, and now the sudden turn around? There is zero creativity in that GB halves combination, putting pressure on the likes of Cunningham, and the backs (excluding Wellens, no offence to the guy, he is safe, but slow) to pull out anything special....

Horne was the best halfback in Britain years ago as a teenager, yet still he is held back for a player who is out of form and not really up to international standard. They are making the same mistake that they did with a young Sean Long (who used to be a brilliant talent). By the time Horne is given a proper shot at the halfback position, he will be too old and not used to the pace of the game. It is the same mistake that the British have made at club level since 1980. Before this side was picked, i actually thought that Britain would catch an overconfident Australian side napping in this test, but it is hard to see now.

 

[aqua_duck]

Mcguire is just flashy

 

[JasonE]

I really really have been disapointed with Maguire every time ive seen him play. With all the wraps he gets, all the tries he has put on a year or so ago then when playing against us last year he was a dud (for a supposed superstar).

I thought last year it was because he was in a predominantely ST Helens backline with Sculthorpe at lock, Long at 7 and Gleeson in the centres. But after watching him in the ESL Grand Final, when Leeds needed some attacking flair - nothing. Just simple offloads to his centre all day, nothing creative.

I hope I have only seen the worst of him because with all the hype of Britain finally having a superstar in the halves, I have never seen him play any good.

He played the whole year with groin, hernia and shoulder problems which he has just had operated on, people don't realise what he went through.

 

[screeny]

tactically, Noble has decided to complete as many sets as possible and use deaon's kickig game which is the only thing he can d o right. I said days ago I would go for horne and pryce, but that looks as far away from noble's thinking than ever