not being an expert on the GB players....

[JJ]

A couple of things seem pretty obvious to me:

1. Paul Sculthorpe is probably the best lock in the world (he's the only GB player that can claim to be the best in the world), but he never bloody playes there!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. Andy Farrell isn't up to it, and never has been (sorry to all the Farrell fans, but it's true).
3. Sean Long may be the best option available, but he's pretty ordinary too - there's half a dozen halves in the NRL that are better (Andrew Johns, Stacey Jones, Matt Orford, Brett Kimmorley, Brent Sherwin, Brett Firman).


For god's sake, play Scully at lock, put someone else in the 2nd row and at 5/8.

For all the talk about Morely - it may have benefitted the GB team, and with the way he plays I'm suprised he hasn't got a worse disciplinary record. Let's not forget the Aussies were without Fitzgibbon for a considerable time - 12 + Wille Mason = 11.5 :lol: :lol:

 

[Rich]

Farrell was incredible! He did 80 minutes as a makeshift prop. What more do you want?

 

[JOBPS]

Farrell was amazing, and I thought it was Peacock that went into the makeshift prop?

If Terry Newton played like he did during the season for Wigan instead of being a thug then Britain have a chance.

Sculthorpe should play at lock, and Sinfield should be the stand-off. Long improved in the 2nd half but he's one of those players that is either sh*te or amazing. Britain need him to be amazing.

Senior and Carney can hold their heads high, they played well. Although Horne didn't do much wrong we need a natural winger. Radlinski wasn't at his best but can't be replaced anyway because he's the best we've got. Connolly was great (afew years ago) but either Gleeson or Ellis need to go in ahead of him.

 

[JJ]

Farrell was good in that game, but too often he seem's to think he's a halfback trapped in a 2nd rower's body.

I agree about the thug comment - I would have thought that GB and NZ would have learned by now that Australia aren't often beaten by thuggery.

I don't think Long is capable of being amazing at this level, but we'll see....

 

[vbfg]

Sculthorpe should play at lock, and Sinfield should be the stand-off.

I agree, let's get as many out of position loose forwards on there as possible. Have you thought of being Waite's assistant?

 

[Tidus_Raider]

So do you poms think David Waite is doing a good job?

 

[CouldaBeenAnything]

Waitey looks bloody old! The stress is getting to him!

Sculthorpe was impressive, Farrel I thought played pretty solidly. Put on some decent hits, especially on Webcke, who I think is missing Tallis. Tallis takes a lot of heat off of Webcke who now is targetted as the number 1 forward and attracts a lot of attention.

Newton played stupid...too many silly things that cost them, especialy the penalty he gave away to Hegarty near the Aussie line, they scored 6 plays later.

Keith Senior looked bloody fantastic and wouldn't be out of place in any NRL club. Bailey will be having nightmares about him for ages!

 

[incredible_holc]

i hate webke. No passion money hungry wanker!!!

 

[dimitri]

id like to see long at 5/8

and deacon at half

i think theyd complement each other

 

[innsaneink]

If Terry Newton played like he did during the season for Wigan instead of being a thug then Britain have a chance.

I hope the Aussies win the 2nd test for two reasons

1) Obviously to wrap up the series.

2) Hopefully Newton will play in the 3rd test, and with the series safely tucked away Webke & co. can show him what we think of cheap-shot merchants.

 

[terracesider]

So do you poms think David Waite is doing a good job?

Overall I don't think he is. He's done a top class job putting systems in place to develop coaches but his team selections are timid, defensive and, at times, confusing. It must be 40 years since there's been so much young talent coming through and yet he still picks the same old players and how many 13s does a squad need?

I agree with Rich, JOBPS and JJ, Farrell was outstanding. We've waited a long time for him to produce a performance like that.

CouldaBeenAnything - Being an international coach must be stressful business - look at Anderson ;-)

 

[deluded pom?]

Let's not forget the Aussies were without Fitzgibbon for a considerable time - 12 + Wille Mason = 11.5 :lol: :lol:

I can`t recall Fitzgibbon being sinbinned . Crocker yes .Fitzgibbon went off injured and was replaced by a substitute .In my book that means Aussie still had 13 on the park . 12.5 when Willie was out there

 

[vbfg]

I agree with Rich, JOBPS and JJ, Farrell was outstanding. We've waited a long time for him to produce a performance like that.

We've waited about the same length of time for him to be played in position too like he was on Saturday, and has been under Gregory at the Piedome.

 

[JOBPS]

Hopefully Newton will play in the 3rd test, and Webke & co. can show him what we think of cheap-shot merchants.

I couldn't advise strongly enough against that. I don't ever remember Newton losing a fight on the rugby field (or off it for that matter). He's been in court for assualt and GBH and plays dirty for a living.

 

[JJ]

i hate webke. No passion money hungry wanker!!!

I say again, that's one of the stupidest posts I've ever seen

 

[JJ]

Let's not forget the Aussies were without Fitzgibbon for a considerable time - 12 + Wille Mason = 11.5 :lol: :lol:

I can`t recall Fitzgibbon being sinbinned . Crocker yes .Fitzgibbon went off injured and was replaced by a substitute .In my book that means Aussie still had 13 on the park . 12.5 when Willie was out there

I meant that losing Fitzgibbon for a large chunk of the game (via a pretty disgraceful "tackle") meant that the Aussies gameplan had to change considerably as he would usually play pretty much the whole game, and they had no goalkicker.

Any get square on Newton should be legal, the game shouldn't degenerate into that rubbish, if the idiot's not suspended, Waite shouldn't pick the prick on principle.

The post above that suggests Webcke might be missing Tallis, you could be right, but he hasn't played great for a while now, with or without Gorden (neither has Tallis for that matter). Maybe time is catching up with them. I thought Webcke was pretty good though, just by his standards still down a little (few can match his standards)

 

[ali]

Farrell was outstanding. 23 hitups, 6 more than anyone else, and thus more metres than any other forward. A true captains knock, to back up his good showings against the Kiwis last year.

 

[JOBPS]

Farrell was outstanding. 23 hitups, 6 more than anyone else, and thus more metres than any other forward. A true captains knock, to back up his good showings against the Kiwis last year.

Farrell was ourstanding in defence but in attack is clearly not at his best. He may have taken the ball in more times than any other player but he can make way more yards than he did. He's not 100% yet, and looks like he's not match fit. He'll get better.

 

[isaac]

As a pom, I feel Waite has done well improving coaching structures over here, but he has had the best pool of players to pick from of any GB coach in about 30 years. Our comp is also getting better so the players are used to more competitve games, unlike in the 80's when it was Wigan winning everything.
Farrell is a second rower. He has been forced to play 5/8 when no one else was good enough, and lock for the same reason. I agree that during his career he has been grossly overrated, but judge him as a second rower now and he is class. As a Bradford fan, I have to give big raps to Jamie Peacock. He has been massive for us for 5 seasons now, having learned from Danny Gartner and Brad Mackay among others. Good news for you guys is that he is looking for an NRL contract in 2005/6, probably linking up with some old Bulls connections at St George, Paramatta or Canberra. Fielden is also linked with Canberra and he is probably the only world class prop who can have an impact for 80 mins every week.