33 replies to this topic

[sergei bubka]

just seen the farce of a closed shop that is the english lions squad. surely the ncl should be holding the rfl to task over how the is selected. i'm not saying the players arent good enough but there is only one player from hunslet warriors who were the interim champs and none from last years top three ncl prem sides thatto, siddal and leigh east. alos i was thought it was now an exclusively teir 3 rep side - now as far as i'm aware southampton spitfires arent a teir 3 club. looks like it is once again a case of who you know not what you know and once you in then your there until you dont want to be anymore or until you stop playing. come on delcapo get your management to voice some concerns. this side should be the best of teir 3 not a group of lads who are the coachs mates.

[jackknife]

Ant hunslet warriors n the other teams mentioned main players ex pros?

[jackknife]

What is the squad by the way?

[Marauder]

Now't will be done son, this is just one more example of the NCL being taken apart little by little and rebuilt under your very nose to fit the RFL WISHES.

you once under BARLA had a democratic say in the running of your competition but IMO you will be finding that more and more decisions will be made from Red Hall and why?

Lets not forget Benedict Arnold was once an hero serving the Patriots with distinction but became a traitor when he schemed to hand West Point over to the British.

[bountyhunter]

what do you mean jackknife bout warriors n ex-pros

[bowes]

Didn't think ex pros were banned from the Lions?

[dys]

English Lions head coach Jimmy Taylor has named a 30-man squad ahead of his sides involvement in this summer’s Four Nations competition.

The squad – which will be trimmed down to 22 ahead of each game – will meet up for the first time on Sunday 27 May for a training session at the Kirkstall Training ground in Leeds.

The side open their Four Nations campaign with a home clash against Wales on Saturday 23 June, before travelling away to face Scotland in July and then Ireland in August.

In a busy year for the side this summer’s matches will help them prepare for a ground-breaking tour of Canada in October.

The 10—day trip will see them make play two games including a test match against the Canada national side on Saturday 6 October.


English Lions squad:
Anthony Atherton (Wigan St Patricks)
Simon Atherton (Wigan St Patricks)
Kenny Baker (Ince Rose Bridge)
Tony Baker (Ince Rose Bridge)
James Bardgett (RAF)
Jason Bowsley (Hull Dockers)
Caldon Bravo (Hunslet Warriors)
Peter Caddy (Wath Brow Hornets)
Marc Donnely (Army)
Richard Dunman (Myton Warriors)
David Dunwell (Bradford Dudley Hill)
Lee Fewless (Myton Warriors)
Anthony Gallear (Wigan St Patricks)
Oliver Johnson (Southampton Spitfires)
Daryl Kay (Leigh Miners Rangers)
Ian Kerman (West Hull)
Stephen King (Wigan St Judes)
Nathan Kitson (Bradford Dudley Hill)
Wayne Leyland (Ince Rose Bridge)
Mathew Meaden (Ince Rose Bridge)
Paul Pendlebury (Wigan St Judes)
Nick Powley (Hull Dockers)
Jordan Precious (East Hull)
Lee Roberts (East Hull)
Paul Shaw (West Hull)
Ryan Smith (Wigan St Patricks)
Tony Suffolk (Wigan St Patricks)
Neil Wall (Bradford Dudley Hill)
Sean Wildbore (Skirlaugh)
Scott Winstanley (Ince Rose Bridge)


Four Nations 2012 – English Lions fixtures

English Lions v Wales
Saturday 23 June
Venue tbc
Kick Off tbc

Scotland v English Lions
Saturday 21 July
Falkirk RFC
Kick Off 3.00pm

Ireland v English Lions
Saturday 11/Sunday 12 August
Limerick
Kick Off tbc

[gillmeister]

Now't will be done son, this is just one more example of the NCL being taken apart little by little and rebuilt under your very nose to fit the RFL WISHES.

you once under BARLA had a democratic say in the running of your competition but IMO you will be finding that more and more decisions will be made from Red Hall and why?

Lets not forget Benedict Arnold was once an hero serving the Patriots with distinction but became a traitor when he schemed to hand West Point over to the British.

The only difference is that the England Lions Lancashire based manager and staff pick lads from that area where as the BARLA Yorkshire based selectors used to pick players from Yorkshire clubs, Nothing democratic about either

[mr chairman]

Well ince and st pats are top of the league that's why so many from Wigan are in . I would like to think that the selection process is on this years form not previous

[once a ref always a ref]

The only difference is that the England Lions Lancashire based manager and staff pick lads from that area where as the BARLA Yorkshire based selectors used to pick players from Yorkshire clubs, Nothing democratic about either

13 Lancs, 13 Yorks & 4 others. Doesn't seem much Lancs bias there.

[Cutsyke Raiders]

13 Lancs, 13 Yorks & 4 others. Doesn't seem much Lancs bias there.

FFS Come on, once a ref.
10 of the 39 players of the month.

12 Pie eaters
9 Codheads
3 Dudley hill
1 Leigh
1 Leeds
2 services, 1 tier 4 and a partridge in a pear tree.

Management
Pie eaters & Dudley Hill

Doh!

[jackknife]

I understand that if u was an ex pro and didn't return to amateur before u was 22 then you couldn't play for the lions

[rollman]

How many are picked on merit and how many picked just cause they was in last year!! Some great players in there! Also some that are not deserving of a place!!!

[jackknife]

Id say they are picked on merit originally then they just keep there spots till they do something wrong

[billybison]

Well ince and st pats are top of the league that's why so many from Wigan are in . I would like to think that the selection process is on this years form not previous

If the player,s are picked on thier form why is paul pendlebury in the squad? he has not played for St Judes this season.

[del capo]

I think Sergei that you are being a touch unfair on the players selected. It seems a decent squad to me.

27 0f the squad are from NCL , with 22 of them from the Premiers. If you subscribe to the theory that the best players tend to gravitate to the top competition then it looks a reasonable selection mix to me.

I don't suppose it has been an easy process this time around for the Lions management. Not everyone subscribed to the interim season and this current one has not been going long before squads have had to be selected. Maybe they have gone with the tried and tested rather than experiment at this stage.

The two 'Jimmy's' are scheduled to retire this winter after years of dedicated service. The NCL management can have no complaints over the way in which they have supported our clubs by picking our players for the highest honours in such numbers over the years.....

As to the future , members of the Community Board International Group have already had talks on the issue of selection policy and particularly whether or not a player should be retired from the major International scene ( the English Lions ) after say receiving a certain number of caps. Is this an idea with any merit ?

[thestatman]

To clarify the eligibilty criteria for the Community/English Lions is that the don't hold a professional contract and are registered with a community club, so no NCL player is ineligible.

Peter, I don't think anyone has criticised the players selected, just the process of how they are selected. The squad looks very 'familiar' to previous ones with any new faces coming almost exclusively from the clubs/service area of the coaching/management staff. It is clear to see why people are viewing the whole process as a closed shop and unfair - 80% of the players are either from Wigan, Hull or Bradford DH. Including a third of the squad from 2 clubs within a mile of each other, at one of which the head coach used to coach at.

I appreciate that it is impossible for coaches to see every player within the NCL let alone the whole of Tier 3 so as such would it not be more sensible to have annual trials where each club/team in Tier 3 can nominate a set number of players (say 3) to attend a regional selection camp. There could be 3 regions NCL East, NCL West and 'South' (For Armed Forces, CL3 or Tier 3 South, Student Super . Play a Tri-Series of trail matches and select the best 30 players from those matches.

I know that it is not an NCL Rep side but as the largest constiuant member of Tier 3, I would hope the NCL would be able to have a large say in how the selction process is stuctured for future English Lions Teams.

[del capo]

I agree there seems to be a need for the process to be refreshed and as previously posted the CBIG are looking at selection issues already.

When new people are in position I am sure they will bring their own ideas to the table. Meanwhile wouldn't retiring proven Internationals after say 6 caps ( with a tour counting as one ) be one way of freeing up the spots , or is that just too artificial ?

A festival / training camp /trials also has merit , But could the fixture calendar cope , with everyone losing their best 3 players at critical stages within the season?

[jackknife]

To clarify the eligibilty criteria for the Community/English Lions is that the don't hold a professional contract and are registered with a community club, so no NCL player is ineligible.

the rules must have change then since last year as I was picked for the squad while playing for acorn and later was told I was not eligible as I had not left pro before my 22nd birthday

[bionic barrel]

If the player,s are picked on thier form why is paul pendlebury in the squad? he has not played for St Judes this season.

and why is shaun goodway NOT in the squad? (lock lane)