Alan Robertson

OK, I didn't read the criteria. But -assuming it's based purely on international form, as much as I'd like to vote for Jack Welsby - I'll go for Munster.

Payne Haas. Forget about Walsh, who was also outstanding, Brisbane wouldn't have won the GF without Haas.

My new law: When England play Australia, the Aussies are only allowed 12 players at any one time and we still get to use 13 of ours.

That's roughly where I would place us too.

It might already have been mentioned but, on the Amor and Shaw podcast, James Graham mentioned that England are currently '5th favourites' to win the World Cup next year. I checked the odds with a famous bookmaker beginning with L, yes, 5th favourites. We're 10/1. Australia are just above evens and NZ are 9/4.

As someone with a background in strength and conditioning, I'd be interested in the training programs of a typical NRL/Aussie player compared to that of a typical SL/English player. Yes, programs will be different from player-to-player due to a range of variables including age/position/injuries/time of the year/individual areas of particular need etc. I wonder how, for example, Angus Crichton's training varies to Owen Trout's. Fairly similar in size and age, similar/same position (depending on where Trout plays). 'Nature vs nurture' - was Crichton born as a better athlete or was he exposed to better training? Or both? What does Carrigan do differently to Lees? Many years ago, I trained at Total Fitness in Warrington for a year or so. Any RL fans using that gym would know that the Wolves players used to train in there a fair bit (they might still train there?). OK, it was a while back but I was never particularly impressed at the training that I observed. Strength and conditioning is simply another factor on top of whatever RL coaching the English players typically receive or don't receive.

That's quite a list...

For over ten years, I have lived and worked in Australia (Queensland, specifically). When England perform poorly in the cricket Ashes, it feels like 90% of the staff where I work give me abuse/banter (delete as appropriate). With these RL Ashes, despite the staff remaining largely unchanged, nobody has even mentioned it to me. We can speculate as to the reasons but the 'silence is deafening'.

He might be affordable, I suppose. I just have a (slightly cynical) view that the big name Aussies charge a 'premium rate' for their services. Especially for 'the Poms'.

Does anybody know if a benefactor would be precluded from supporting the national side (in a similar way to the wealthy club owners)? We'd have to find one first but I was trying to work out if politics and/or various bits of legislation would stop this idea before it even started.

Great idea, I didn't previously think about him (for England). I believe his salary demands would be 'off the scale' but I did suggest that they could be (for this hypothetical scenario). Very few (if any) understand the game better than Smith.

With an (hypothetical) unlimited budget, who should we pick as our next coach? (assuming that Wane is sacked) I think we should use the answer to that question as our starting point and work from there. Here are some ideas and 'categories': Aussie 'Supercoach level' would be Robinson, Bellamy... English with NRL (assistant coach) experience: Agar, McDermott, Briers... Aussie but with recent SL experience: Peters, Arthur... Inspirational (former) England player: Burgess, Graham... Successful English SL coach: Peet 'Overperforming' SL coach: Lam With unlimited money, I actually think Robinson could do an extremely good job. With our 'likely' budget, I'm now leaning towards Lam.

According to the BBC, Burgess and Johnstone are both wearing the number 5 shirt today. Herbie and Newman are both lining up in the number 3 jersey. Interesting. https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/live/c24lq1g872jt#Line-ups

We have to win this Test Match! That's it.

So, not Andrew MW?