WN83

I worry for the future of the game

Fair play to Hull, they defended superbly well and deserved the victory. Some of the efforts across their side were exceptional and that could set them up going forward. I was disappointed with our execution but that is a running theme throughout this season. I'm never disappointed in the grit we show to stick in a game. We could've just folded at 14-0 down and moved on to next week but we kept going and going and it lead to a really good game. That defeat has been coming because we don't look like scoring points at the minute and you can only win so many games on defence alone. We'll be fine in the long run and I'm more than happy with the position we're in.

We don't have loads of points in us with Shorrocks at 6. He's done a great job but if the effort areas are slightly off, we could find ourselves in trouble because Hull away is rarely a straightforward fixture for us. Hampshire being available could help the attack flow a little better but I don't expect he will start. I think we'll get the win but in a close one. Wigan by 6.

Unreal some of the talent Siddal have produced in recent years. We’ve obviously got Smithies at Wigan and were good enough to gift Nicholson to Wire. We also had Amir Bourouh, there’s Holroyd at Leeds and Riley Dean as well at Wire. I think all of them bar Nicholson were in the same team weren’t they? They must’ve absolutely battered teams. Dupree Is another as well iirc.

Had Toulouse been given time to grow and we had 2 top flight French teams, I think we could’ve seen major improvements over the next decade but as it stands, we have one top fight club, who fill it with English and Aussie/Kiwi players and the other is playing in the second tier. Catalans have played more French players than usual this season but ultimately it’s because they’ve had injury problems and when they clear, it’ll be back to have a side made up of 70%+ non French players. I’m not sure why things have never been tightened up around how many non French players they’re allowed. It feels like they’re still treated as a team who are new to the professional game and haven’t had time to build a team based on a solid footing of local players. This is their 18th season in the top flight and there is a solid amateur and semi pro scene in the South of France, that they have first dibs on. They should be able to cope now, after 17 years of playing in Superleague, with only having a max of 7 non French players, just as all the English clubs have to do with non Fed trained players. Unless that is forced upon them, I don’t see things changing and that’s before we move on to asking why so many players were seemingly blocked from turning out for France (and England for that matter, in the shape of Davies, Johnstone, McMeekan etc) today.

The players all did their best not to take it off each other. Matty Ashton got stuck with it for a few mins and tried his best to con somebody in to taking it off him, without much success.

I think they would improve ‘if’ they could get a first choice team out there. The question tonight needs to be why were they missing so many players? We know why we were missing players and some clubs should feel ashamed but we can cope. The French need their best side out there and Toulouse and especially Catalans need to have serious questions asked of them if they’re pulling players out. They have ambitions of their own as clubs, of course they do, but ultimately they play in the British comp to enable the game to grow in France, by producing better players for the national side. If they neglect that responsibility, then what’s the end goal? I think Catalans in particular have been lucky to avoid criticism this past 15+ years for what has been very little progress made by the French national side. Filling their side with English and Aussie/Kiwi players isn’t why they were brought in IMO.

I think that 1, 6, 7 and 9 bring a bit of everything to the table. I’d probably like a strike runner in there somewhere but guys like Farnworth and Young can bring that in the end of season games. I’m optimistic about the future ‘if’ we get the games to build these lad’s confidence in. I look at Williams and Smith today and think they look a good pair but then you have Lomax, Dodd, Lewis and more besides waiting in the wings. We’ve been in worse positions.

It was a cracking side and they’re now starting to break through in to the full set up (or the fringes of it for most). We’ve obviously seen Welsby jump ahead and break in but there were so many lads in that side who have become regular Superleague players. Usually you’ll look back at an old academy team and 5 or 6 might have gone on to be first team regulars in Superleague (if not less) but you’ve got 10+ from that team (guys like Newman, Shorrocks, McDonnell and the Senior twins as well) and it may well be that 5 or 6 become regular England players.

That’s a more than valid reason I kept hearing ‘Jackie’ myself and just kept thinking of Kenny Snr lolly popping in Phoenix Nights.

The worry I have with France is why weren’t they at full strength? As annoying as it was that some of our clubs pulled players out, you half get them thinking they can get away with it, as it wouldn’t impact on the result but the French you’d think would see this game as an opportunity to lay a marker and compete. Yes, Catalans provide the majority of the players but them providing the majority of the squad and making them available, is the price they should have to pay for being in Superleague in the first place. I’ve not been happy with the amount of overseas players they’ve been able to run with over the years but this season it’s felt better and I was hoping it was the start of a change of approach but it’s disappointing that a weakened French side has then come over.

I thought they said Jackie but it’s not Joe, it’s his brother Tiaki.

We can complain and moan about the fixture being pointless all we like but that was a memorable day for a lot of those lads and the first step, in what will hopefully be long England careers. As much as some of the clubs would seemingly like to follow the NRL route of killing off international Rugby League, any England fixture will always have things riding on it and in this case it was future places for some. In terms of individuals, Williams and Welsby we know are class. I thought Harry Smith and Danny Walker showed that they could bring a nice balance alongside them longer term but it is early days. Ash Handley put his hand up to press the current wingers. The centres played exactly how they’ve played for us this season. Workrate, strong carries and offloads from King and some classy touches from Wardle. I was impressed with Holroyd in the pack. He was in that academy team that beat the Aussies, with Smith, Smithies, Havard, Welsby etc but injuries seem to have held him back. It’s good to see him getting a run now and he looks to be getting better and better. Most of the forwards had strong games, although I thought Currie was pretty quiet when he came on. Overall Wane will have got plenty from it and is has been worthwhile, even if it has just given him confidence in 4 or 5 players pre Tonga and onwards.

So in summary then- England have disrespected France by picking the team they have but you aren't aware who is and isn't available and you don't want to waste time naming players you would have picked, even though you found the time to say the team selected is disrespectful. You also are still to comment on France not naming a full team and if that is disrespectful the other way round. It basically seems like you don't really have a clue who could've been picked and don't really care but you thought it was a good opportunity to say England have been disrespectful (is that Wane? the RFL? The clubs and their coaches? the missing players themselves?) Fair play to you, that's some top level time wasting for a man with better ways to waste their time.

By who? We can’t get the NRL to release players mid season (struggle even in the off season) and some clubs here have decided to treat it as a mid season break. It’s the best team ‘available’. Are the French disrespecting us by the way? They’re not at full strength either.

Who should he have picked?

They've picked from who is available, so if anyone is to blame, it's the clubs and not the people picking the team. I can't think of many (if any) of those lads who aren't walk ins at their clubs as well by the way. They're all regular first 17 players aren't they? I'm not sure how any of the selections are insulting to the French (who also aren't at full strength btw) in the slightest tbh.

A good opportunity for the young lads edging closer to first choice selection. There are a number of them I’m hoping to see put their hand up for a squad place ‘if’ we get games at the end of this season. England by 30

I wouldn’t totally rule out somebody like Lomax playing in 2025. He will be 34 at the time and while that would be towards the very end of his England career, you still might want that experience. I didn’t quite understand the Chris Hill pick, as clearly he won’t be playing in that World Cup and guys like Hall and McIlorum have also been retired by the looks of things but there still could be room for lads at 31/32/33, such as Lomax, Makinson and Whitehead. A lot will depend on their fitness going forward.

I thought he showed he's still our best halfback when he's motivated and playing well. I joke about Saints pulling players out and him retiring from internationals if he doesn't put his hand up but Wane should probably give him the week off. He didn't play in the World Cup, so I'd like to see Lomax commit to playing but it doesn't mean we have to pick him. I'd go with the 6/7 you mention for this one but having Lomax around the squad would be beneficial. We've lost some leaders and guys like him need to step up, even if for now, that is just in the build up.

Presume they’re joking when they say Wilkin has quit the podcast but he’s not been on the last 2, so they may be worth a listen.

If Wane wants Lomax to play and presumably he does, you’d imagine he turns out or he may as well call it a day. Those 2 you mention and Lomax should be shoe ins if we’re picking our best side.

Doubt you’ll need to hope too much.

Some of the things the NRL bring in should be left alone but I do like them giving the try’s and then the VR doing his work in the background and only becoming involved if they need to.

No doubt they’ll try