Willie Manu - Call up for England

[Wendall]

Jodie Broughton (Salford)

That is a young lad who with the right coaching could go far. His try last weekend was top notch. He is also very strong near the try line.

[hindle xiii]

Thats a positive move, young Enlish player who has potential to be a top player.

Manu is the wrong option.

Having now seen the full 37-man squad (cheers nadera) then 1 wrong out of 37 is fine by me. Manu out, J Tompkins in... (...late, how apt!)

Sykes' inclusion is another dodgy one.

[hindle xiii]

Good to see some youngsters in there, but god only knows how Manu and any of the Bradford players got invited.

Because 3 of the 4 choices have been pretty damn good, and Lynch and Scruton are two of the best props around. Langley, if he picks up his early season form is a tackling machine, now I question whether those thankless grafters are required in an international squad but if they are, he's one of the best.

[hindle xiii]

Joel Tomkins is my only glaring omission.

Personally I'd also include Keith Senior, Kris Welham and Richard Horne.

[HullRover]

I don't have a problem with 90% of the squad...but

...why oh why is McNamara inviting so much ridicule and potentially damaging fallout over the selection of a 30-something, already-capped Tongan who, even on ability alone, would be nothing more than a borderline selection in a position we are not short?

And, why on earth has Joel Tompkins, arguably the best second-rower in the comp, been overlooked? Words fail me...beyond astounding!

And nobody could ever...and I mean ever...convince me that Leon Pryce isn't among the top 10 English players, yet alone the top 37! As for him being below the likes of Paul Sykes, Kirk Yeaman and Tony Clubb in the pecking order...I give up!

I was largely supportive of McNamara's appointment...but I am completely disillusioned at the moment.

[Wendall]

I don't have a problem with 90% of the squad...but

...why oh why is McNamara inviting so much ridicule and potentially damaging fallout over the selection of a 30-something, already-capped Tongan who, even on ability alone, would be nothing more than a borderline selection in a position we are not short?

And, why on earth has Joel Tompkins, arguably the best second-rower in the comp, been overlooked? Words fail me...beyond astounding!

And nobody could ever...and I mean ever...convince me that Leon Pryce isn't among the top 10 English players, yet alone the top 37! As for him being below the likes of Paul Sykes, Kirk Yeaman and Tony Clubb in the pecking order...I give up!

I was largely supportive of McNamara's appointment...but I am completely disillusioned at the moment.

Not really a suprise the Bulls got shut of McNamara when they did, he was doing more damage than good.

I think McNamara could be RL's very own version of Steve McLaren.

[sallywt]

Whilst I'm not sure that it is right for him to play for England as he has already played for another country at this level and in this sport and I'm not sure that there aren't better laternatives but I do think that there is more to being Englsh than a birth certificate. There are plenty of people in this country with an English birth certificate who do not contribute anywhere near as much as Manu both to his local community and to the state in terms of finance.

[Roy Boy]

Whilst I'm not sure that it is right for him to play for England as he has already played for another country at this level and in this sport and I'm not sure that there aren't better laternatives but I do think that there is more to being Englsh than a birth certificate. There are plenty of people in this country with an English birth certificate who do not contribute anywhere near as much as Manu both to his local community and to the state in terms of finance.

Well said - Why do we make such a fuss when the Aussies and Kiwis regularly snap up South Seas players and call them their own.

I'm not saying Manu is the right choice but that if he is eligible within the laws then why not?

[deluded pom?]

Personally I'd also include Kris Welham and Richard Horne.

One's nowhere near good enough and the other one's nowhere near the player he used to be.

[deluded pom?]

Whilst I'm not sure that it is right for him to play for England as he has already played for another country at this level and in this sport and I'm not sure that there aren't better laternatives but I do think that there is more to being Englsh than a birth certificate. There are plenty of people in this country with an English birth certificate who do not contribute anywhere near as much as Manu both to his local community and to the state in terms of finance.

Does Willie Manu do anything for his local community outside of what his Hull FC contract asks him to do? he's not English by any stretch of the imagination however you like to dress it up. He's lived here for four years and that would allow him to be selected for England if he was an uncapped player or hadn't played for Tonga since November 2008. Unfortunately he fails on all but one count. The international game is descending into a farce.

Edited July 23, 2010 by deluded pom?

[deluded pom?]

A Well said - Why do we make such a fuss when the Aussies and Kiwis regularly snap up South Seas players and call them their own.

B I'm not saying Manu is the right choice but that if he is eligible within the laws then why not?

A - Which South Sea Islander has played for Australia outside of the current RLIF eligibility interpretations?

B - He's not eligible within the laws.

[HappyDave]

Are Ellis, Burgess & Widdop not in the squad?? Plus why has it been picked already rather than in a few months time?

Edited July 22, 2010 by HappyDave

[hindle xiii]

One's nowhere near good enough and the other one's nowhere near the player he used to be.

I'm on about Kris Welham and Richard Horne, not Paul Sykes and Kirk Yeaman.

[terrywebbisgod]

Are Ellis, Burgess & Widdop not in the squad?? Plus why has it been picked already rather than in a few months time?

It's a team building session for players based in England.

[Old Frightful]

Are Ellis, Burgess & Widdop not in the squad?? Plus why has it been picked already rather than in a few months time?

Steve Macnamara was on Radio Blunderside toneet, for his sins, and spoke very well.

It's not a train on squad as such, he said he simply wanted to get players together from the current European Super League, to see how they interacted and to find out who would and who wouldn't add to an England team, in the bonding sense, rather than out on the field.

He spoke about personalities rather than form as, from his words, a happy squad is more likely to succeed than one that isn't. I wonder if he was referring to our last debacle down under in the world cup when he chose to say that...

[hindle xiii]

Steve Macnamara was on Radio Blunderside toneet, for his sins, and spoke very well.

To you maybe!

We should do a pound for charity every time he says 'at this moment in tarm'.

[Old Frightful]

To you maybe!

We should do a pound for charity every time he says 'at this moment in tarm'.

He never once said it!

[hindle xiii]

It's not a train on squad as such, he said he simply wanted to get players together from the current European Super League, to see how they interacted and to find out who would and who wouldn't add to an England team, in the bonding sense, rather than out on the field.

He spoke about personalities rather than form as, from his words, a happy squad is more likely to succeed than one that isn't. I wonder if he was referring to our last debacle down under in the world cup when he chose to say that...

And Manu is there as the black sheep?

[HappyDave]

And Manu is there as the black sheep?

Racist.

[Old Frightful]

And Manu is there as the black sheep?

Is he Welsh?

[hindle xiii]

Is he Welsh?

Would it matter if he was?!

[Old Frightful]

Would it matter if he was?!

Folk on here might be less sensitive I guess.

[The Future is League]

Steve McNamara is just using the international rules as they are today. i am of the opinion that once you have played senior international Rugby League for one country you should be made to stick with that country.

the whole situation needs to be looked at seriously, as it stands today its a joke.

Edited July 22, 2010 by The Future is League

[my missus]

it really is strange why tomkins has been missed out, if it is an oversight it is a shocking one that they should be ashamed of, worse still do they know something we don't?

[Cruncher]

it really is strange why tomkins has been missed out, if it is an oversight it is a shocking one that they should be ashamed of, worse still do they know something we don't?

Agree with you on the Joel Tomkins ommission but back row is our strongest area, maybe McNamara feels we don't need him.

The forward power looks good but we look very lightweight in the outside backs.