England 17 for the opening game

[thepimp007]

probably been done a thousand times but if you could pick a 17 for the opening game of the four nations who would you pick? id go for

1) Widdop

2) Hall

3) Atkins

4) Shenton

5) Briscoe

6) S.Tomkins

7) Eastmond (if fit)

Fielden

9) Sinfield

10) Morley

11) Burgess

12) Ellis

13) O'Loughlin

14) Roby

15) Westwood

16) Lynch

17) J.Tomkins

sure theres a couple in there ill get slated for

[scotthouston2008]

james graham?

[steef]

swap shenton for gleeson and graham for j.tomkins and your there.

[scotthouston2008]

swap shenton for gleeson and graham for j.tomkins and your there.

graham for lynch and your there

[thepimp007]

i might get shot down in flames for it but id have lynch in if 100% because i thoink his go forward is good, although graham did slip my mind

[hunsletgiant]

Graham for Fielden and Crabtree for Lynch.

Probably get grief for this but Cudjoe for Shenton.

[Maximus Decimus]

Graham for Fielden and Crabtree for Lynch.

Probably get grief for this but Cudjoe for Shenton.

Looks like you got no grief!

[jackknife]

1) S.Tomkins

2) Hall

3) Atkins

4) Shenton

5) Briscoe

6) Myler

7) Eastmond (if fit)

Graham

9) Sinfield

10) Morley

11) Burgess

12) Ellis

13) O'Loughlin

14) Roby

15) Westwood

16) Crabtree

17) J.Tomkins

[boxhead]

Myler and Crabtree?

Myler is no certainty for his Club.

Eorl does not cut it at the top level.

[Brigg Rover]

1) S.Tomkins2) Hall

3) Atkins

4) Shenton

5) Briscoe

6) Myler

7) Eastmond (if fit)

Graham

9) Sinfield

10) Morley

11) Burgess

12) Ellis

13) O'Loughlin

14) Roby

15) Westwood

16) Crabtree

17) J.Tomkins

This is a must!!!

[1976PMJwires]

I'm getting very worried about England.

forget the wings and centre postition in the backs.

WTF!! are we going to do at 1,6,7

Tomkins is the only player we have fully fit and ready

we have injuries (maguire & eastmond)

Myler not ready ....but looking more likely to start by the week @ 7

so do we gamble on Widdop @ FB Sam @ SO and Myler @ SH

or do we dare and go for Sam @ 1 Kevin Brown @ 6 and Rob Burrow @ 7

we have a massive headache and only SAM TOMKINS IMHO is ready.

(i do worry ST will show his poor temperament)

[boxhead]

This is a must!!!

Tomkins is a quality player without a doubt.

The Australians calculate the plays like a War room.

They will see his weight/height and defensive/attack skills and Coach their team to a point against him.

Small/light, defensively questionable.

Answer

Isolate him under the kick.

Target him with running back rowers.

Hit him hard and if nothing else blunt his attack options.

Put him one on one with speedy faster 100kg+ backs that might step him, run over him or beat him for pace.

Fullback will be England's hot spot this 4 Nations.

Edited September 25, 2010 by AndyCapp

[HappyDave]

I'd saw Wellens or Mathers at FB as Widdop probably isn't experienced enough. No idea who would replace Eastmond & McGuire though. I think Sam Tompkins should be at Half Back only playing FB as his alternative position. I'd definitely have Westwood on the bench over Joel Tomkins though.

[FlattenedbyWard]

1) Widdop

2) Hall

3) Atkins

4) Shenton

5) Fox

6) S.Tomkins

7) Eastmond (if fit)

Fielden

9) Sinfield

10) Morley

11) Burgess

12) Ellis

13) O'Loughlin

14) Roby

15) Westwood

16) Graham

17) J.Tomkins

My only change would be Graham/Fox

I'd also have in the Squad:-

Wellens

Burrow

Briscoe

JJB

Gleeson

John Clarke

Steven Wild

Luke Robinson

Gareth Carvell

[Exiled Wiganer]

I am assuming Eastmond won't go, and so Sam has to play in the halves. Happily, with Sinny and Lockers, we could play Myler as a support runner. He is very good if he has the right players around him, he just doesn't read play that well. I wouldn't lose any sleep over Widdop at 1. He doesn't play in first grade much, but he does have Slater in front of him. His knowledge of the Aussies standards will be invaluable. Hence...

Widdop - Briscoe - Gleeson - Atkins - Hall - Sam - Myler

Graham - Sinny - Burgess - Ellis - Westwood - Lockers

... Roby - Morley - Fielden - Joel (if he concentrates on rugby)

I genuinely think that team has a chance. Westwood's emergence into a world class player is key in ensuring we have no weak links in the pack. Fielden has been terrific this year, and seems to be playing better in the play offs. Getting hit by Mason and hitting him back seems to have done wonders for him.

Wellens, Flannagan, Fox, Shenton, Crabtree, Lynch and JJB would be my back up players.

[HappyDave]

'Exiled' would you play Westwood out of position as a Prop rather than Morley???

I'd be happy with either Kevin Brown or Rob Burrow in the Backs as people are kidding themselves that Eastmond will be fit. But I think we need Sam Tomkins as a Half Back.

Edited September 25, 2010 by HappyDave

[Exiled Wiganer]

He could do a job there, but I think him on one side and Ellis on the other hitting hard in defence and attack will be vital, given the strengths in the centres that the Antipodeans have.

[HappyDave]

So what position would you play Burgess if you'd have Ellis & Westwood as the 2nd Rows?

[hindle xiii]

Once again, the pack not only picks itself but there probably two, even three, packs. The backs, we're screwed.

[Exiled Wiganer]

I think we can get a decent 3/4 line from Hall, Gleeson, Briscoe plus one. We miss Bridge. Shenton showed he can play at this level, and Atkins offers something unexpected (as he doesn't seem to know what he's doing at times the opposition are bound to struggle). I am far from despondent. If Sam gets injured then we are in deep trouble though.

[HappyDave]

Which position is Atkins best in? Is he a Centre or a Winger? I've said it before I don't think Fox's form has been good enough this year. Plus why are people talking about JJB? Didn't he play for Jamaica in the Atlantic Cup earlier this year?

[joe elliot]

1. sam tompkins (our best attacking threat)

2. ryan hall

3. michael shenton

4. ryan atkins

5. widdop

6. kevin brown

7. luke robinson

8. adrian morley

9. kevin sinfield

10. stuart fielden

11. gareth ellis

12. sam burgess

13. sean o'loughlin

14. westwood

15. james graham

16. joel tompkins

17. james roby

[WalesRLFan]

1. Tomkins

2. Briscoe

3. Shenton

4. Atkins

5. Hall

6. Sinfield

7. Myler

8. Morley

9. Roby

10. Graham

11. Ellis

12. Burgess

13. O'Loughlin

INT Robinson

INT Westwood

INT Flanagan

INT Fielden

Rest Of Squad

Cudjoe, Moore, Wilkin, Griffin, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Carvell, Widdop, Burrow

[Fully]

Wellens

Cudjoe

Atkins

Shenton

Hall

Tomkins

Burrow

Graham

Sinfield

Morley

Ellis

Westwood

Burgess

Bench: Lynch, Fielden, Roby, O'Loughlin.

Edited September 27, 2010 by Fully

[Storm]

1 S Tomkin

2 Cudjoe

3 T Briscoe

4 Shenton

5 Hall

6 Brown

7 Brough (Eastmond not fit, Burrow to predicatable, Robinson doesn't play scrum half for his club, Myler not picked for cup final, so not ready for internationals then).

8 Graham ©

9 Sinfield

10 Morley

11 Ellis

12 Burgess

13 O'Loughlin

14 J Tomkin

15 Westwood

16 Crabtree

17 Roby