Your England 24 man squad and starting 17

[Tex Evans Thigh]

1 - Hardaker - is in the best form of the options available. Tomkins has a lot to prove

2 - Hall - Proven international and still performing with Leeds

3 - ? Really weak in the centres again...

4 - Shenton - back on form and wasnt too bad at international level previously

5 - McGillvary - some strong performances at international and in SL

6 - Widdop 

7 - Gale - Deserves a shot, just needs to get the balance right with Widdop

8 - Graham

9 - Hodgson - Still our best option and hopefully form will pick up now injuries have cleared up

10 - George

11 - Whitehead

12 - McMeeken or Currie if he gets back to full fitness

13 - Sam - would be happy with O'Loughlin though and Sam elsewhere in the pack

Bench - 2 from Tom/Hill/Walmsley, Currie/Bateman, Bench utility - difficult one, maybe Tomkins if in shape or a rotation hooker.

Squad - Clarke, Williams, Eden (if fit), Taylor plus those options on the bench.

[Ant]

On 08/08/2017 at 6:21 PM, Davo5 said:

Not again,he's been tried and found wanting at international level,he's at Huddersfield because none of the top teams want him,not good enough,move on.

What utter tripe 

He's been tried and outplayed the best centre in the world at the last world cup 

[DavidM]

Hardaker , Hall , a not top centre , a not top centre part two , Mcgillvary , Widdop , Gale , Graham , Hodgson , G Burgess , Whitehead , Currie , Sam ( c ) ... I'd take mcmeekin and greenwood , I'd take at least one of manfredi / Eden / Johnstone if fit for xfactor and I'd take roby 

[Davo5]

1 hour ago, Ant said:

What utter tripe 

He's been tried and outplayed the best centre in the world at the last world cup 

What,at cards after the match.

[Ant]

You should try watching a game sometime 

[Davo5]

6 minutes ago, Ant said:

You should try watching a game sometime 

Thought you only watched the officials

[Lowdesert]

1 hour ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

1 - Hardaker - is in the best form of the options available. Tomkins has a lot to prove

2 - Hall - Proven international and still performing with Leeds

3 - ? Really weak in the centres again...

4 - Shenton - back on form and wasnt too bad at international level previously

5 - McGillvary - some strong performances at international and in SL

6 - Widdop 

7 - Gale - Deserves a shot, just needs to get the balance right with Widdop

8 - Graham

9 - Hodgson - Still our best option and hopefully form will pick up now injuries have cleared up

10 - George

11 - Whitehead

12 - McMeeken or Currie if he gets back to full fitness

13 - Sam - would be happy with O'Loughlin though and Sam elsewhere in the pack

Bench - 2 from Tom/Hill/Walmsley, Currie/Bateman, Bench utility - difficult one, maybe Tomkins if in shape or a rotation hooker.

Squad - Clarke, Williams, Eden (if fit), Taylor plus those options on the bench.

This would be good enough for me.  Manfredi looking like he will start again soon.  Maybe to late for selection for WB.  Currie may actually play this year, according to Smith, but again, too late.

I wouldn't take O'Loughlin or Tomkins.  Too much risk of injury for me.

[Tex Evans Thigh]

3 minutes ago, Lowdesert said:

This would be good enough for me.  Manfredi looking like he will start again soon.  Maybe to late for selection for WB.  Currie may actually play this year, according to Smith, but again, too late.

I wouldn't take O'Loughlin or Tomkins.  Too much risk of injury for me.

Is Currie injured again? He came back the other week didn't he? If he's out again then its probably too late for him, he needed a good couple of months run at it.

Agree on Tomkins and O'Loughlin, big risks. If Tomkins gets to the end in good form and good shape then hes probably worth a place in the squad but those are big 'ifs'.

[Lowdesert]

11 minutes ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

Is Currie injured again? He came back the other week didn't he? If he's out again then its probably too late for him, he needed a good couple of months run at it.

Agree on Tomkins and O'Loughlin, big risks. If Tomkins gets to the end in good form and good shape then hes probably worth a place in the squad but those are big 'ifs'.

Yep, injured again.  Fair enough, if Sam ends up as you say, certainly good enough to go, but I think the NRL lads will be rubbing their hands.  

Could Cudgoe go?  Is this RLs first tounguetwister?

http://www.seriousaboutrl.com/strong-possibility-currie-will-play-season-says-smith-9096/

[DavidM]

They wouldn't let him into the country !

[sweaty craiq]

On 09/08/2017 at 9:25 PM, Saint 1 said:

What makes you think he'll trouble the Aussies? He hasn't even troubled Super League.

Half of SL and a few NRL clubs are chasing him, best prop in SL by a long way

[Spidey]

18 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

Half of SL and a few NRL clubs are chasing him, best prop in SL by a long way

I'll have to see how he does this weekend. Oh wait a minute...

[roughyedspud]

The twins seem to have turned a corner the last week or 2...they have 3 or 4 games to play their way into the squad.

[Spidey]

5 minutes ago, Saint 1 said:

Alex Walmlsey has made more than double as many metres as him (3466m vs 1577m), has a higher average gain of 0.4m per carry, has made over three times as many tackle busts (70 vs 21), has scored twice as many tries as him (9 vs 4), made more tackles than him (499 vs 397), gave away less penalties and hasn't been carded this year. Acton isn't even close to Walmsley (or Taylor, or about 10 others). What specifically makes you say he's the best prop in SL? 

Don't let's facts get in the way ???

[bobbruce]

27 minutes ago, roughyedspud said:

The twins seem to have turned a corner the last week or 2...they have 3 or 4 games to play their way into the squad.

I think they'll get picked on the bench by Bennett on what they are capable of doing. Hopefully they can either keep up their improved form or raise their game for England. 

[Dunbar]

I know it is mandatory to discuss the form of George and Tom Burgess as a collective because they are twins and surely this means they must either both be playing well or poorly at the same time but I will break with tradition and just discuss one of them.

Tom Burgess has been playing well for the last 6 or 7 weeks. On Friday, against a starting Bulldogs pack containing the likes of James Graham, David Klemmer and Josh Jackson, he was outstanding. By the time he came off after 20 minutes he had run for well over 100 metres and absolutely steam rolled the Bulldogs. He only played another 10 minutes and yet be still finished as South's top metre maker on the day with 30 minutes game time. The only mystery was why McGuire left him on the bench for 50 minutes. 

I don't know what else we would want from a starting England prop!

(p.s. I thought George Burgess was very good as well but I can't mention that as it would make me a hypocrite)

[Davo5]

2 hours ago, sweaty craiq said:

Half of SL and a few NRL clubs are chasing him, best prop in SL by a long way

Comedy gold.

[Scubby]

3 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

Comedy gold.

I thought he was joking at first too.

[Davo5]

39 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I know it is mandatory to discuss the form of George and Tom Burgess as a collective because they are twins and surely this means they must either both be playing well or poorly at the same time but I will break with tradition and just discuss one of them.

Tom Burgess has been playing well for the last 6 or 7 weeks. On Friday, against a starting Bulldogs pack containing the likes of James Graham, David Klemmer and Josh Jackson, he was outstanding. By the time he came off after 20 minutes he had run for well over 100 metres and absolutely steam rolled the Bulldogs. He only played another 10 minutes and yet be still finished as South's top metre maker on the day with 30 minutes game time. The only mystery was why McGuire left him on the bench for 50 minutes. 

I don't know what else we would want from a starting England prop!

(p.s. I thought George Burgess was very good as well but I can't mention that as it would make me a hypocrite)

Tom has been playing well lately and should make the squad,George I'm not so sure,as for Mcguire the biggest problem is his continued selection of a clearly injured Sam for a team that can't make the play offs.

[MZH]

3 hours ago, sweaty craiq said:

Half of SL and a few NRL clubs are chasing him, best prop in SL by a long way

Please say that's a joke?

I can name 20 who are better without even having to think about it.

 

[Dunbar]

14 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

for Mcguire the biggest problem is his continued selection of a clearly injured Sam for a team that can't make the play offs.

I agree with this. He is playing injured and had to come off again at the weekend.

I am sure Sam is putting his hand up to play but the coach should be looking at this more objectively.

For Englands sake I am pleased that Souths and Canterbury can't make the finals as Sam Burgess and James Graham will benefit from the rest.

[Jim Prendle]

3 hours ago, sweaty craiq said:

Half of SL and a few NRL clubs are chasing him, best prop in SL by a long way

I'm hoping this was a poor attempt at irony, but I'm not sure it is.

[DavidM]

8 hours ago, Dunbar said:

I agree with this. He is playing injured and had to come off again at the weekend.

I am sure Sam is putting his hand up to play but the coach should be looking at this more objectively.

For Englands sake I am pleased that Souths and Canterbury can't make the finals as Sam Burgess and James Graham will benefit from the rest.

Agree , I hold my breath every time Sam looks wounded . We need him big time . He should see this season out with this rib problem and recharge the batteries . To me he's our leader and our key