Man of Kent Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Elite Performance Squad: Luke Gale (Castleford Tigers) Mike McMeeken (Castleford Tigers) Jermaine McGillvary (Huddersfield Giants) Scott Taylor (Hull FC) Ryan Hall (Leeds Rhinos) Stevie Ward (Leeds Rhinos) Kallum Watkins (Leeds Rhinos) Jonny Lomax (St Helens) Tommy Makinson (St Helens) Mark Percival (St Helens) James Roby (St Helens) Alex Walmsley (St Helens) Tom Johnstone (Wakefield Trinity) Kevin Brown (Warrington Wolves) Daryl Clark (Warrington Wolves) Ben Currie (Warrington Wolves) Chris Hill (Warrington Wolves) Stefan Ratchford (Warrington Wolves) John Bateman (Wigan Warriors) Sean O’Loughlin (Wigan Warriors) George Williams (Wigan Warriors) England Knights performance squad: Greg Minikin (Castleford Tigers) Jake Trueman (Castleford Tigers) Kruise Leeming (Huddersfield Giants) Josh Bowden (Hull FC) Jake Connor (Hull FC) Dean Hadley (Hull FC) Masimbaashe Matongo (Hull FC) Jamie Shaul (Hull FC) Chris Atkin (Hull KR) Liam Sutcliffe (Leeds Rhinos) Jack Walker (Leeds Rhinos) James Cunningham (London Broncos) Joe Burgess (Wigan Warriors) Tom Davies (Wigan Warriors) Oliver Gildart (Wigan Warriors) Sam Powell (Wigan Warriors) Ryan Sutton (Wigan Warriors) Niall Evalds (Salford Red Devils) Danny Richardson (St Helens) Luke Thompson (St Helens) Reece Lyne (Wakefield Trinity) Jack Hughes (Warrington Wolves) Tom Gilmore (Widnes Vikings) Danny Walker (Widnes Vikings) Matt Whitley (Widnes Vikings) http://www.rugby-league.com/article/51962/england-performance-squads-announced Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted March 7, 2018 Author Share Posted March 7, 2018 You'll notice Liam Watts is in neither. What an eejit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bird Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 England Knights. Still don't get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted March 7, 2018 Author Share Posted March 7, 2018 1 minute ago, bird said: England Knights. Still don't get it. It's to give up-and-coming players who may/may not be involved in the 2021 World Cup experience of international rugby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted March 7, 2018 Author Share Posted March 7, 2018 Kevin Sinfield saying on TalkSport that England Knights will have an 'exciting' fixture announced in the next 2-4 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave T Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Hate this two tier system we have gone with, and I am not talking about First team vs Knights, im talking about SL vs NRL. I accept that Graham and Widdop wont be able to get over for meet-ups, but they should be part of the squads, even if it is for online skype sessions etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubby Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 13 minutes ago, Dave T said: Hate this two tier system we have gone with, and I am not talking about First team vs Knights, im talking about SL vs NRL. I accept that Graham and Widdop wont be able to get over for meet-ups, but they should be part of the squads, even if it is for online skype sessions etc. Yep the whole squad should be the EPS. Also Ratchford needs to put on his suit of armour and tootle off to join the other Knights. Tomkins is unlucky IMO and Williams very lucky on current form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubby Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 14 minutes ago, Man of Kent said: Kevin Sinfield saying on TalkSport that England Knights will have an 'exciting' fixture announced in the next 2-4 weeks. Please don't let it be the USA as the curtain raiser to the Denver test. That would be a truly terrible move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted March 7, 2018 Author Share Posted March 7, 2018 6 minutes ago, Scubby said: Please don't let it be the USA as the curtain raiser to the Denver test. That would be a truly terrible move. Maybe New Zealand A? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubby Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Just now, Man of Kent said: Maybe New Zealand A? New Zealand A would be okay but a second string tanking the USA by 60 points would be horrific. Hope the curtain raiser is USA v Jamaica or Canada or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted March 7, 2018 Author Share Posted March 7, 2018 Just now, Scubby said: New Zealand A would be okay but a second string tanking the USA by 60 points would be horrific. Hope the curtain raiser is USA v Jamaica or Canada or something. Sinfield suggested it wouldn't be a soft touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave T Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 27 minutes ago, Scubby said: Yep the whole squad should be the EPS. Also Ratchford needs to put on his suit of armour and tootle off to join the other Knights. Tomkins is unlucky IMO and Williams very lucky on current form. I think out of the Wire lot Brown can count himself lucky. He did a job in the World Cup but we should be moving on. He hasnt played well for Wire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yanto Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 7 minutes ago, Scubby said: New Zealand A would be okay but a second string tanking the USA by 60 points would be horrific. Hope the curtain raiser is USA v Jamaica or Canada or something. Fiji Italy and PNG put big scores on USA in the WC. The English Knights would not be as strong as Fiji or PNG. With the WC going to America they need to improve. Playing the Knights on home soil could be the first step in their development before they host the best teams in the world. Let's not be like the Aussies and only think of ourselves. Smaller nations need exposed to better quality opponents on a regular basis if we want more competitive countries. USA v Knights could be good for this because any of the top tier nations would defiantly but sixty points plus on them. So who do they play Jamaica? and give at false impression to the American public if the US put forty or fifty on the reggae boys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubby Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Just now, yanto said: Fiji Italy and PNG put big scores on USA in the WC. The English Knights would not be as strong as Fiji or PNG. With the WC going to America they need to improve. Playing the Knights on home soil could be the first step in their development before they host the best teams in the world. Let's not be like the Aussies and only think of ourselves. Smaller nations need exposed to better quality opponents on a regular basis if we want more competitive countries. USA v Knights could be good for this because any of the top tier nations would defiantly but sixty points plus on them. So who do they play Jamaica? and give at false impression to the American public if the US put forty or fifty on the reggae boys. Yep, believe me that England Knights side would put 60 points on the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dredgie Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Good to see James Cunningham in the Knights squard- only non SL player to make either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrywebbisgod Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Sutcliffe is lucky to get into the Knights squad. I get the concept of the Knights but theyneed to play tough,meaningful games. Thank you for your valuable contribution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerrumonside ref Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Happy to see ex-Swinton player Chris Atkin in the England Knights. Good reward for good form at Hull KR by all accounts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Prendle Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 I still don't see a natural full-back in that squad, and even though Tomkins is still early in his latest comeback I think he is unlucky to miss out. Maybe Bennett doesn't like him regardless of fitness or form. Good to see Makinson get a call up. Even though he plays for Saints, I still think he is one of the best players in our league. Obviously not as good as Sir Tom, but who is. I don't think that squad takes us much forther than the last one to be honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo5 Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Only 2 centres in the squad,so puzzled at Gildarts omission,would have liked Walker in at Lomax's expense and surely we need to move on from O'Loughlin and especially Brown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMEGA Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 No Matt Ashurst in either squad is a surprise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerner80 Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 1 hour ago, Scubby said: Yep the whole squad should be the EPS. Also Ratchford needs to put on his suit of armour and tootle off to join the other Knights. Tomkins is unlucky IMO and Williams very lucky on current form. Agree about Tomkins. Maybe Eastwood dosent rate him full stop for some reason. Ratchford I feel merits the squad. Hes not the biggest FB but skills are all there. The Knights concept I don't like though. Just always play as England. England probably have 100 players who are better than France so no point having a B team as no B team to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MZH Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 1 hour ago, OMEGA said: No Matt Ashurst in either squad is a surprise Yes I would have included him in the Knights for sure. Bit disappointed that Sneyd continues to be overlooked too. Suprised but really pleased to see Masi Matongo in there. He isn't at that level yet but the selectors have obviously seen something there that they like. It will be great experience for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulwalker71 Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 If this is meant to be building for the future why are Brown and O'Loughlin in there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yanto Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 1 hour ago, scotchy1 said: Jamaica v USA is usually competitive. Jamaica especially if they got some of their UK heritage players in. USA v Jamaica would be a pretty interesting match up. I can't see anyone getting enthused in the game by seeing Englands second team pile through a USA amateur side. Id like to see USA play Jamaica/Canada during these games for the next 3 years, which would also allow the US to target young qualified heritage players to get involved in the squad building up to the next world cup as well as introduce players like Faraimo to US audiences. But... If the US is serious then they would surely call on their heritage players. As hosts in two WC time the US need BIG improvements. The result is not important, unless your a die hard fan,its what the Yanks could take away from playing a Knights side rather than a Jamaica side (if they select their full squad.) I know where your coming from but the US has eight years to get their standards up. A Knight's game ,though its pure speculation, in my opinion could be the start of the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth hock Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Trueman hardly plays for castleford how can he be in over Snyed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.