Fri 25 Jun: Intl: England v Combined Nations All Stars KO 20:15 (TV)

[tms]

14 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Honestly I am born and bread West Yorkshire and people here say stuff like are you from the north and I often get Manchester. 

So being a 100 % tyke  it's your job to sit them down and take them through all the subtlelties  and nuances of god's own language like we use the "C" word for couldn't give them a little quiz on sayings and what they mean  and I'm sure with your export coaching S they will soon understand that we are the special ones

https://the-yorkshireman.com/funny-yorkshire-sayings/

[Man of Kent]

2 hours ago, Dunbar said:

1. They were both scratch sides effectively. It's hardly as if that Emgland 13 has ever played together before, they are not a 'team'. In fact this game was a chance to try and make them one.  As best we can given the injuries, lack of availability and no access to the NRL based players.

2. Conner was not behind Currie when the squad was put together. He was behind a number of centres who, for various reasons, were not available or were not selected for last night's game.  Debating whether Conner should be in the England squad is valid. Arguing that Wane has picked Currie ahead of him as a centre is not.

More worrying for me is why Wane stood Herbie Farnworth down from the squad who is a quality young centre. And will he have a chance to get back in. 

3. Ratchford is not the best we can do. Lomax, Williams and Widdop are all in the England squad and I think most would agree they are better options than Ratchford at 6.

CBA to play a game of ‘win the argument’ but I feel you’ve insulted my intelligence here, old chap.

You know that I know that better players weren’t playing last night. That’s why Ratchford and Currie were the best we could do. My point is that’s ultimately down to Shaun Wane through his squad selection - as shown by Connor and Hastings playing for the opposition.

Also, I’m not having that the All Stars were on a level playing field in terms of being a proper team. Even if they haven’t played for nearly three years, the England-based players have had recent training sessions and other get-togethers. 

In any case, having seen the game in the flesh, I’m more worried about the forwards. If Burgess and Walmsley get injured there’s seemingly not a lot in reserve to frighten the horses.

[Rupert Prince]

18 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

Shaun Wane’s selection policy worries me when we only have 1 more warm up game. To think of the players he could’ve brought in and that’s what we end up with. 

I thought Farrell, Knowles and Lyne did well. Wasn’t impressed with many others. Cooper was ok and the wingers tried hard. 

For the All Stars, I thought Hastings was surprisingly poor in defence and whilst Connor is a great attacking talent, he isn’t the best defender and lacks pace for a full back. At the top level it shows - I would only consider him at centre for England. Whilst McGillvary had a decent game, I’m still not sure I’d have him in the side 

Fair comments.  

But various players were not available and bringing England qualified players into the All Stars made it a good test all round.

Add to that Bateman got injured in a quite nasty tackle so that disrupted the pattern of the team.

It was not a proper test match, but it was the best available and how else can players be "tested"?

 

[MZH]

3 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

CBA to play a game of ‘win the argument’ but I feel you’ve insulted my intelligence here, old chap.

You know that I know that better players were unable couldn’t play last night. That’s why Ratchford and Currie were the best we could do. My point is that’s ultimately down to Shaun Wane through his squad selection - as shown by Connor and Hastings playing for the opposition.

Also, I’m not having that the All Stars were on a level playing field in terms of being a proper team. Even if they haven’t played for nearly three years, the England-based players have had recent training sessions and other get-togethers. 

In any case, having seen the game in the flesh, I’m more worried about the forwards. If Burgess and Walmsley get injured there’s seemingly not a lot in reserve to frighten the horses.

The comment about the forwards is spot on. The likes of Oledzski and Knowles are going to be great players but probably just another 2 or 3 years away from really being the finished article. The CNAS pack just looked physically bigger than the England side across the board.

I mentioned it earlier but for me Savelio should be in that England squad. He was excellent last year up until he got injured, he's continued to play some really good rugby this year and I thought he played very well last night. He's big, athletic, skillful, runs a good line. He might not be first choice with the likes of Bateman, Currie and Farrell but he would definitely contribute something to the squad.

[Rupert Prince]

32 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

England, France, Ireland, Jamaica, Scotland, Wales. 

Let them all play instead of being arrogant and selfish and blocking others from having mid-season games like they did this year just to get turned over. That’s three games where you can name 21-24 man squads with relative ease just from the teams in the UK league system. 

So an England team benefits from playing Scotland? Where do such competitive teams come from?

A better series would be a Yorkshire, Lancashire,  'Catalan' regional tournament.  

What is needed is to bring players together at a higher level.

[Scubby]

19 minutes ago, JohnM said:

A quick check to help me understand:

 A pointless game in the wrong place, at the wrong time between the wrong teams on the wrong channel with the wrong commentators and an unsatisfactory outcome.?

And the wrong person on the wrong thread  

[Oxford]

I am disappointed in England strategies and structure.

[Kirmonds pouch]

11 hours ago, Gates1 said:

Give up.   Kay's garbage.  Several French wingers better.  Olpherts is the top meter maker should he be lining up for England?

Yaha and Kay have scored 6 tries a piece this season, by the way.  If you like your stats compare mrtres made and clean breaks between the two and come back to me.  Try and think before you post.

Your clueless you really are.

[Rupert Prince]

1 hour ago, MZH said:

The comment about the forwards is spot on. The likes of Oledzski and Knowles are going to be great players but probably just another 2 or 3 years away from really being the finished article. The CNAS pack just looked physically bigger than the England side across the board.

I mentioned it earlier but for me Savelio should be in that England squad. He was excellent last year up until he got injured, he's continued to play some really good rugby this year and I thought he played very well last night. He's big, athletic, skillful, runs a good line. He might not be first choice with the likes of Bateman, Currie and Farrell but he would definitely contribute something to the squad.

Coming up against the best of the available islanders was a good opportunity.  But their size did not seem to unduly problematical.

The thing to worry about was the rub of the green and minimising it and avoiding penalties.  The All Stars first try came from a Mikey Mouse penalty.  In the real thing we can expect the NZ referee to be even more biased.  (BTW ... colour me cynical)

[Dunbar]

2 minutes ago, MZH said:

The comment about the forwards is spot on. The likes of Oledzski and Knowles are going to be great players but probably just another 2 or 3 years away from really being the finished article. The CNAS pack just looked physically bigger than the England side across the board.

I mentioned it earlier but for me Savelio should be in that England squad. He was excellent last year up until he got injured, he's continued to play some really good rugby this year and I thought he played very well last night. He's big, athletic, skillful, runs a good line. He might not be first choice with the likes of Bateman, Currie and Farrell but he would definitely contribute something to the squad.

I disagree about Morgan and Oledzki, I thought they were good.  They regularly found their fronts carrying the ball and they are both mobile and strong in defence.  There was very little danger through the middle from the Combined Nations team last night.

The game is played at a faster pace these days, we need these types of players. If we had executed better I the backs the forwards efforts would have been rewarded.

[Kirmonds pouch]

11 hours ago, Davo5 said:

The only England shirt Lyne should be wearing is down the pub on Tuesday.

My god this thread is full of know nothings. Lyne was the best back on the pitch last night, end of. May I now suggest you go to the pub on Tuesday and watch another sport you know nothing about there’s a good lad.

[MZH]

6 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I disagree about Morgan and Oledzki, I thought they were good.  They regularly found their fronts carrying the ball and they are both mobile and strong in defence.  There was very little danger through the middle from the Combined Nations team last night.

The game is played at a faster pace these days, we need these types of players. If we had executed better I the backs the forwards efforts would have been rewarded.

They were indeed both good. I'd say they both came out with more credit than most. I was more responding to the comment about Walmsley and Burgess and not much depth. Oledszki and Knowles have a huge amount of promise but haven't reached their full potential yet and that could show against the Aussies when our starting props are off the pitch.

[Hela Wigmen]

11 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

So an England team benefits from playing Scotland? Where do such competitive teams come from?

A better series would be a Yorkshire, Lancashire,  'Catalan' regional tournament.  

What is needed is to bring players together at a higher level.

It’s an actual international, so the sport benefits from it. The Scotland side benefits from it and the England side will do. 

A Little League tournament for local people would be disastrous. 

 

[Dunbar]

1 minute ago, MZH said:

They were indeed both good. I'd say they both came out with more credit than most. I was more responding to the comment about Walmsley and Burgess and not much depth. Oledszki and Knowles have a huge amount of promise but haven't reached there full potential yet and that could show against the Aussies when our starting props are off the pitch.

I would certainly hope that the likes of Tom Burgess, Walmsley and Luke Thompson (plus Sutton) would bolster our middle.

I would still have Oledzki as one of our prop rotation and Knowles at 13. That would be a very different pack from yesterday.  While playing better opposition of course.

[ELBOWSEYE]

2 minutes ago, MZH said:

They were indeed both good. I'd say they both came out with more credit than most. I was more responding to the comment about Walmsley and Burgess and not much depth. Oledszki and Knowles have a huge amount of promise but haven't reached there full potential yet and that could show against the Aussies when our starting props are off the pitch.

The problem is Chis Hill who everyone has wrote off as past it is actually playing well this season and is worthy of a squad place. There are other props in SL who shpuld have stepped up but have not. So at the moment (injury permitted) youhave Walmsley, Burgess with possibly Cooper the rest are backrowers who can cover. 

[moorside roughyed]

Enjoyed watching a competitive match. Tbh it was just great to watch a rugby league game after all this time. Our women were also fantastic and to their credit the Welsh never stopped competing even though the scoreline was comprehensive win for England. 

[Bearman]

1 hour ago, Davo5 said:

All that from watching a scratch England team playing their first game in nearly 3 yrs.

No. From watching a scratch team that had NEVER played together and were cobbled together two days before.

Honestly, do you think that we are a shoo in to beat Tonga and Samoa?

I reckon we will make the semi-finals as long as the draw seeds us away from Australia and NZ.

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Scubby said:

Honestly I am born and bread West Yorkshire

Crumbs!

[Old Frightful]

12 minutes ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

Your clueless you really are.

I'm sure there's a thread somewhere regarding personal jibes at other members.

Also, if you're going to be critical of someone, it might help if your grammar and spelling was up to scratch.

[Barley Mow]

2 minutes ago, Bearman said:

I reckon we will make the semi-finals as long as the draw seeds us away from Australia and NZ.

It does. England can't play Aus or NZ until the final.

[Scubby]

3 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Crumbs!

you try typing on this bloody useless bone!

[Harry Stottle]

1 minute ago, Barley Mow said:

It does. England can't play Aus or NZ until the final.

Then I strongly doubt we will be facing either in this years World Cup.

[Davo5]

16 minutes ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

My god this thread is full of know nothings. Lyne was the best back on the pitch last night, end of. May I now suggest you go to the pub on Tuesday and watch another sport you know nothing about there’s a good lad.

I suspect you’ve sampled a few yourself going by that rant.

Hopefully we have our centre options back for World Cup selection and Lyne can return to being our 8th choice.

[Man of Kent]

30 minutes ago, MZH said:

The comment about the forwards is spot on. The likes of Oledzski and Knowles are going to be great players but probably just another 2 or 3 years away from really being the finished article. The CNAS pack just looked physically bigger than the England side across the board.

That’s my feeling too. Same with Philbin, who looks too small to my eye. I thought we looked physically small in general. 

We like to think we have a top class pack - and the first choice probably is. But the depth below that worries me. 

[Man of Kent]

14 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

The problem is Chis Hill who everyone has wrote off as past it is actually playing well this season and is worthy of a squad place. There are other props in SL who shpuld have stepped up but have not. So at the moment (injury permitted) youhave Walmsley, Burgess with possibly Cooper the rest are backrowers who can cover. 

I agree on Chris Hill. He’s still got the power and footwork to cause problems. I’d certainly have him in before Cooper.