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

[Barley Mow]

8 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

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

I'm slightly more optimistic, but wouldn't put money on it!

[Davo5]

11 minutes ago, Bearman said:

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.

Wasn’t this a scratch England 17 that hadn’t played together though.

No I don’t think we are a shoo in to beat 2 talented teams like Samoa & Tonga but with a full strength team we have a very good chance.

[DavidM]

Oledzki and Knowles look the part and should have booked their place . We’ve lots of good forward options to match up , the creation , threat and strike behind that will decide if we’re gonna do owt at the pointy end . Makinson and Tomkins will be around , the other spots weren’t screaming out to be filled last night

[DoubleD]

1 hour ago, Rupert Prince said:

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"?

 

Was it the ‘best available’ though? I would suggest not 

[Mr Frisky]

If anything I would say this game actually improved mcgillvarys and Hills chances or being in the next England squad and confirmed it has to be Roby and Clarke off the bench.

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

25 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

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

As a Wakey fan I was hoping our three guys would have decent games last night but thought Westy and Tanganoa were pretty average.  Lyne on the other hand never really put a foot wrong going forward strongly, safe in defence and putting his winger over for a fine try for the cherry on top.  I think he did himself good in front of Shaun Wayne which is all that matters. 

Who are these 7 centres miles in front of him?  I'll bet he's repeatedly had a few of them in his pocket when they've faced off at club level.

I really don't get this vindictive agenda you have against the guy.

 

[Dave T]

2 hours ago, DoubleD said:

I wasn’t aware Welsby was playing and Handley only played about 10 minutes, where he missed a tackle and then went off with a head knock 

Yes apologies, had a shocker there with the names! The three quarters were all at sea and didn't put up much defence was my point, but I think it is unlikely those players will be lining up there in the World Cup. 

Decent halves and centres ruthlessly punished us when they got near our line, but our defence will be tougher than that in future, we know we have better in the three-quarters. 

[Dave T]

If we consider the players that could be added, then we will be far far better than last night. 

We lost to the Exiles previously, but we're very different in the World Cups since

[Waynebennettswinger]

13 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Yes apologies, had a shocker there with the names! The three quarters were all at sea and didn't put up much defence was my point, but I think it is unlikely those players will be lining up there in the World Cup. 

Decent halves and centres ruthlessly punished us when they got near our line, but our defence will be tougher than that in future, we know we have better in the three-quarters. 

I do agree that Welsby’s chances of making the World Cup squad improved last night, regardless of whether he played 0 minutes or 80. 

[Rupert Prince]

28 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

Was it the ‘best available’ though? I would suggest not 

Well that is a moot point.  Its a matter of opinion and once you start losing players then the remaining choices become marginal, even more so if you start to look at the balance of the team.

I mean Connor could have come in at center, but in fact it was also a good opportunity to see him at fullback in the All Stars... and that as well made the game more competitive.  McGillvery ditto.

[Waynebennettswinger]

One strange choice for me last night was Currie at centre. Currie is a fine player, how much experience does he have at centre though? 
 

I prefer to see players in their natural position, I would rather Wardle (as mentioned by others) or Welsby given a shot in the absence of the likes of Gildart, King or Percival.

That said if Wane decided to go with a second row covering then why not Bateman (who may not be a natural but never lets down) or Farrell (who I personally think has been outstanding covering there for Wigan.) Nothing against Currie btw I would have in the squad, just as Second Row.

[Davo5]

31 minutes ago, Wollo Wollo Wayoo said:

As a Wakey fan I was hoping our three guys would have decent games last night but thought Westy and Tanganoa were pretty average.  Lyne on the other hand never really put a foot wrong going forward strongly, safe in defence and putting his winger over for a fine try for the cherry on top.  I think he did himself good in front of Shaun Wayne which is all that matters. 

Who are these 7 centres miles in front of him?  I'll bet he's repeatedly had a few of them in his pocket when they've faced off at club level.

I really don't get this vindictive agenda you have against the guy.

 

No vindictive agenda here,I just don’t rate him as an international centre,solid pro but we have a lot better to come back.

[Marauder]

6 minutes ago, Waynebennettswinger said:

One strange choice for me last night was Currie at centre. Currie is a fine player, how much experience does he have at centre though? 
 

I prefer to see players in their natural position, I would rather Wardle (as mentioned by others) or Welsby given a shot in the absence of the likes of Gildart, King or Percival.

That said if Wane decided to go with a second row covering then why not Bateman (who may not be a natural but never lets down) or Farrell (who I personally think has been outstanding covering there for Wigan.) Nothing against Currie btw I would have in the squad, just as Second Row.

Hasn't Farrell been playing centre for most of this season?

[Davo5]

2 minutes ago, Marauder said:

Hasn't Farrell been playing centre for most of this season?

Yes but only because of our total lack of centres in the club,but surely after naming Wardle & then adding Welsby we had real centres who could have played there.

[Marauder]

2 hours ago, DoubleD said:

The 3 of them on commentary are terrible. Even Arthur who said “the one on one ball steal will be gone from next year”. Which McDermott replied “good”. 

No it won’t, the one on one ball steal has always been part of the game and will be next year. The rule on allowing other defenders to fall off the tackle to enact it will be removed. They are totally clueless 

How many agreed with the "Good" statement, I did.

[Waynebennettswinger]

2 minutes ago, Marauder said:

Hasn't Farrell been playing centre for most of this season?

Yes exactly so for me he was a more obvious choice than Currie. Currie spent most, if not all the game at centre. 

One player who absolutely played his way  back in last night was Farrell, glad he did. We have lots of second row options but he is just remarkably consistent and has taken that consistently over to a centre spot at Wigan this year. 

[Derwent]

Meaningless game in the grand scheme of things, I can’t see Wane basing his World Cup squad much on that game. Club form and past international experience will carry much more weighting. 

Best thing I can say about last nights game is at least this time it wasn’t Italy beating us in a WC warm up game !

[mickmike wilson]

13 hours ago, Scubby said:

You and I have a vested interest as we know them as players. My family don't follow RL and just laugh at how Yorkshire news it sounds.

Probably says more about them, Don’t the UK media these days kinda promote regional accents these days?

[mickmike wilson]

3 hours ago, Scubby said:

I know where they are from I am just stating how they come across to non RL fans. We have always had northerners commentate - maybe it is the faux double act style of ranting that make them stand out (for the wrong reasons).

When Marty Scarbrooks retires & stops swearing maybe he should be considered if his is TV compatible 

[Josef K]

18 hours ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Absolutely shocking Saints are withdrawing/holding back players left right and centre when Saints don’t even have a game this weekend. Leeds, Warrington and Wigan all have 5? Players in this game as well as a club match this weekend and they haven’t withdrawn players.

I’m with you Kev, Saints should be relegated into League 1, regardless on what the England medical staff say.
Dey ad no men in da Ingerland slide. itz discusting, n evry fink iz a conspirathingy just 2 elp dose ceeting scowsers. 

[graveyard johnny]

21 hours ago, Hughsehhh said:

All stars halves are better than England's 

The flag on the arms of the all stars is a nice touch

 

 

 

England were wearing a flag on their arms as well - a white flag 

[ELBOWSEYE]

7 hours ago, Josef K said:

I’m with you Kev, Saints should be relegated into League 1, regardless on what the England medical staff say.
Dey ad no men in da Ingerland slide. itz discusting, n evry fink iz a conspirathingy just 2 elp dose ceeting scowsers. 

Morgan knowles? 

[Damien]

8 hours ago, mickmike wilson said:

Probably says more about them, Don’t the UK media these days kinda promote regional accents these days?

Yes but the people they promote can usually string a sentence together and speak with clarity.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

On 22/06/2021 at 17:35, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

While I don’t think it’s their strongest possible line up, the All Stars side looks stronger than England IMO. 

 

On 22/06/2021 at 17:36, Hela Wigmen said:

Stronger than England hahaha 

Well I sure am glad I backed the All Stars at 3/1, hope you didn’t put your money where your mouth is @Hela Wigmen

[Gates1]

I think as a few have said, that team.would be far too small to go against Samoa and Tonga, let alone the Kiwis and Aussies.

But the game was more of a let's have a look at a few fringe players rather than any kind of dress rehearsal imo.

The question marks I'd raise were the half backs, seems a waste not to use the game to play the likes of Widdop, Williams, Hastings (for England), who surely have more chance of featuring (alongside Lomax who wasnt available)  than Gale and certainly Ratchford.

As I've said the the team lacked probably but Walmsley and some of the NRL contingent would help fix that, personally think with that in mind someone like Watts could have been given a shot, maybe even Mcmeeken too, who is going very well at Catalan.

Mcgilvary made an argument to be brought back into the England fold, although for me Ryan Hall is the form super league winger at present.