Fran Goldthorp

[RigbyLuger]

Interesting to hear her speak about playing both codes at the moment, hopefully there doesn't come a time where she has to choose the other because there's money in it.

 

 

[BroncoFan]

Talented player and we forget she is still only 19. 
How will she go up against Jess Sergis, Isabelle Kelly and the Kiwis in the WC ?

[RigbyLuger]

3 hours ago, BroncoFan said:

Talented player and we forget she is still only 19. 
How will she go up against Jess Sergis, Isabelle Kelly and the Kiwis in the WC ?

The great unknown of this World Cup is how the younger players will go up against Aus/NZ for the first time. A test to see where we are, and where we need to improve.

 

[unapologetic pedant]

On 24/08/2022 at 06:57, BroncoFan said:

Talented player and we forget she is still only 19. 
How will she go up against Jess Sergis, Isabelle Kelly and the Kiwis in the WC ?

What makes you think England will play Australia?

[BroncoFan]

On 28/08/2022 at 01:00, unapologetic pedant said:

What makes you think England will play Australia?

There’s always the chance NZ could beat Oz in their group match or even PNG beating England again. We’ll just have to wait & see.

[unapologetic pedant]

1 hour ago, BroncoFan said:

There’s always the chance NZ could beat Oz in their group match or even PNG beating England again. We’ll just have to wait & see.

Agreed. I indirectly mentioned both of those possibilities on the "York beat Saints" thread. And the ideal scenario of course would be to beat NZ or Oz in the semi and meet the other in the final.

Just can`t see any of that happening. Jillaroos look too strong for the Kiwi Ferns, PNG in an English winter won`t be the same as PNG in Port Moresby, and the last time we played the Ferns the result was NZ 52 England 4.

Sadly, our best chance of overcoming NZ will probably be if most of their Oz-based players don`t make themselves available.

Still seems absurd not to have composed the groups to ensure that England play both Oz and NZ in the tournament.

[unapologetic pedant]

The Jillaroos and Kiwi Ferns squads have been announced.

I make it 7 NZ-based players and 17 Oz-based players in the Kiwi Ferns. Of the 17, all but one has played NRLW.

Two of the best young NZ-born players Destiny Brill and Tiana Raftstrand-Smith are not in either squad. Probably committed to Jillaroos but weren`t selected or available. 

[unapologetic pedant]

At the end of the group stage, everything has gone much as expected with the exception that Jillaroos v Kiwi Ferns was closer than anticipated.

So, England will have to beat NZ to play the Aussies in the final.

I still find it impossible to judge England`s chances. We`ll only know where they currently sit relative to the two best teams when they actually play one of them. That`s an additional reason why, in my view, England should have been in a group with either Oz or NZ and thus virtually certain to play both in the tournament. The organizers had other ideas.