Sat 28th Oct: International: England v Tonga KO 14:30 @ Huddersfield (BBC)

[bobbruce]

Just now, LeytherRob said:

More good work from Lewis, be funny watching Wane downplay his performance again post match so he can drop him for Williams next week

Great kick but Lewis has been poor today so far bar that. 

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

12 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

Tonga still finding the RFL leeway about ruck slowness/messiness rather tough to adapt to.

If you can’t adapt to slightly different ref judgement on ruck speed, half way through the second game, you probably shouldn’t be coaching or playing at this level to be honest 

[bratman]

McMeekan looking good again

[bratman]

Tonga not offering much in the rain

[Johnny Ringo]

5 minutes ago, LeytherRob said:

More good work from Lewis, be funny watching Wane downplay his performance again post match so he can drop him for Williams next week

It was a good kick but to be fair his first real moment of the game, two poor knock ones previous to it. 

Edited October 28, 2023 by Johnny Ringo

[dkw]

1 minute ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

If you can’t adapt to slightly different ref judgement on ruck speed, half way through the second game, you probably shouldn’t be coaching or playing at this level to be honest 

In fairness it takes a genius to figure out how to slow a tackle down by half a second, or put another man into a tackle....

[StandOffHalf]

1 minute ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

If you can’t adapt to slightly different ref judgement on ruck speed, half way through the second game, you probably shouldn’t be coaching or playing at this level to be honest 

I think it's completely different, rather than slightly different.

[dkw]

2 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

Great kick but Lewis has been poor today so far bar that. 

Tonga have made sure he's had no space, but it's meant we have space out wide as they're compressing in around our half's.

[DavidM]

Controlled performance from us there I thought , especially in the conditions . Our defence was most noticeable , it was strong and we’ve snuffed them out. Like to see Clark and Lewis run if they get the chance but we’ve dominated so far

[dkw]

1 minute ago, StandOffHalf said:

I think it's completely different, rather than slightly different.

Lolohia has given away two of the repeat sets, where's he playing his RL?

[Dunbar]

England did enough in that half.  Their kick chase once again helping to restrict the momentum of the Tongan's.

If Fonua-Blake is gone for the game then Tonga are in real trouble.

[StandOffHalf]

One nice kick from Lewis aside, that has been a disjointed and uninspiring half of football.

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

1 minute ago, StandOffHalf said:

I think it's completely different, rather than slightly different.

It’s the same for both teams, but one team is playing to that judgement and the other seems to lack the ruck detail to be able to do so. It’s a tale as old as time, and Tonga should look to their inability to execute rather than for excuses 

[Dunbar]

1 minute ago, DavidM said:

Like to see Clark and Lewis run if they get the chance but we’ve dominated so far

And Walker in the second half.  He could be very dangerous. 

[Harry Stottle]

It may change in the second half, but having a direct comparison with the game played this morning I doubt that any of these teams will trouble the world order of merit.

[Exiled Wiganer]

We score next, we win this. Smith has been particularly superb, and our defensive discipline has been on since minute 1. We look like a side which knows what it is doing. Come on England, bring this home. 

[Harry Stottle]

Not often I agree with Wilkin, but for me he was correct in saying that the Frizzell tackle on Radley was fair enough.

[StandOffHalf]

2 minutes ago, dkw said:

Lolohia has given away two of the repeat sets, where's he playing his RL?

Most of them aren't accustomed to the messiness though and having a player who is used to SL probably adds to the uncertainty about numbers in tackles/how long to stay on.

[graveyard johnny]

lets blame "the conditions"

[dkw]

Just now, StandOffHalf said:

Most of them aren't accustomed to the messiness though and having a player who is used to SL probably adds to the uncertainty about numbers in tackles/how long to stay on.

It's a ridiculously lazy excuse.

[Johnny Ringo]

1 minute ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

We score next, we win this. Smith has been particularly superb, and our defensive discipline has been on since minute 1. We look like a side which knows what it is doing. Come on England, bring this home. 

To lose it would be catastrophic, Tonga are very poor today, sluggish and predictable. 

[Zilla Budgie]

Can't see Tonga scoring, hope I'm wrong.

[Exiled Wiganer]

1 minute ago, StandOffHalf said:

Most of them aren't accustomed to the messiness though and having a player who is used to SL probably adds to the uncertainty about numbers in tackles/how long to stay on.

I completely agree that the SL players have shown themselves to be more intelligent footballers and more adaptable in this series so far. We downplay how many superb players we produce and watch every week. 

[graveyard johnny]

Just now, Johnny Ringo said:

To lose it would be catastrophic, Tonga are very poor today, sluggish and predictable. 

a token international team - not a real one

[StandOffHalf]

Just now, dkw said:

It's a ridiculously lazy excuse.

I don't think so. I think Tonga have really struggled to put anything together because of the ruck as it is refereed.