Sat 4th Nov: Third Test: England v Tonga KO 2.30pm @ Headingley (BBC One)

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 hour ago, Northern Eel said:

 

Tough on Mikey Lewis IMO. 

Another sublime kicking performance from McMeekan ? 

Love it when props kick!!

[Northern Eel]

Just now, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Another sublime kicking performance from McMeekan ? 

Love it when props kick!!

It very nearly came off! Would have brought the house down.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

29 minutes ago, Northern Eel said:

 

I gather it is Whitehead's last game in an England shirt?

On the forwards kicking theme

If we are winning by enough in the last 5 and score they should let Elliot kick the conversion ...always funny when this happens 

[Dunbar]

England 19 man squad.

Both Smithies and Thewlis in the 19 as it George Williams after suspension.

Radley and King miss out with injury. 

Matty Ashton (Warrington Wolves), John Bateman (Wests Tigers), Tom Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Daryl Clark, Ben Currie (both Warrington Wolves), Tyler Dupree (Wigan Warriors), Chris Hill (Huddersfield Giants), Tom Johnstone (Catalans Dragons), Matty Lees (St Helens), Mike McMeeken (Catalans Dragons), Robbie Mulhern (Leigh Leopards), Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos), Harry Smith, Morgan Smithies (both Wigan Warriors), Josh Thewlis, Danny Walker (both Warrington Wolves), Jack Welsby (St Helens), Elliott Whitehead (Canberra Raiders), George Williams (Warrington Wolves)

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

After the way he has played I think Mikey Lewis is incredibly unlucky to miss out, but George Williams was always going to be brought back and I think on balance a Williams/Smith combination is better than a Williams/Lewis one.

What Lewis has probably done is put himself in pole position for future squad selection, assuming that he maintains club form, as he has proven he can perform at this level.

[usain bolt]

Light at centre, who be the 2 to play there. Fill in with Bateman or currie out of position or 1 of the 3 wingers in the 19?

[JM2010]

11 minutes ago, usain bolt said:

Light at centre, who be the 2 to play there. Fill in with Bateman or currie out of position or 1 of the 3 wingers in the 19?

Maybe Thewlis to FB and Welsby to centre?

[Zilla Budgie]

Could we not have drafted in another specialist centre at short notice, or do they have to already be named in the 24 man. squad?

[Barley Mow]

3 minutes ago, Zilla Budgie said:

Could we not have drafted in another specialist centre at short notice, or do they have to already be named in the 24 man. squad?

Thewlis and Smithies were brought into the squad this week, so if he wanted another centre I'm sure he could have drafted one in as well.

[JM2010]

7 minutes ago, Zilla Budgie said:

Could we not have drafted in another specialist centre at short notice, or do they have to already be named in the 24 man. squad?

Who else do we have?

[Blind side johnny]

Given a nice dry pitch and a bit of sun on their backs Tonga should improve massively. 

Williams will feel that he has a bit to prove so I expect a bit of spark from him together with those wishing to impress and any making their farewells.

England should win it easily, but..........................

[StandOffHalf]

Lewis should be in the 17 after the way he's played.

[bromleybulldog]

Underwhelmed with this squad. Lewis unfortunate, I'd have kept him in- what will it do for his confidence? And Bateman back in the centres? Nooooo, that would be a massive backwards step.

[graveyard johnny]

3 hours ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

After the way he has played I think Mikey Lewis is incredibly unlucky to miss out, but George Williams was always going to be brought back and I think on balance a Williams/Smith combination is better than a Williams/Lewis one.

What Lewis has probably done is put himself in pole position for future squad selection, assuming that he maintains club form, as he has proven he can perform at this level.

this is Shaun Wane all over - even if we had a young Brett Kenny or Peter Sterling to choose from he would still select Williams who has done nothing to warrant this selection - His old pals "love in" approach  would get us thrashed by the kangaroos

[EagleEyePie]

1 hour ago, StandOffHalf said:

Lewis should be in the 17 after the way he's played.

Where would he play though? Williams is the captain, the player the team is essentially built around and one of the best performing players in an England shirt over the last few years (and his performances for Wire have been good - it's the team that isn't) so he was always going to come back into the side. Smith has been the best half of the tournament so far and offers a better balance to the way Williams plays so it was always going to be Smith and Williams in the halves.

Lewis could play off the bench but it doesn't make sense to spell Williams or Smith. I know Lewis has played fullback on a few occasions for Rovers but I'm not sure he's international standard in that role even if Welsby has to move to centre to cover for King's injury.

While it might seem harsh for Lewis to miss out isn't this exactly what we want for the international team? Talented players missing out for other talented players and competition being generated. 

[StandOffHalf]

44 minutes ago, EagleEyePie said:

Where would he play though? Williams is the captain, the player the team is essentially built around and one of the best performing players in an England shirt over the last few years (and his performances for Wire have been good - it's the team that isn't) so he was always going to come back into the side. Smith has been the best half of the tournament so far and offers a better balance to the way Williams plays so it was always going to be Smith and Williams in the halves.

Lewis could play off the bench but it doesn't make sense to spell Williams or Smith. I know Lewis has played fullback on a few occasions for Rovers but I'm not sure he's international standard in that role even if Welsby has to move to centre to cover for King's injury.

While it might seem harsh for Lewis to miss out isn't this exactly what we want for the international team? Talented players missing out for other talented players and competition being generated. 

On the bench. Williams could move to hooker when he came on.

[DavidM]

1 hour ago, graveyard johnny said:

this is Shaun Wane all over - even if we had a young Brett Kenny or Peter Sterling

He won’t pick heritage players 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 hour ago, graveyard johnny said:

this is Shaun Wane all over - even if we had a young Brett Kenny or Peter Sterling to choose from he would still select Williams who has done nothing to warrant this selection - His old pals "love in" approach  would get us thrashed by the kangaroos

Yep.....it was obvs he'd go with Wigan links

[GeordieSaint]

Lewis was great 1st game. Less so in the 2nd despite the kick try setup. I suspect we’ll look better in attack Saturday with Williams back in. 

[DavidM]

England will win by about 12

[usain bolt]

4 hours ago, JM2010 said:

Maybe Thewlis to FB and Welsby to centre?

Surely a specialist centre should have been brought in, but I guess who, shows how light in that department we are. Is Thewlis a recognised 1, can't see welsby being shifted from 1, but probably able to fill the centre as good as anyone. Lewis could maybe have slotted in at 1 also, with welsby centre

[Northern Eel]

13 minutes ago, usain bolt said:

Surely a specialist centre should have been brought in, but I guess who, shows how light in that department we are. Is Thewlis a recognised 1, can't see welsby being shifted from 1, but probably able to fill the centre as good as anyone. Lewis could maybe have slotted in at 1 also, with welsby centre

The problem with Welsby at centre is that it cuts out lots of the opportunities he creates in midfield as a full back or half back.

[JM2010]

14 minutes ago, usain bolt said:

Surely a specialist centre should have been brought in, but I guess who, shows how light in that department we are. Is Thewlis a recognised 1, can't see welsby being shifted from 1, but probably able to fill the centre as good as anyone. Lewis could maybe have slotted in at 1 also, with welsby centre

I think Thewlis has played some FB at Warrington. Another option could be to put Ashton to FB and Thewlis on the wing

[usain bolt]

3 minutes ago, Northern Eel said:

The problem with Welsby at centre is that it cuts out lots of the opportunities he creates in midfield as a full back or half back.

Agree, don't think welsby be moved either 

[Superb Chops]

2 hours ago, graveyard johnny said:

this is Shaun Wane all over - even if we had a young Brett Kenny or Peter Sterling to choose from he would still select Williams who has done nothing to warrant this selection - His old pals "love in" approach  would get us thrashed by the kangaroos

Shaun Wane may surprise you Johnny.

Not the Kangaroos, admittedly, but Wane fared pretty well the last time he coached against Australia’s finest.
https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/wigan-vs-cronulla/45989

Not too shabby playing them either.
https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/world-club-challenge-1987/game-1/wigan-vs-manly.html

And that as a Wane-led team are two-up going into a third and final test match against Tonga, who themselves also have form the last (and only second) time they faced the Kangaroos.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/nov/02/tonga-shock-australia-to-win-rugby-league-international

Everyone else - apologies for bringing facts into the thread.