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

John Drake
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Who will win?  

57 members have voted

  1. 1. Who will win?

    • England by 13 points or more
      18
    • England by 7 to 12 points
      21
    • England by 1 to 6 points
      7
    • Tonga by 1 to 6 points
      5
    • Tonga by 7 to 12 points
      5
    • Tonga by 13 points or more
      1

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  • Poll closed on 04/11/23 at 15:00

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GeordieSaint
GeordieSaint

My daughter’s first game today. Loved it. So pleased the game has another supporter!  I enjoyed the match itself. Thought every England try was really good. But how quality was that kick to Newma

Dunbar
Dunbar

I have been a Rugby League fan for 40 years.  That has never been a problem.

Just Browny
Just Browny

At least they weren't nilled, unlike some international teams we could mention.

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JM2010

JM2010

Posted
Posted
Just now, usain bolt said:

I'd predict welsby stays at 1, and currie or Bateman fill the centre hole. 

I was just going to say the same thing. Obviously Wardle and Farnworth are unavailable. Are Newman, King, Wardle and Farnworth our only centres?

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The Partisan

The Partisan

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Going against the grain here and think Tonga will turn it on and put a stack of points on the poms.  Bit like 2018 v the Kiwis. That game also played in Leeds. 

15+ result. 

(I'm sure I'll hear about it if I'm wrong 😛)

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The Rugby League Fan's Mantra for helping the game grow internationally is ten two-letter words - IF IT IS TO BE, IT IS UP TO ME.

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Dunbar

Dunbar

Posted
Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, The Partisan said:

Going against the grain here and think Tonga will turn it on and put a stack of points on the poms.  Bit like 2018 v the Kiwis. That game also played in Leeds. 

15+ result. 

(I'm sure I'll hear about it if I'm wrong 😛)

I was thinking about that game and wondering if we will see the same kind of turnaround. 

But I don't think so for a few reasons. 

With Williams back and the animosity that Wane has tried to build up, I think England will be motivated to win 3-0.

The Tongan's have lost Fonua-Blake.  Without Taumalolo, he is their talisman this series and the only forward who has caused the English defence trouble restricting yards.  Without him, I think the Tongan's will feel down and less motivated. 

Finally, the Tongan's just aren't good enough to run up a stack of points against a good defence. 

Edited by Dunbar

"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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GeordieSaint

GeordieSaint

Posted
Posted

Really interested to see how the Williams - Smith pairing works. It’s our best halfback pairing IMO. Throw Welsby into the mix as well; quite exciting.

Shame either Radley or Knowles aren’t playing as we could have had a full spine with Clark at hooker (who has been excellent this series). 

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Damien

Damien

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, GeordieSaint said:

Really interested to see how the Williams - Smith pairing works. It’s our best halfback pairing IMO. Throw Welsby into the mix as well; quite exciting.

Shame either Radley or Knowles aren’t playing as we could have had a full spine with Clark at hooker (who has been excellent this series). 

Still wonder what could have been if Wane had picked Clark for the World Cup. Yes his form wasn't the best last season but considering the lack of alternatives it was well worth still going with him.

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RigbyLuger

RigbyLuger

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Posted
44 minutes ago, Damien said:

Still wonder what could have been if Wane had picked Clark for the World Cup. Yes his form wasn't the best last season but considering the lack of alternatives it was well worth still going with him.

Better than MickyMac, but Clark isn't from Wigan.

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DavidM

DavidM

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2 hours ago, Damien said:

Still wonder what could have been if Wane had picked Clark for the World Cup. Yes his form wasn't the best last season but considering the lack of alternatives it was well worth still going with him.

We’d have still been knocked out by Samoa in the semis 

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Dunbar

Dunbar

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49 minutes ago, DavidM said:

We’d have still been knocked out by Samoa in the semis 

It was a one point golden point loss.  That's a result that could have swung the other way without a lot of variables going England's way.

And I think McIllorum at 9 with no specialist hooker on the bench was one of the variables that went against England.

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"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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Exiled Wiganer

Exiled Wiganer

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, DavidM said:

We’d have still been knocked out by Samoa in the semis 

Maybe. On our day, we are a better team than Samoa as Newcastle showed and next year will show us, and, as we are showing, Tonga. What caught us out, in my opinion, was that we had peaked too early, and couldn’t sustain it. Samoa are not as strong, but had a lot of full time players from the Australian competition, which is a good standard. 

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phiggins

phiggins

Posted
Posted
30 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

It was a one point golden point loss.  That's a result that could have swung the other way without a lot of variables going England's way.

And I think McIllorum at 9 with no specialist hooker on the bench was one of the variables that went against England.

Yet oddly, we played better when Radley moved to 9, then it all went to pot again when McIllorum was sent back on

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DavidM

DavidM

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 minutes ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

Maybe. On our day, we are a better team than Samoa as Newcastle showed and next year will show us, and, as we are showing, Tonga. What caught us out, in my opinion, was that we had peaked too early, and couldn’t sustain it. Samoa are not as strong, but had a lot of full time players from the Australian competition, which is a good standard. 

What  caught us out was choking in a semi final , you could see it from very early on .  I can’t see one player changing that . We had a team out there who smashed Samoa . But a player who isn’t playing in a team is always the one who would have made a difference 

Edited by DavidM
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Dunbar

Dunbar

Posted
Posted (edited)
5 minutes ago, phiggins said:

Yet oddly, we played better when Radley moved to 9, then it all went to pot again when McIllorum was sent back on

Which probably backs up the argument that Clark would have been a better pick for England in the WC than McIllorum. 

Personally, I am a huge fan of Clark and I think he has been comfortably the best 9 in England after Roby for a long time.  He definitely should have been in the WC team but that is water near a bridge now (as Kramer would say).

Edited by Dunbar
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"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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JMB

JMB

Posted
Posted
On 01/11/2023 at 18:54, bobbruce said:

I expect a bit of niggle in this game and Tongas discipline to go. With that I think England could run away with it.  

Think Wayne will have the team well wound up again to make it a clean sweep over Tonga, never seen him so wound up after last week's game, love the passion.  

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Dunbar

Dunbar

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Posted
2 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

Ben Currie at centre Mulhern at loose.

Based on what he has available, that seems fair.

Currie has good size and mobility so useful to counter the big Tongan edge forwards and centres.

And I am glad Mulhern has got a start rather than Smithies coming in and getting the 13 jersey.

  • Like 1

"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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