Sat 2nd Nov: Men's International: England v Samoa KO 2.30pm (BBC One)

[Hopie]

19 man squad, no Burgess or Young

[Dunbar]

So Marshall for Young is an easy swap and then Thompson for Burgess... although I expect Thompson to start and probably Lees to the bench.

Other than that, will Nsemba and Currie get game time - I think Wane suggested yes.

[Damien]

Unless Young is injured I wouldn't have swapped him for Marshall. Thompson coming in is a no brainer.

[Hopie]

Just read Young is injured, but no word on Burgess who looked great coming on in the last game. 

[Odsal Outlaw]

If Young is injury induced then fair enough and agree Thompson should come in. But as stated elsewhere this shouldn’t be about giving game time to squad members.

[Dunbar]

5 minutes ago, Hopie said:

Just read Young is injured, but no word on Burgess who looked great coming on in the last game. 

There was some criticism when the squad was announced for the series about the age of some of the players.

With no Hill and now Burgess, the average age of the middle fowards in the 19 (Havard, Lees, Thompson, McMeeken, Radley and Knowles) is 27 with only McMeeken turning 30 this year.

I guess that means this group will be around for a couple of years - challenged by others no doubt.

Although, if Burgess has a good year in SL next year, I wouldn't rule him out for the Kangaroo series.

[sweaty craiq]

We need some of the larger, younger props having a BIG season as I feel we are light in that area against the Aussie/NZ

[John Drake]

Please stick to discussing the match and do not accuse match officials of being biased or corrupt or you run the risk of being immediately banned from the forum.

Sat 2nd Nov: Men's International: England v Samoa KO 2.30pm (BBC One)

[unapologetic pedant]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

Please stick to discussing the match and do not accuse match officials of being biased or corrupt or you run the risk of being immediately banned from the forum.

Would this fit on a T-Shirt?

[WN83]

Thompson for Burgess seems a decent enough call. We know what Burgess can do, Thompson deserves a crack after a good season and guys like Lees and Havard need more international exposure. I'd look to give Nsemba ago from the bench as well. 

Fingers crossed for another good England performance, in front of a good crowd. 

England by 14

 

[Northern Eel]

600 tickets left available (or at least on sale), so it is looking very healthy. Decent squad and plenty of hype into the 2nd game. This should be a great day for International Rugby League.

[RayCee]

I think England will have to lift their game because Samoa will.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

2 hours ago, Northern Eel said:

600 tickets left available (or at least on sale), so it is looking very healthy. Decent squad and plenty of hype into the 2nd game. This should be a great day for International Rugby League.

Yep I'm looking forward to being there ....at least for the match anyway as I am sure there will be **** all else going on just like the Tonga series 

I'm past any desire for a competitive game.....just want is to send a message to the NRL overlords by smashing them up

[Hopie]

5 hours ago, Dunbar said:

There was some criticism when the squad was announced for the series about the age of some of the players.

With no Hill and now Burgess, the average age of the middle fowards in the 19 (Havard, Lees, Thompson, McMeeken, Radley and Knowles) is 27 with only McMeeken turning 30 this year.

I guess that means this group will be around for a couple of years - challenged by others no doubt.

Although, if Burgess has a good year in SL next year, I wouldn't rule him out for the Kangaroo series.

I hope Burgess keeps his level up as he would be nailed on to pay against the Aussies based on recent England performances, I have no idea why Hill is in the squad. The big games are one and two years away, so if they are fit enough and good enough any age is fine by me.

 

2 hours ago, RayCee said:

I think England will have to lift their game because Samoa will.

I really hope Samoa do play well, as England need expereience of being tested and then reacting well to that test, because that hasn't happened since 2018(?)

[MrIzzard]

6 hours ago, John Drake said:

Please stick to discussing the match and do not accuse match officials of being biased or corrupt or you run the risk of being immediately banned from the forum.

Sat 2nd Nov: Men's International: England v Samoa KO 2.30pm (BBC One)

Turn your frown upside down and celebrate the new dawn of international RL the people who support the game should be unified!

 

[Just Browny]

Clark went pretty well last week but I think Walker has had the better season. Disappointed that Danny won't get game time.

[Eddie]

13 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Yep I'm looking forward to being there ....at least for the match anyway as I am sure there will be **** all else going on just like the Tonga series 

I'm past any desire for a competitive game.....just want is to send a message to the NRL overlords by smashing them up

Won’t Alex Simmonds be DJ’ing? 

[Barley Mow]

740 tickets currently on general sale, after another 250 were released for the East Stand terrace this morning.

With them drip feeding tickets on all three terraces whenever numbers get low, it's difficult to predict the actual crowd. Hospitality places still for sale as well, who knows how full the middle blocks of the North Stand will be.

Edited November 1 by Barley Mow

[THE RED ROOSTER]

As long as England maintain their discipline no reason why they should not repeat their performance from Wigan. Samoa are at their best when playing unstructured off the cuff rugby and taking advantage of indiscipline. England were impressive last sunday watching Jarome Luai skipping across the front of the England line but no England player being drawn out of it.

Looking forward to another quality RL international.

[Dunbar]

As regulars will probably know, I am a fan of Tom Burgess.

But I think that England's game plan suits Thompson in the team over Burgess.

England's defensive energy was excellent last week and in Lees and Havard they have two props who have very good engines and are good athletes - the energy to get bodies into tackles and manage the ruck.  That energy fell away a bit last week when the two starting front rowers were replaced and Samoa started to make more metres with their sets and win more rucks - making them an attacking threat.

The Grand Final shows just how good Thompson and Havard are - playing through the whole first half.  I expect Thompson to start and so one of Lees or Havard to the bench (I would go Lees) and that will allow us to keep up the intensity in defence.  Looking for an 80 minute performance from England this week, as I am sure Wane is.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

4 hours ago, Barley Mow said:

Hospitality places still for sale as well, who knows how full the middle blocks of the North Stand will be.

What a surprise...

We all know exactly how Headingly will look on telly ....the seats on the half way line will be half empty as they always are and always will be 

Remember it is very important for Headingly to always have the ability to sell those central corporate tickets.....even if they don't seem to sell anywhere near all the seats that are available no matter what the game is .....and I don't whether it is the angle or colour of the seats but having those central blocks half empty as usual looks particularly bad in the north stand at Headingly 

I know it looks dreadful for one of our very rare national tv appearances but it is much more important for those corporate seats remain empty in case one day they may all miraculously sell.....

Edited November 1 by Bedfordshire Bronco

[M j M]

12 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

What a surprise...

We all know exactly how Headingly will look on telly ....the seats on the half way line will be half empty as they always are and always will be 

Remember it is very important for Headingly to always have the ability to sell those central corporate tickets.....even if they don't seem to sell anywhere near all the seats that are available no matter what the game is .....and I don't whether it is the angle or colour of the seats but having those central blocks half empty as usual looks particularly bad in the north stand at Headingly 

I know it looks dreadful for one of our very rare national tv appearances but it is much more important for those corporate seats remain empty in case one day they may all miraculously sell.....

I really am starting to think you are on a wind up or don't know what you're talking about when it comes to Headingley.

Your usual complaint is about Blocks A and H, at either end of the North Stand. But all those tickets are sold for this game. 

The centre section seats are sold out for almost all Leeds games. The only reason they are empty is when people stick in the Howard Suite and watch the game from there rather than sit down.

What they will be like this weekend who knows but one good reason the RFL have taken this game here is to try and tap in at least a bit into Leeds' corporate market.

[graveyard johnny]

routine win for Eng - by 20 plus points this week - all very predictable- hope I am wrong and it actually is a tight proper test match -cant see it though

[17 stone giant]

England to win by 1 or more points.

[Damien]

Just now, 17 stone giant said:

England to win by 1 or more points.

Well generally that's the way when someone wins