Sat 25th Oct: The Ashes (Game 1): England v Australia KO 2:30pm (BBC)

[hunsletgreenandgold]

I got impatient (sorry @John Drake )

Discuss match predictions and the match itself.....and all the rest of what comes with the biggest game in over 22 years! 

 

[Just Browny]

We're gonna get d***ed.

[GeordieSaint]

England by 7. 

[hunsletgreenandgold]

Just now, Just Browny said:

We're gonna get d***ed.

Do you actually think that? If so, why? 

I get it's Australia and history isn't on our side but forget that for a moment - player for player I agree we could well lose, but get hammered/d**ked/battered etc just really doesn't feel like a probable outcome to me. 

[Click]

2 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Do you actually think that? If so, why? 

I get it's Australia and history isn't on our side but forget that for a moment - player for player I agree we could well lose, but get hammered/d**ked/battered etc just really doesn't feel like a probable outcome to me. 

Wish I could forget that history 

Edited October 23 by Click

[hunsletgreenandgold]

8 minutes ago, Click said:

Wish I could forget that history 

Same - but it is just that. Too many times in sport we let that play with our emotions and perceptions. 

I've been cautious in a few threads where I think people are slightly writing this Aus squad off, because history tells me otherwise - but I absolutely do think this is the best chance we've had since the 90s. Granted the Ashes itself hasn't been played much since then, but you get my more general point about playing Aus as a whole. I don't think the score line will be more than 10 either way in the first 2 games. What game 3 looks like all depends on the first 2. 

[Bongo1]

I'm absolutely buzzing for this 

[sam4731]

I long to hold a huge middle finger up to everyone that has been pessimistic to the nth degree after we triumphantly cruise our way to a comfortable victory

[Dunbar]

There was a time when Australia were bigger, stronger, faster and fitter than us and so however talented our players were, you knew that eventually the Kangaroos would come out on top.

Those days are gone, the English side is bigger than the Kangaroos and fully professional. 

They have good players and so do we.

But Rugby League is an unforgiving game, now more than ever, and points can pile up, so even a competitive game can end up with a 20+ difference in the scores.

I am not making a prediction of the result but I think it will be a tight physical game with England competitive from the first minute to the last.

But overall, after 22 years, it is just great to have the best game of Rugby League on the planet back.

I hope everyone enjoys it.

Edited October 23 by Dunbar

[Maximus Decimus]

My head says something like 28-14 to Aus, with a competitive first half but then pretty much over by about 60 minutes.

My gut is saying we could see something special, like a 1990, 1994 or 2001 where we shock them. It's been too long between drinks and we're way overdue one. Going away to the UK can be tricky for Australia in the same way that places like Fev or Hull KR has always been a tricky away day regardless of how well they've been doing. 

I'll be really disappointed if we don't get anything to shout about, and it's game over by half-time. The reality is that we can never discount this proposition, and I think it is reasonably likely in at least one of the games.

One thing I've never had the pleasure to witness is a relatively comfortable GB/England win and I'm not sure that's possible. The closest I ever saw was when we were 20-8 up in 2003 and it looked like we were well on our way, and we still lost that one!

[Maximus Decimus]

I'm pleased that Mikey Lewis is in the team. As much as we have tightened things up over the years, I don't think we can grind out a win over them.

We need a bit of a spark, somebody with passion who might create something out of nothing but might totally lose his head. He reminds me a bit of a Bobbie Goulding type figure, and I don't think that's a bad thing.

[Big Picture]

I'll predict England will win narrowly but not sure about the margin. That's based mainly on what's happened in past series where the Kangaroos were a bit rusty in the first match and went down to defeat.

[WN83]

Get that pack of ours fired up and get stuck in to them and if they can give us an even share in that area, I think we've a backline talented enough to cause them plenty of problems. 

England by 6

 

[Hopie]

Been to far too many England v Australia games over the years to logically expect anything but defeat, but it is the hope that kills you.

I don't watch the NRL, doesn't interest me, so I have no idea if the Aussie squad is as good or bad as some would say but I suspect they are good enough to mean we will have to be at our best. I can only comment on our team with any confidence, not sure we have our best players in the squad and there are certain downgrades in several positions since we last played them, so I have had more hope on previous occasions. 

I hope we put in our best performance, but I've yet to see England find an 80 minute performance under Wane, and given his lack of adaptability I would expect our best chance to be this week, as if they work us out, we aren't going to change our structure without injuries. Hearing players say its the best camp they've ever had is worrying me, because that is what they said in 2022 and we all know how poorly they performed under pressure that year. 

I don't think you can predict a scoreline, I suspect that Australia will score one of those tries where they pass the ball the opposite way to what our team expects and the crowd claps like its not happened so many times before, and to continue 117 years of doing so, the Aussies will complain about the ref so hopefully the refs are brave enough to ignore it. Glad we have an Ashes series, hoping we get another one in 3 years time and I'd hope if we put on a good show then it would be in England again. 

[tiffers]

Heart says England by a score.

Head says them by a score or two. 

[Northern Eel]

I can't see anything other than a comfortable Australian victory, but we can always hope...

[Leyther_Matt]

Really excited, now. Got a couple of quid on England at 4/1, but that’s very much heart over head.

On a related note, anybody else manage to get on Paddy Power & SkyBet offering 90/1 and 100/1 respectively on Mikey Lewis first tryscorer?! 

[StandOffHalf]

32-10 Australia.

Mark Nawaqanitawase hat-trick

Edited October 23 by StandOffHalf

[hunsletgreenandgold]

20 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

32-10 Australia.

Mark Nawaqanitawase hat-trick

Odds for that are quite appealing. Not that I endorse gambling and certainly not betting against England of course 

[rleaguer]

I am not as bullish about England as some others, mainly because I think we lack real quality over years gone by. Levelling factors could be the weather, jet lag and in our own back yard, but for me it's a big gap in quality.

[Anita Bath]

5 saints players in game day squad…..kangaroos win.

[Mark S]

England need to set the tone in the first tackle and smash whoever returns the kick-off, assuming England kick off. A bit of a dust up in the first few minutes wouldn’t do any harm!

[Worzel]

6 hours ago, Just Browny said:

We're gonna get d***ed.

Yeah, but how about the rugby match? 

[Hopie]

10 minutes ago, Mark S said:

England need to set the tone in the first tackle and smash whoever returns the kick-off, assuming England kick off. A bit of a dust up in the first few minutes wouldn’t do any harm!

Thankyou Adrian Morley.

[Londonbornirishbred]

Just now, Hopie said:

Thankyou Adrian Morley.

That was a cracking game.......for about 10 seconds!