Re: Best England team for Four Nations : Mon Aug 22, 2016 10:22 pm  

The Ghost of '99 wrote:

He's going nowhere.

And whilst there aren't many Leeds players who merit being in the England team (Watkins seems to be in by default) Ryan Hall is probably one - he has been a proven England player over many years and I think you can make an argument that he is actually better this season (since returning from injury) than he was last year. He'll never be a big try scorer for Leeds as long as he plays outside Joel Moon but he's doing a good, solid job.

Spot on. I think you could make an argument for both Leeds wingers given both their finishing and their excellent work rate bringing the ball back.
Whilst Segeyaro has obviously had a big impact on Leeds, getting both Hall and Briscoe back fit has been a big boost for Leeds too.

Re: Best England team for Four Nations : Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:49 pm  

Cooper has been as solid as ever this year. He's almost the last player you can blame for the Dragons being awful. Sadly Widdopp is one of the main reasons they can't score.

Re: Best England team for Four Nations : Tue Aug 23, 2016 2:42 am  

meast wrote:

Basically it's a case of who has scored the most tries recently or had a few good games this season or who is flavour of the month,rather than the best players, you could do one of these every month and half the people will have forgotten who they picked a month ago.
It was only a couple of months back that half the team would have been Wakefield and Widnes players, led by Brown and Mellor for instance, yet none of these are "good enough" anymore

I bet they wouldn't.

Re: Best England team for Four Nations : Tue Aug 23, 2016 5:02 am  

Joel Moon could play for England on residency. Could be a good option at centre, a position where we are weak.

Re: Best England team for Four Nations : Tue Aug 23, 2016 6:28 am  

Tomkins
McGilvary
Cudjoe
Watkins
Widdop
Sneyd
Graham
Hodgson
Hill
Whitehead
S Burgess
O'Loughlin

Clark
G Burgess / Taylor
Walmsley
Currie

I wouldn't mind giving Denney Solomona a game if he was available.

Re: Best England team for Four Nations : Tue Aug 23, 2016 6:31 am  

Widdop at full-back is not a bad shout; I wouldn't want him in the halves.

Can't believe the claims for Hodkinson. Quite apart from the fact that he an Aussie, , he is bang average anyway.

Re: Best England team for Four Nations : Tue Aug 23, 2016 8:23 am  

Agree, Hodkinson/Widdop would quite literally be my worst nightmare. Our only hope then would be to bore the Aussies into submission.

We'd probably convert all our goals between them, just not sure we'd score many tries for that opportunity.

Re: Best England team for Four Nations : Tue Aug 23, 2016 9:15 am  

Fullback:
Tomkins over Shaul (even though I'm a Hull fan), due to his ability ball in hand. I'd probably have Ratchford in the squad too.

Wings:
Gutted for Manfredi, he'd have been my first pick. Hall & McGilvray probably. Johnstone or Briscoe in the squad.

Centres:
Watkins is pretty much a certainty. The second spot it anyone's guess. Maybe Percival or Atkins.

Halfs:
Sneyd and Gale (Williams in the squad)
Who else is there? Matty Smith doesn't bring anything extra that these guys don't. Widdop - really not impressed with him.

Props:
Hill and Graham are dead certs.
Probably need 5 or 6 in the squad, so the rest to come from; Taylor, George Burgess, Cooper, Walmsley, Watts, (Tom Burgess?).

Hooker:
Some serious talent in this position. Hodgson and Roby will be in there.
A spot in the squad for either Houghton or Clark.

Second Row:
All in the squad: Currie, Bateman, Whitehead, Sam Burgess

Loose:
O'Loughlin, Westerman in the squad? May be tempted to throw in JJB purely for sheer work rate down the middle to spell the other guys.

Re: Best England team for Four Nations : Tue Aug 23, 2016 9:23 am  

Tomkins
McGilvary
Watkins
Percival
Hall

Widdop
Gale

Graham
Hodgson
Hill
Whitehead
S Burgess
SOL

Westwood
Walmsley
G Burgess
T Burgess

In squad - Bateman, Currie, Waterman, Cooper, Roby, Shaul, Clark, Smith, Hardaker (cover all back line).

Re: Best England team for Four Nations : Tue Aug 23, 2016 9:33 am  

Biff Tannen wrote:

Tomkins
McGilvary
Watkins
Percival
Hall

Widdop
Gale

Graham
Hodgson
Hill
Whitehead
S Burgess
SOL

Westwood
Walmsley
G Burgess
T Burgess

In squad - Bateman, Currie, Waterman, Cooper, Roby, Shaul, Clark, Smith, Hardaker (cover all back line).

Westwood??