Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:50 am  

Teams have been announced - not really happy with the GB line-up but nothing we can do about it now!

Will Hopoate v Lachlan Coote
David Fusitu'a v Jermaine McGillvary
Michael Jennings v Zak Hardaker
Kotoni Staggs v Oliver Gildart
Daniel Tupou v Ryan Hall
Tuimoala Lolohea v Gareth Widdop
Ata Hingano v Jackson Hastings
Andrew Fifita v Christopher Hill
Siliva Havili v Josh Hodgson
Siosiua Taukeiaho v Luke Thompson
Ben Murdoch-Masila v John Bateman
Manu Ma'u v Elliott Whitehead
Jason Taumalolo v James Graham

INTERCHANGE

Sione Katoa v Josh Jones
Addin Fonua-Blake v Thomas Burgess
John Asiata v Jonathon Lomax
Sitili Tupouniua v Alexander Walmsley

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Tue Oct 22, 2019 10:34 am  

Wilde 3 wrote:

Teams have been announced - not really happy with the GB line-up but nothing we can do about it now!

Will Hopoate v Lachlan Coote
David Fusitu'a v Jermaine McGillvary
Michael Jennings v Zak Hardaker
Kotoni Staggs v Oliver Gildart
Daniel Tupou v Ryan Hall
Tuimoala Lolohea v Gareth Widdop
Ata Hingano v Jackson Hastings
Andrew Fifita v Christopher Hill
Siliva Havili v Josh Hodgson
Siosiua Taukeiaho v Luke Thompson
Ben Murdoch-Masila v John Bateman
Manu Ma'u v Elliott Whitehead
Jason Taumalolo v James Graham

INTERCHANGE

Sione Katoa v Josh Jones
Addin Fonua-Blake v Thomas Burgess
John Asiata v Jonathon Lomax
Sitili Tupouniua v Alexander Walmsley

Probably as good a team as we could have picked from the squad. Pretty uninspiring stuff other than up front where we look strong.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Tue Oct 22, 2019 10:57 am  

I would have had Lomax at 6, Widdop at 1 and Connor at 3

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:00 am  

I appreciate that Makinson had to withdraw due to injury, but how on earth are we going into these test matches with those two wingers? Neither of them deserve to be there.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:09 am  

Nothus wrote:

I appreciate that Makinson had to withdraw due to injury, but how on earth are we going into these test matches with those two wingers? Neither of them deserve to be there.

Who would you have picked, with Makinson, Manfredi and Johnstone all injured. The fact you can call on 2 trusted, experienced wingers with good try scoring records for England as 4th and 5th choices isn't too bad.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:24 am  

Wilde 3 wrote:

Who would you have picked, with Makinson, Manfredi and Johnstone all injured. The fact you can call on 2 trusted, experienced wingers with good try scoring records for England as 4th and 5th choices isn't too bad.

Marshall, Burgess, Grace. I'd also have looked into Naulago's heritage to see if he qualified. All wingers performing at the top of SL and all pose an attacking threat with pace. Hall looks like he should be in the 2nd row and JM demonstrated his complete lack of pace last weekend in the nines.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:27 am  

Nothus wrote:

Marshall, Burgess, Grace. I'd also have looked into Naulago's heritage to see if he qualified. All wingers performing at the top of SL and all pose an attacking threat with pace. Hall looks like he should be in the 2nd row and JM demonstrated his complete lack of pace last weekend in the nines.

Pace is 'less' of an issue at Test Level. They will both provide far more go forward out of back field than Marshall and Burgess which is more important at this level and the way we currently pay under Bennett. I'll give you Grace though, very unlucky not to be included. Naulago, although he would qualify, would probably result in more arguing about non British players being picked

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:52 am  

Hall is just a mess and an embarrassment. He's about two stone overweight and clearly isn't working hard enough to get fit. He's finished and shouldn't even be in the squad. The Roosters will play him in the WCC no doubt, but then release him mid way through the season.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Tue Oct 22, 2019 2:56 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Hall is just a mess and an embarrassment. He's about two stone overweight and clearly isn't working hard enough to get fit. He's finished and shouldn't even be in the squad. The Roosters will play him in the WCC no doubt, but then release him mid way through the season.

He has never let England down and usually one of the top performers. You may well be right but lets see.

Bigger worry for me is still at centre. If only we could produce a few that could step up at this level instead we have to move a full back who is still not at his best in that particular role as a make shift.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Tue Oct 22, 2019 3:27 pm  

Wilde 3 wrote:

Who would you have picked, with Makinson, Manfredi and Johnstone all injured. The fact you can call on 2 trusted, experienced wingers with good try scoring records for England as 4th and 5th choices isn't too bad.

Charnley, Grace, Davis, Marshall, Burgess all far more deserving.