Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Sun Oct 27, 2019 8:15 pm  

Steph Curry wrote:

Let’s be honest. We were beaten easily by players not good enough for Aus or NZ.

The difference in backs between this team and the English rugby union team is absolutely embarrassing.

I watched the second half of the Eng v NZ game and the players for England make ours look like amateurs

If you believe Taumalolo and Fafita aren’t good enough for NZ/Australia you know less about Rugby League than I originally thought.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Sun Oct 27, 2019 8:17 pm  

HuddsRL5 wrote:

I said he is poor at international level, how have I not have seen any NRL? Ive seen him plenty this year and agree he's good for Raiders, but I stand by the fact that he makes bad decisions at the top level and overplays. In my opinion when we is on we are effectively playing with 4 halves incl Coote, something we don't need, too many chiefs and not enough Indians

When can anyone remember the last time Hodgson played well for England? He has been average/poor every time he plays. Bennett needs to stop looking @ his NRL form as it is not transfering to the international game. He has had plenty of chances and has disappointed on a constant basis.

And Regan Grace should have made the tour.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Sun Oct 27, 2019 9:14 pm  

kobashi wrote:

When can anyone remember the last time Hodgson played well for England? He has been average/poor every time he plays. Bennett needs to stop looking @ his NRL form as it is not transfering to the international game. He has had plenty of chances and has disappointed on a constant basis.

And Regan Grace should have made the tour.

Simple answer is that Hodgson is playing in a gash International team. After Cam Smith, Hodgson is a close second for best hooker in the world club level. consistently performs, and is part of the lynch pin that put Raiders into the GF. He's not superman, it's a team game. Put him in a team full of individuals, which GB/England are, you can't expect miracles.

As for disappointing on a constant basis, our International team has done just that for decades now, so don't really see your point.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Sun Oct 27, 2019 11:40 pm  

Just watched the game on iplayer. Totally outplayed. No creativity. As I have said many times before - a team that has to play Widdop and stand off must be a poor team.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Sun Oct 27, 2019 11:59 pm  

TheButcher wrote:

Simple answer is that Hodgson is playing in a gash International team. After Cam Smith, Hodgson is a close second for best hooker in the world club level. consistently performs, and is part of the lynch pin that put Raiders into the GF. He's not superman, it's a team game. Put him in a team full of individuals, which GB/England are, you can't expect miracles.

As for disappointing on a constant basis, our International team has done just that for decades now, so don't really see your point.

I sort of get what he's saying, we've played well plenty of times but usually balls it up against the Aussies, sometimes NZ. Among all those games where we've won and played well, I can remember the likes of Big Sam, Graham, Makinson, Peacock, McGillvery, Hall, Roby, Bateman etc etc have had proper stand out games for us, numerous times.

Even as a Hodgson fan, who's loved how he's taken to the NRL the past few years & seen how he bosses that Raiders team around the park week in and week out, hardly having a off game. trouble is imo I just don't remember him having those kind of games for GB/England, where you think to yourself, man he killed it out there tonight. I don't know whether it's the different styles of the two teams, or Hodgson tries to take too much on himself for GB, who knows.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Mon Oct 28, 2019 5:30 am  

I cannot understand how so many posters on this thread want to drop Gareth Widdop. He is a top class player, considered as such by every NRL commentator/pundit, and was captain and crucial for St. George-Illawarra before he got injured. He was even close to winning the Dally M medal last year. You just cannot dismiss him. He has to be either full back or five eighth for Great Britain.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Mon Oct 28, 2019 8:48 am  

JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote:

I cannot understand how so many posters on this thread want to drop Gareth Widdop. He is a top class player, considered as such by every NRL commentator/pundit, and was captain and crucial for St. George-Illawarra before he got injured. He was even close to winning the Dally M medal last year. You just cannot dismiss him. He has to be either full back or five eighth for Great Britain.

Really? Early on he had a 3 to 2 overlap on the outside and kicked. Any decent half back would have created a walk in try. Then he gave away the first try.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Mon Oct 28, 2019 7:51 pm  

Widdop is a myth. Either he’s not very good, or he is good but bottles it internationally. Either way, he’s no use.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Mon Oct 28, 2019 8:05 pm  

Widdop's best is behind him. A few seasons ago he was great.

If he was still great, he wouldn't be in SL, he'd be plying his trade in the NRL. Can still be good on his day, but his day has long since passed.

Re: Tonga v Great Britain - Saturday 26th October @ 8am : Wed Oct 30, 2019 1:49 am  

JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote:

I He is a top class player, considered as such by every NRL commentator/pundit,

...yet he plies his trade in SL and not the NRL, so patently he's not as good as you and the NRL press would like to believe.