Re: GB SQUAD : Mon Oct 14, 2019 8:23 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

Agree with all of that.

As far as wingers are concerned, I'd have been tempted to name Grace once Knowles withdrew given it's a Lions squad. Even ignoring the Welsh aspect, I find it hard to make a case on this season's form for JMG or RH ahead of him, but happy to admit they have pedigree on this stage and defensively Grace would represent a risk.

I’m not a Grace fan tbh and thats not because he’s a Saints player. He’s limited for me in regards his all round game and scoring some nice try’s using his searing pace, in a fantastic Saints side is a different ball game to coming up against the bruisers Tonga and NZ will have on their wings.

I’m a huge fan of McGillvary and Hall tbh. I’ve never bought in to international selections being done purely on form, they’ve also got to be done on suitability to the nature of internationals and you need the right characters. Those two have been brilliant for England over a long period and they’re safe as houses and will get us off our line even on a bad day. If we said let’s pick superleagues two available form wingers of the season for GB then you’d probably be looking at Handley, Grace, Marshall etc. All three would get butchered at that level IMO.

Re: GB SQUAD : Mon Oct 14, 2019 8:46 pm  

As an aside, no-one from Leeds, must be a while since that happened.

Re: GB SQUAD : Mon Oct 14, 2019 9:14 pm  

apollosghost wrote:

As an aside, no-one from Leeds, must be a while since that happened.

Just shows how the mighty can fall.

Re: GB SQUAD : Mon Oct 14, 2019 9:49 pm  

How’s Ryan Hall got in when he’s hardly played for Sydney Roosters?

Chris Hill hasn’t been god enough all year, what about Liam Watts?

Is this last years squad and they’ve just checked for injuries?

Coote, Austin and Hastings are Australian.

1 - Hardaker
2 - Handley
3 - Connor
4 - Gildart
5 - Charnley
6 - Lomax
7 - Widdop
8 - Watts
9 - Clarke
10 - Graham
11 - Whitehead
12 - Bateman
13 - Thompson

14 - Walmesley
15 - Burgess
16 - Hughes
17 - Williams (9 or 6)

Re: GB SQUAD : Mon Oct 14, 2019 10:00 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

I’m not a Grace fan tbh and thats not because he’s a Saints player. He’s limited for me in regards his all round game and scoring some nice try’s using his searing pace, in a fantastic Saints side is a different ball game to coming up against the bruisers Tonga and NZ will have on their wings.

I’m a huge fan of McGillvary and Hall tbh. I’ve never bought in to international selections being done purely on form, they’ve also got to be done on suitability to the nature of internationals and you need the right characters. Those two have been brilliant for England over a long period and they’re safe as houses and will get us off our line even on a bad day. If we said let’s pick superleagues two available form wingers of the season for GB then you’d probably be looking at Handley, Grace, Marshall etc. All three would get butchered at that level IMO.

Agree entirely.

Unfortunately the best 3 British wingers at present are all injured. Makinson, Manfredi and Johnstone.

Watts should be in that squad.

From the squad I’d go ...

Lomax
Hall
Gildart
Connor
McGilvary
Widdop
Hastings
Walmsley
Hodgson
Graham
Whitehead
Bateman
Thompson

Clarke
Burgess
Hill
Jones

Re: GB SQUAD : Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:02 am  

I wouldn't argue with that at all, but I expect he's more likely to swap Lomax and Widdop.

Re: GB SQUAD : Tue Oct 15, 2019 1:57 am  

Will be interesting to see Walmesley up against some equally large guys. I get the impression he has a soft interior behind that big aggressive appearance. A hard tackle and he will look a shadow of the big metre gainer he is against sub standard SL players mark my words.

Why the hell is Coote, Austin and Hastings in there? Its becoming a farce and any victory would look hollow. These guys are all Australian. Its got to the point that virtually anybody can play for anybody. Having an Aussie coach on top just makes it even more laughable.

Re: GB SQUAD : Tue Oct 15, 2019 5:33 pm  

The_Enforcer wrote:

Will be interesting to see Walmesley up against some equally large guys. I get the impression he has a soft interior behind that big aggressive appearance. A hard tackle and he will look a shadow of the big metre gainer he is against sub standard SL players mark my words.

Why the hell is Coote, Austin and Hastings in there? Its becoming a farce and any victory would look hollow. These guys are all Australian. Its got to the point that virtually anybody can play for anybody. Having an Aussie coach on top just makes it even more laughable.

Coote had previously declared for Scotland and played for them whilst in the NRL. Why is his inclusion such a travesty?

Hastings and Austin are different. Before they came here they’d have had no intentions of playing for England or GB but they qualify and it would be ludicrous not to consider them.

Australia do it, New Zealand too, Tonga have just started, England cricket, England RU, Wales RU, Scottish RU and Ireland RU do it amongst many, many others. Why are British RL fans the only ones who get up in arms about it?

Re: GB SQUAD : Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:21 pm  

The_Enforcer wrote:

Will be interesting to see Walmesley up against some equally large guys. I get the impression he has a soft interior behind that big aggressive appearance. A hard tackle and he will look a shadow of the big metre gainer he is against sub standard SL players mark my words.

Why the hell is Coote, Austin and Hastings in there? Its becoming a farce and any victory would look hollow. These guys are all Australian. Its got to the point that virtually anybody can play for anybody. Having an Aussie coach on top just makes it even more laughable.

About as farcical as wanting your team to lose to Salford so they didn't have to play Saints in the GF oops

Re: GB SQUAD : Wed Oct 16, 2019 3:58 am  

If we can pick the Aussies, we might as well. Although I'm strongly against it.

I don't see why we can't make a blanket rule.


To qualify you either have to:

Have been born there

or

Lived there for 10 years consecutively



Surely this rule makes clear sense and can't upset many?