Where are all these players? I don’t see any in SL who would make a great difference. The game down under is light years ahead.

I fully agree with that. Our best players need to play against better players in the best competition to if they are to improve and challenge the Aussies.

An absolute shambles, overlooked by a woeful coach sat up in the stand ranting and raving. The selection of Micky Mac was a predictable disaster his distribution from the PTB was slow he hasn’t the speed to scoot out similar to Roby. As a result of this the forward drives were predictable and slow. Hill and Cooper are too old for high octane test match rugby. Watkins mentally slow and physically slow, Bateman has had a poor season at Wigan. No certain why Wane thought he would improve in test match rugby. Compare the passing and movement between yesterday’s game and Friday nights game. Obviously a startling difference. Sadly if we had have met Australia in the final, potentially could have been a 50/60 point demolition.

Wane going on about composure in the post match press conference whilst looking anything but composed as he burst a blood vessel in the stands during the game.

a one dimensional coach with very little tactical nous picks players who arent good enough.
only one thing was going to happen once they met a decent team

To be fair Wane's also stuck with the perennial problem of not enough class players. While some of those mentioned didn't play well, there aren't exactly a horde of obviously better players not getting a game. On the plus side Welsby, Farnworth and Young look good and are young enough to be around for years. We desperately need a halfback who can kick, and our hooker needs to be better.

We had no decent kicking game, and as ever we seem to be incapable of playing without a ridiculous number of dumb mistakes. Not to mention our defence wasn't great. We would probably have been really exposed by Aus in the final, as I expect Samoa will be.

Speaks volumes that Newman if he was fit would be the only Leeds player seriously in the running for a spot in the England starting side. Oledzki might have done marginally better than some of the forwards Wane picked, but maybe not, and he certainly wouldn't be an automatic pick.

we had a halfback with an excellent kicking game in the squad.
he wasnt picked

He's also not a very good halfback.

I would imagine the reason he wasn't picked is that his defence and running game are not up to it at international level. Lomax would have made a difference, but he was sat at home resting his bicep when he should have been doing that months ago. When I looked at the squad and likely team some of the names raised my eyebrows: Tomkins, Mcllorum, Watkins, Hill and Hall should all be yesterdays men, but then you ask yourself "who else"? The list of candidates is thin to non existent. The England/GB coach always gets it in the neck from fans but generally the man at the top is well qualified. Wane, Bennett, Smith, Noble and Waite all had an established pedigree of success at club level or beyond. Fans (like me) who don't watch every game every week, don't understand the finer technicalities of the game, and don't see the players performing side by side in training, then howl about selection. Mal Reilly was the last national coach who was popular. He had the likes of Hanley, Schofield, Edwards, Gregory, Edwards, Newlove, Connolly, Offiah, Robinson, Davies, Betts and Clarke at his disposal. Until we start producing truly jnternational class players again we'll continue to be also rans.

Welsby may be good but did not look good yesterday and i do not think he is a stand off either

Welsby was terrible. Jackson Hastings wanted to play for England, the fact Wane refused to pick him and went with Welsby at stand off should cost Wane the England job. If you play Hastings in place of Welsby England would be in the World Cup Final.

I think the criticism of Welsby is abit harsh.
Out of position and first international game against opposition that didn't just self Implode.

Wane made some bad calls on the teams and "tactics" for sure but the bat plays in golden point were pure panic from those players.
The one from Whitehead,given his experience was horrible.

We need more international games against teams like Aus,NZ,Samoa. We need higher intensity games in SL either via less teams and better cap system or some other medium.
We also need the RFL to get games reffed like internationals and not a replay of the poor bans this year.

We have some great young players,we need to start building around them,not using players who are too old.

Samoa did fantastic though. Yellow card and lost two to HIA. Worked hard for each other and targeted our players weaknesses