Re: Future England Internationals : Tue Nov 19, 2013 12:51 pm  

SFW wrote:

We have some very exciting young talents but I think most of them are a couple of years away from international recognition. Been a tough year for our younger players with a lot of injuries to senior players and no halfbacks to speak of and I think they did superbly considering, but IMO there's a very strong England squad already in place (halfbacks excepted) and that's without the likes of Ratchford and Crabtree who somehow missed out this time.

I'd expect Lomax and Walmsley to be in the ETS next year, maybe Turner if he can keep up last years form. Mind you if Ben Cockayne can get into the ETS I'd have no problem making a strong case for all of our younger players.

England are not weak in the halves. It's the coaching that is completely lacking. We've got a blundering idiot in charge who insists on picking Sinfield. Gareth Widdop is one of the best 6's in the world, he has played 6 for the best side in the NRL for years. It's a joke that he's not playing there for England. Were it not for that fool McNamara England's halves would be Widdop and Brough. The likes of Chase, Myler and Ratchford would be in or around the squad as well. The future is actually looking okay for England, the more players in the NRL the better as far as the national team is concerned. We just need to focus on getting an appropriate coach.

Re: Future England Internationals : Tue Nov 19, 2013 1:45 pm  

Sinfield's had a pretty good World Cup IMO, he is the leader and organiser of the team and has done well in his role. The issues we have had with the ball stem from the players outside of him, Chase in particular has had all the time he should need to make the right play but has taken the wrong option far too often, against defences we should be doing much better against.

I'd have picked Brough over Chase but I barely rate either at this level, Brough's attitude has been shocking however and he ruled himself out so more fool him I say. Haven't seen too much of Widdop but he is hardly the main man in that Melbourne team and I think we would need someone more enigmatic at 6 with Sinfield at 7. Pity is we just don't have anyone with the skill set so I can see why he has stuck with Roger.

Re: Future England Internationals : Tue Nov 19, 2013 2:34 pm  

McNamara is the problem, as has been said with an International coach Widdop and Brough would be England's halves, Sinfield and Chase would be nowhere near.

As for your future Intls. Re Lomax, his Intl future may depend on what happens to Hardaker. If he's out for good than Lomax comes straight in. If ZH is considered again then Lomax might have to fight for the 2nd behind Tomkins. Either way Lomax will be in, just a matter of when.
Makinson was in the England Knights team that played Samoa, I'd expect him to stay in the squad. Purtell fielded a massive Knights squad so he may look to Walmsley pretty soon. England are well off for props and Crabtree could be selected next time pushing younger props back in the queue.
Centre is a problem for England but I don't see Turner as the answer. Atkins will be in front of him and Goulding can't be too far away.
There should be plenty spots available when the next England coach takes over. Let's not forget, McNamara managed to lose three players from his squad, Brough, Hock and Hardaker. It really does take some level of incompetence to do that. Then he told the media Hardaker was ill and subsequently Leeds fined him for indiscipline.
McNamara and shambles do fit very easily together into the same sentence.

Re: Future England Internationals : Tue Nov 19, 2013 3:08 pm  

Turner was one of our most consistant players this year, managing to look ok when everyone else was shocking.
He did throw in a couple of very impressive efforts - he skinned Yeaman out of sight to score a lovely try against Hull and, towards the end of the season, he put Mak in for some tries with some very difficult passes.
It will be interesting to se how he performs if we get the ball moving better next year, now that we have a half back.

Re: Future England Internationals : Tue Nov 19, 2013 3:21 pm  

Current and possible internationals within the next few years:

James Roby
Jonny Lomax
Alex Walmsley
Kyle Amor
LMS
Josh Jones
Tommy Makinson
Adam Swift
Jordan Turner
Mark Percival

These are the lads who judging off what I've seen have a shot at becoming a full international, some depending on their development. I think it'll be difficult for the likes of Makinson and Swift because of the players in front of them. I genuinely feel that Lomax is a better all round Full Back than Tomkins and I'd probably move Tomkins up to 6 and bring in Lomax at 1. If Walmsley continues to progress at his current rate then he's a shoe in within the next couple of years and both LMS and Amor could be pushing for places. Turner and Percival both have good chances for me, Turner is very under rated at the moment by other clubs fans and Percival could be a star.

Re: Future England Internationals : Tue Nov 19, 2013 9:30 pm  

Tbh, I don't think it matters if we have any players in or all 17. England have really good depth now, so it's not as if they aren't good enough. Some players just have to take their chance in the England team or get lucky with the coach.

Hardaker got a chance and he took it last year and again vs Samoa for the knights (obv may have blown it now...) Lomax could easily have had that chance, but he never. Walmsley could (maybe should) have got his chance over T Burgess but he's unfortunate not to have that surname.

We have some very good SL young players. That's good enough for me. If they push for international selection in the future, then that's great for them personally.

Re: Future England Internationals : Wed Nov 20, 2013 12:44 pm  

What is with the love for Turner? He can't defend for toffee, I'll never forget that Wakefield centre making him look like a ghost at home and his attack consists of jogging to near the line, stopping and doing that embarassing goose step thing and then collapsing under the tacklers. Turner has only impressed me once and that was a flick pass somewhere (Possibly Wigan?)

Re: Future England Internationals : Wed Nov 20, 2013 12:57 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

What is with the love for Turner? He can't defend for toffee, I'll never forget that Wakefield centre making him look like a ghost at home and his attack consists of jogging to near the line, stopping and doing that embarassing goose step thing and then collapsing under the tacklers. Turner has only impressed me once and that was a flick pass somewhere (Possibly Wigan?)

Towards the end of the season, he put makinson in for a couple of tries with some very good play in the opponents' 20. He'd run a line back towards the ball and hit a gap, which would persuade the winger to come in, before getting the pass to mak to score. In that situation, its very a hard pass to make without it going forward.

Re: Future England Internationals : Wed Nov 20, 2013 1:25 pm  

Offside Monkey wrote:

Towards the end of the season, he put makinson in for a couple of tries with some very good play in the opponents' 20. He'd run a line back towards the ball and hit a gap, which would persuade the winger to come in, before getting the pass to mak to score. In that situation, its very a hard pass to make without it going forward.

See!!!!! There you go again trying to explain rugby league to an idiot!

Re: Future England Internationals : Wed Nov 20, 2013 1:27 pm  

Top Saint wrote:

See!!!!! There you go again trying to explain rugby league to an idiot!

It doesn't make him Paul Newlove, but its something that so-called superstars like RYan Atkins would continually fail to do.