I agree. Max is really good at the things he is good at but at International level you need to at a level on everything and he is below that line on defense.


McMeeken is a 1st pick though. He'll be the best forward in white.Tom has a good chance and would do well but he hasn't got that finishing speed he used to have which may nudge Burgess ahead.
I would pick him.

Big Mike isn't an interchange prop; he's a starting Prop. You know he's gonna start strong and go head-to-head with the Aussies, and he's got a monster gas tank. There's no way someone like Havard should be starting instead of Mike. It's a pity Thompson wasn't in form because at his best, he should be starting, especially above Lees and Havard and tbh I'd have had him in instead of Walmsley anyway, who is like the Titanic in defence. When you look at Lees and Havard as starting props, it's clear how poor we are compared to 10 years ago

Most of the guys who were picked on reputation and not form were crap: Bateman, Williams and Welsby. Bring Brimson into FB, Smithies into backrow, Smith in place of Williams, we need his long kicking game and Oledski in for Walmsley, and I'd drop Havard as well if there was another prop to pick, someone like Mulhern and let's try again.

Have to agree.
I just see no change from previous encounters with the aussies, over the past few decades. 
They seem so much faster and fitter.
Welsby was found out at this level I'm afraid- he needs replacing. 
Same goes for Lewis.

Agree if Lewis is the best ,shows how far we are behind them ,Think it  is why most of our S L clubs bring in half’s from over seas, . Main worry is that the Australian's pundits are saying the ref was letting England slow the game down to much ,and saying with Australian ref next week they are tipping a 40 point win .

Don’t understand what people expected our halfbacks to do behind a woeful pack, our forwards were dominated. Yeo nearly made more metres in 9 minutes than Lee’s did all game. 


It’s the fitness/ intensity that’s the major advantage for me, every break they made there was 4-6 players in support. I genuinely believe the lads did their best but unfortunately we haven’t played them in years and the divide has grown, the majority of our players have never tasted that level of RL. 

Most fans know this , so why do people and pundits in higher places, ,keep saying we are catching them up and just bury there head in the sand Bringing 14 teams in to S L is not the answer, it will be just a case of over the hill players, making a living in S L  so pushing the game farther behind