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ITs about time there was a good rugby league blog.

Absolutely spot on, and i think your thoughts on here cannot be argued against. Maybe right now, the squad we have is a little inexperienced (except for the forwards) but this time in 2 yeard, what a team we will have!!

Yet again another good blog Paul, you are correct with what you are saying and i just hope we do ourselves justice on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ live game against Australia, As a drubbing would only harm what little national profile we have at the moment.

Realy interesting article, looking forward to the game.

After being absolutely trashed last year, I can't really see anything but a lesson being handed out by the Aussies and New Zealand.

And after the stuttering performance against Wales, even France may fancy their chances.

Excellent blog, Paul.

I think it is a case of 'forget what you know' about England. 'Transition' is the best word to use. Australia have had a conveyor belt of talent coming through for some considerable time and England have not but hopefully that is all about to change as, finally, young en bulk is given it's chance.

I hope that the young players mentioned in the article are not pressurised to succeed and the supporters and media realise that this is the first building block. There is a long way to go but I look to the future with renewed optimism.

Come on England!

Cant see past an Aussie win - they have the bulk of the worlds best players play in the strongest league with all due respect to Super League. England havent got anyone to match up with Billy Slater, Jared hayne, Jonathan Thurston, Folou etc etc.

Andy, Folou is not playing, he pulled out injured. Nonetheless, you are probably right, but as long as England restore pride and give a good account of themselves in our new form, I will be Ok with that.

Thank you, that was a really insightful comment about our international game. I agree with most of what you say, however I do wonder if Smith is risking all by leaving out so many experienced backs for such an inexperienced back line. I hope to be proved very wrong!!

We just can't compete with the Aussies in the backs especially the key half-back positions. We'll probably get thru against France, maybe catch NZ on an off day but to will all 3 matches?
For too long, the same old players have been rolled out only to then get rolled over! At least Tony Smith has the right idea in giving some of the form players a chance.

Why, if we are looking at future development, is Lee Smith playing? He is going to Union and may never play League again if he is any good!!

how are we supposed to compete with the likes of australia and new zealand when all their players are over here in the super league. england is the same for all sports though. all our county cricket teams are full of south africans, ozzies, new zealanders, indians and the like and when we get stuffed by them in the test we wonder why. they know how to play against us. football teams are full of foreigners as well. rugby teams, both league and union are flooded with foreigners and we wonder why we are no good, they are taking places from the english players who are not getting a crack of the whip. lets change this once and for all, limit the number of foreigners to maybe 2/3 a team and lets see how that affects the international scene. you dont find many english players in australia or any southern hemisphere team, so why should there be so many of them over here......

" Why, if we are looking at future development, is Lee Smith playing? He is going to Union and may never play League again if he is any good!!"

Double-edged sword, we have to try to compete as well as bring the youth through.

What's the difference between this tournament and the world cup ?

Rovers Return - I agree that we have to compete as well but one Centre doesn't make a backline able to compete. If Lee Smith is the best we have, and he wont be there next season, then his position is ovbiously a position that should be given to another talent. Eastmond can play there!

Hogygog, the last World Cup featured 10 teams. This is the Four Nations - there's a bit of a clue in the title!

Who else competed in the world cup then ? - how can you have 10 teams in a world cup - surely its got to be a multiple of 4 ?

Super League is a fantastic competition, and this season has shown that it is getting more competitive, but I'm afraid it doesn't match the same intensity as the NRL. I believe that's part of the problem why we are unable to compete with Australia. Their game revolves around quick plays of the ball, there's hardly any messing around at the play of the ball, quick ball means quick metres. I don't think they are particularly any fitter than us. One other factor is that although we have some exciting players coming through, I don't think we have the match winners like we did in the recent past, the likes of Lydon, Hanley, Offiah, Davies, Robinson put the fear of God into the Aussies. But the main factor why we can't compete may be that the Aussies are born into RL.In Sydney especially, they live and breath it. When a kid gets home from school he gets his Rugby ball out and has a throw around with his mates, over in the UK, it would more likely to be the X Box .

I don't see how Lee Smith brings anything to the team though, especially with him moving over to the dark side imminently. He is not experienced at this level either. I would rather see Gleeson in there instead, so we would at least have one experienced back

14 Saintjock: "Rovers Return - I agree that we have to compete as well but one Centre doesn't make a backline able to compete. If Lee Smith is the best we have, and he wont be there next season, then his position is ovbiously a position that should be given to another talent. Eastmond can play there!"

Indeed he can and there can be no arguement against his Eastmond's inclusion at centre on the basis of inexperience because Smith has put Briscoe, a player who has represented his country just once, on the wing - albeit against France.

Let us get through the France game first, but the team Smith picks when we play Australia next week will be very interesting.

In 2005 and 2006 Great Britain had to play four consecutive international matches in the tri nations while the aussies and nz had rests. We lost the 05 final through exchaustion. And the 06 tournament was marred by the sean long debacle, which took all credit away from a fantastic win previously against the Australian's at Aussie Stadium against the full strength side.
07 was a flawless 3-0 series against a transitional kiwis side.
But last years world cup was in part the fault of under performing players, but mostly the poor selection choices of tony smith. Taking only four props to to world cup was braindead decision, especially when fa'asavulu got injured and we went in to the biggies with only three players in the team who would run it up the gut off neither pivot. Paul forgot to mention the fact that Mark Calderwood is not in the squad as well, which was another reason for the melt down against the aussies last year. Someone who at international level was bound to be found out by the bomb. As long as Tony steers clear of putting paul sykes anywere in the backline this tournament, and makes sure that if theres not 4 front rowers, then the replacements can gain metres, a place in the final is a must.
Competing with Australia will be tough as there production line is way better than ours with more kids playing the game in aus, and freaks like inglis, hayne and slater are unique. It's all about getting close to the aussies and beating them here and there in the next five years or so. With 4 or 5 of their present players being touted as the best of all time in there positions. Lets just hope those here or there games are major finals!

The final we lost was 04 my mistake, still exaustion of four games in a row, was in all 04, 05 and 06 tournaments. It was a good article, its niece to see anybody talking about rugby league in the press really.

"Rovers Return - I understand what you are saying about Eastmond's ability to play in the centres but I think Smith makes sense when he talks about his ability to come on and have an impact in a variety of different positions." Paul Fletcher.

I concur entirely.

I was trying to highlight that I believe Lee Smith is better choice at centre than Eastmond and that Eastmon's inexperience at this level should not hinder his chances of making the starting 13 (in any acvailable position) because of that. I backed that up by giving Tom Briscoe as an example.

I think Eastmond's explosive persona off the bench would put an opposition on the backfoot. This may be a useful tool to utilise against the Aussies and Kiwi's when their forwards need a breather. We will see...

Paul, are you continuing to cover the 4nations in your blog throughout the tournament? Cheers.

This is like Man U (Australia), Liverpool (NZ) Aston Villa (England) and Torquay United (France) playing in the same tournament. A total farce!

I think even without Rob Burrow and Keith Senior we will still hammer France by at least 70 to 80 odd points if not 60 to 70 or 50 to 60 odd points. In my view the score will be at least 78-12. Most points will be by the Leeds Rhinos players and even against New Zealand and Australia even if we have to face people like Brent Webb of Leeds Rhinos.

Do you think Gareth Ellis is going to come back from Aussie & tell his England team mates & you guys in the media, right lads, no chance, lets go home now?

It's a media beat up. The NRL is so far ahead of Super League, that's why England always lose a series or comp to the Southern Hemisphere teams. It really is that simple. Watch both comps, it's hardly difficult to work out.

Gareth Ellis has done well this year in the NRL, but he isn't going to make that much difference to the England team. The forwards are ok, it's the halves & backs that are way out of their depth.

It was a privilege to watch the Kangaroos and Kiwis battle each other to a draw last night - thrilling, highest quality rugby, which convinced me more than ever that if England are to compete with either of these, we will need to draw from a pool of at least 20 English players from the NRL. Until then third place for England is an expectation, runner up would be a remarkable achievement.