ENG and NZ genral chat

[wiggydoran]

I am getting really fustrated watching the England side. Why is it that the Leeds and Saints players are letting us down? Not one of them has played anything like they do for their clubs. I would just like your thoughts on this.

O yeah and why no Hock? Wilkin was CRAP last week but he gets to keep his place. Jon Wilkin ain't going to break through of a paper bag never mind a NZ def line!

[robjoenz]

It's virtually every player mate - it's a team effort

[wiggydoran]

i know but certian players are not performing to an expected level. Mainly saints and leeds players that make the majority of the squad.

[gillysmyhero]

i know but certian players are not performing to an expected level. Mainly saints and leeds players that make the majority of the squad.

Your spot on.Wellens,Gardener, and the former man of Sh*t Roby have made mistake after mistake at important periods of the game.Why did Smith take Higham off, as soon as he did England's momentum went with him.Sorry forgot to mention pryce who's done naff all as well.Wilkins done ok,i,ve not ben over impressed by Graham either.

[THE 18th Man]

the reason ssaints and leeds have let us down is because thier egos are so big they think there world beaters when really there just pappa new gunie beaters

[pedro]

Gardner and Wellens had shockers

[Doveoverdave]

I am getting really fustrated watching the England side. Why is it that the Leeds and Saints players are letting us down? Not one of them has played anything like they do for their clubs. I would just like your thoughts on this.

O yeah and why no Hock? Wilkin was CRAP last week but he gets to keep his place. Jon Wilkin ain't going to break through of a paper bag never mind a NZ def line!

Well first of all seeing that the vast majority of the squad is formed of Saints and Leeds players and that squad has performed poorly the answer to the first question is self explanatory.

The second of "why no Hock?" Did you see last weeks game? I watched it three times and NEVER repeart NEVER!!!!! saw Hock at all. He is one in a long list of players that has gone to the W/C and had any pretence of a "reputation" shattered.

[FROM A TO B]

This comp has just proven how reliant SL clubs are on overseas players.
Don't think you can lay the blame on 2 clubs, although seeing as they made up most of the squad, then perhaps you can :conf:

whilst we continue to bolster clubs with overpaid overseas players, we will never get a strong England or GB squad.

Back on my high horse again, but if we made it a rule that if your squad was under the overseas quota (based on born in UK or parents British), they you should be allowed an additional 5% (per overseas player under) of the cap to spend on players. So if youremoved say 4 of these players, you would have an extra 20% to pay british born / parentage players.

Forget the colpack ruling, you can still use that to enforce overseas players quota, but use the above criteria to be applicable to the salary cap only!

[josie andrews]

They are just pap

[DaveO]

Tony Smith has got to take a lot of the blame for England's shambles of a world cup effort.

His selections gave me the impression he never knew what his best side was.

His insistence at substituting Higham for example was right out of the Noble book of daft substitutions regarding this player. He was obviously better than Roby in this series which is hardly surprising considering the season both players have had for their clubs with Roby not living up to his MoS tag.

Instead he stuck with reputations and picked players on past form not current form IMO.

I am not suggesting had Smith been wiser in his selection we would have been contenders but it's very frustrating to watch when you can't fathom the selections (a bit like WIgan last season at times!).

Dave