Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Sat Nov 02, 2019 6:52 am  

We were solid, but our attack was so slow until Clark came on. I know it's heresy to say, but i honestly think there's at least 3 hookers in SL better than Hodgson.

Widdop's limitations were also exposed again. His kicking game was very poor.

The pack all did well (other than Hodgson), and the defence was excellent, but in Hodgson and Widdop we have 2 main pivots who can't play outside a structure, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it will get exposed once you have to chase the game.

I guess it'll be Hardaker to the wing and Hughes or Bateman to centre.

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Sat Nov 02, 2019 8:49 am  

Frosties. wrote:

Apparently Ryan Hall has dislocated his knee in the game v NZ this morning. Yet another blow for him and the GB team. No other specialist wingers in the team than him and McGillvary.

That's a bad one if confirmed. Would not be surprised if that ends his career so quickly after the last bad one he had.

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Sat Nov 02, 2019 8:51 am  

Charlie Sheen wrote:

We were solid, but our attack was so slow until Clark came on. I know it's heresy to say, but i honestly think there's at least 3 hookers in SL better than Hodgson.

Widdop's limitations were also exposed again. His kicking game was very poor.

The pack all did well (other than Hodgson), and the defence was excellent, but in Hodgson and Widdop we have 2 main pivots who can't play outside a structure, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it will get exposed once you have to chase the game.

I guess it'll be Hardaker to the wing and Hughes or Bateman to centre.

I thought our last play options were awful dying with the ball and not utilising the kick was criminal.

We could easily see same team with Coote going on the wing.

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Sat Nov 02, 2019 10:07 am  

We’ve lost our mojo for sure. Picking players out of position doesn’t help. Our lack of quality has been exposed, and this comes largely from a poor quality domestic competition.

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Sat Nov 02, 2019 10:30 am  

Does it? Because with the exception of Bateman, the rest of the NRL based players have been among our worst players.

Re: Lions Suffer Defeat In Tour Opener Against Tonga : Sat Nov 02, 2019 10:31 am  

Biff Tannen wrote:

Spot on.

Remember a few years back when Charnley was the best thing since sliced bread in SL scoring 30 odd tries for Wigan and was going to prove himself to be one of the best in the world. Looked woefully out of his depth once he was on the biggest stage.

I think some people think if a winger isn't skinning 3 people 4 times a game or ripping 80 metres like Offiah for a scorching try they are not worthy of an international wing spot when in this day and age at international level bringing the ball back to good effect, matching up in defence and being positionally sound are the main requirements and only a select few can meet those. Namely Mcgilvalry Hall and Makinson.one of whom is not available.

Offiah wouldn't get a game for club or country today.
Sums up today's total lack of attacking flair in the game

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Sat Nov 02, 2019 10:47 am  

I think it does. Whilst the NRL players haven’t set the world alight, it’s out lack of quality depth that has been exposed for me. We are having to play people out of position because we simply don’t have enough quality in the domestic league to have competition for places and drive up the performance level.

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Sat Nov 02, 2019 10:58 am  

Of course Offiah would get a game these days. It's ridiculous to suggest otherwise.

We have Makinson, Grace, Johnstone, Watkins, Gildart, Percival unavailable, of course our options in the backs are going to be limited.

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Sat Nov 02, 2019 11:13 am  

Absolute one out clueless dross they had their best prop best 7 & lost their 6 5 minutes in & won a lot easier than the scoreline suggests.
The England Knights would have made a better game if it at least they would have attacked.
Bennett has been a total waste of money players picked on reputation & too many played out of position.

Re: INT | GB Lions & England : Sat Nov 02, 2019 11:38 am  

If Hall has dislocated his knne that'll be him done for tour we've already lost Thompson and Gildart.

Bennet should have had Grace, Watts, Sutton and G.Burgess already in squad.

Who is actually unavailable because of injury

Makinson ( shoulder injury)
T.Johnstone ( ACL)
Watkins ( rib injury)
Percival?

Bennett has good with a poor squad and i think he knows it now. He has to call players up now to cover injuries even if he goes for players who are already based in NRL no point flying out a super league player if there not gonna be selected when most SL teams start pre-season this coming Monday.

He could call up Ryan Sutton to cover Thompson and this will be a wild card but Euan Aitken from St. George has represented Scotland he is a good strong centre just depends if he wants to represent GB cause he is a aussie.

If nobody is called up we'd have to finish tour with so many players out of position.

Can see Bennett going for this next week against NZ

Lomax
Mcgillvary
Bateman
Connor
Hardaker
Widdop
Austin
Hill
Hodgson
T.Burgess
Jones
Whitehead
Graham

Subs

Hughes
Philbin
Clark
Walmsley