posted 2 Weeks Ago

Not one person has commented on what I think was the main problem with our lack of creativity when the forwards began to run out of ideas and steam.First half was great with Sinfield bringing the forwards onto the ball and we really worried tha Aussies.But we had no plan B. Eastmond played alongside the right centre and Tompkins was alongside the left centre,all the match. This means that Tony Smith had two trains of thought,either he wanted the halfbacks out of the way and hoped that the forwards could do the job on their own,or he did not trust the halfbacks to work as a pair.Therfore when his forwards began to fade in the second half Thurston, Lockyer and Cameron ran riot, they had no one with any pace in the middle to harrass them when thy began to move the ball.Halfbacks have to work together but in this match I dont think either had a pass of the other. I have seen suggestions on this site during the last few weeks asking are Eastmond or Tompkins in the same class as Alex Murphy and other greats,the short answer is NO. They show promise,but that is all,I could name at least 20scrumhalfs and 20 standoffs who in my time watching R/L who were better. In my view I think Eastmont is the more advanced of the pair at present because I dont think that Tompkins knows which halfback posistion is best for him. Finally a word of advice for Tompkins,he is going to have a few broken fingers if he carries on tackling the way he does, grabbing players collars has they go past.

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posted 2 Weeks Ago

England had an even share of the ball in the first half.
There was a period of about ten minutes just after England got to the 16 - 14 lead when they had to defend like mad and it sucked all the energy out of them from that point on-wards.
There is little any side in the world can do without the pill.

Well done Smith for having the balls on putting the youngsters into the team in preperation for a real good chance in the next world cup if they can keep this same squad together now.

Congratulations to the players for giving us a great entertaining game of league. The union lads would have to wait 12 months all together to see that much excellent passages of play as they saw last night. cheers

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posted 2 Weeks Ago

theowdun, you talk a lot of sense

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posted 2 Weeks Ago

it wouldnt have mattered who was coach last night, the aussie are simply in a different league to us.

As far as smith goes he got what he wanted, and i am sure the bg match exereince will have done his Warrington players well

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posted 2 Weeks Ago

Not for the first time I totally agree with you, Souths.

Well done, TS, did as well as could be expected, but we simply don't have the players to match the Australians. I've said before they've had this conveyor belt of brilliant half-backs and fullbacks for 30-odd years.

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posted 2 Weeks Ago

theowdun, sound summary.

Elland it says in the article on the home page that Smith was going to go anyway.I didn't really have an opinion either way but it was always going to be difficult being a club coach as well.

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posted 2 Weeks Ago

just get 0ne thing into perspective here? after 57 minutes of high pressure rugby England found themselves on the recieving end of 58 points. and that without reply! that will not make a winning team, Tony Smith is not totally at fault? the players on the park are the ones doing the business! They simply dont have the speed and commitment of the Australians. English rugby needs to be played at the same intensity as that of Australian State of Origin, thats just for a start.

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posted 2 Weeks Ago

the only man capable of improving England is an Aussie who doesn't like us, but this man is a top class coach and not coaching at the moment and says he has retired. PHIL GOULD.

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posted 2 Weeks Ago

The difference in the size, speed and skill of the Australian backs is phenomenal. They obviously train with a rugby ball in hand at all times, and their upper body strength is markedly better than ours.
Some of our passing was laboured and poor, and just not sharp enough to catch the Australians out. Burgess seemed to be our only player who ran from deep and at good angles, whereas they all seemed capable.
However, whoever becomes coach needs to build his team around the promising youngsters, especially Eastmond, and convince the SL clubs to change their training methods.

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posted 2 Weeks Ago

We just don't move the ball enough whereas the Aussies are passing it out all the time, whether they're under pressure or not. Carried out at speed, this makes it so much more attractive to watch and helps create space for the more creative backs. Our players seldom offload before the third tackle. I agree with theowdun that Tomkins and Eastmond have to work together, otherwise, what's the point of playing them at halfback ? But at the end of the day, we're still miles behind the Aussies and unless Superleague clubs begin picking homegrown players in the middle of the park, nothing will change.

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