After beating Jamaica 40-4 www.rlfans.com/index.php?fid=43&id=57

After beating Jamaica 40-4 www.rlfans.com/index.php?fid=43&id=57

Was the US squad made up only of David Niu sanctioned players or were all US players eligible?

thats a decent result for the US. There was what 7/8 players with SL experience in that Jamaica side

SL experience doesn't often translate very well to the international stage due to the playing standards in that competition. This was particularly evident during the 2008 World Cup where international sides comprised of mainly SL players struggled to compete effectively.



It's also notable that a significant contingent of that USA team possess NRL experience or grades below that in either Australia or NZ. The 40-4 scoreline in USA's favour therefore doesn't surprise me in the least because a number of their players have experience of playing at a higher and more competitive level.

Cunz looks a good prospect, will be looking forward to the Sky commentary on him.

Yeah, it was probably the NRL experience of top quality players like Ryan Mcgoldrick and Matty Peterson that pulled the US through. Players who as you know, tore up SL.

Didn't Ireland make the semi qualifier, knocking Samoa and Tonga out in '08? Then gave Fiji a game too.

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgDhU_wHA10&feature=youtu.beSome good TV coverage over the pond too by the looks of it[/url



Interesting that they interview the American players in the team rather than just the Aussies. Point of note for Sky there I feel.



After the game against England, don't interview Lee Briers, interview one of the Welsh players.

Karl Pryce at Stand off?

Looking at the points scorers for the USA, McGoldrick and Petersen's SL experience didn't contribute. Let's take a look at the players who did contribute all 40 of USA's points yesterday...



[uTries[/u

Steve Howard (Tuggeranong Vikings - Canberra)

David Marando (Belrose Eagles - NSW Cup & Manly/North Sydney District)

Mitch Stevens (North Sydney Bears - NSWRL)

Mark Cantoni (Northern Pride - Qld Cup, Qld Country)

David Myles (Gold Coast Chargers/Titans, Auckland Warriors, NQ Cowboys)

Danny Howard (Wentworthville Magpies, NSWRL)

Mark Offerdahl (Easts Tigers - Qld Cup)



[uGoals[/u

Joseph Paulo 6 (Parramatta, Penrith, Samoa, Australian Schoolboys)



Throw in a coach with several years recent NRL experience in Matthew Elliott and it ought to be of no surprise to anyone that the USA beat another team containing 7/8 players with SL experience.

They did indeed and played 3 games during the World Cup winning 1 game and losing 2, which backs up my earlier point that international teams comprising in the main of players with SL experience don't often translate very well to the international stage and struggle to compete effectively.

It takes some strange level of insecurity to confuse a compliment to the performance of the USA with a comparison between the NRL and SL.