In the French test i'd like to see us select what I believe is our best backline and maybe experiment a little in the forwards. I think we know we have lots of quality in the pack and we may aswell look at a few new options because going forward that can only help us but in the backline we simply don't have the depth or options to take a look at people.



I'd select-



L Pryce

Cudjoe

Gleeson

Shenton

Hall

S Tomkins

Eastmond

Graham

Roby

Lynch

J Tomkins

Harrison

O'Loughlin



subs

Crabtree

Scruton

Langley

Lunt(hopefully he can build his match fitness up before the game).



It won't be that side as both Ellis and Burgess are coming back over for the game but I really don't see the point and I also don't see the need to play guys like Morley or Peacock(if he were fit). I'd love to see us give a shot to somebody like Cudjoe on that right wing aswell. I'm pretty convinced that bar that right wing spot our best backline is the one i've selected and I really can't think of too many players that could feel hard done by at being left out.

I know it's the best we've got but that again is a poor backline IMO and we don't stand a chance.



Think how far we've slipped since 2006 when we had backs like Carney, Radders, Long and a younger Gleeson, Senior and Pryce! Top it off with Faz, Scully, Morley, Peacock, KFC and Newton and you see how far we've fallen.



Us, Leeds and Saints are doing or have done their part for national RL when are the other sides gonna step up?

I think we need to continue the game against france and help them develop!

In development terms i'm as happy with the game as I have been in a long time but I agree that the outside backs are a worry. We've outstanding pack and halfback talents come through in the past couple of years like Sam, Eastmond, Myler, Burgess, Joel Tomkins, Harrison etc but we just don't seem to be producing quality outside backs and thats a real worry. If we look at our 2 overseas wingmen/fullbacks in Roberts and Richards we don't have any English players half as good as those 2 in either position and considering neither have any Australian caps that shows what an embarrassment of riches they have when compared to oursleves.



We really need to start producing some top quality outside backs with size, pace and power like guys like Roberts and Richards have. It's probably the reason i'd select somebody like Cudjoe over higher scoring wingmen like Hodgson, Riley and Goulding. He is a decent size and has good pace aswell as being very safe when fielding kicks. He has alot of development left in him aswell imo.

Did you see Cudjoe on the TV in the challenge cup, he couldn't hold the ball for toffee ?

I think an Super League - Rest Of World side would get battered in the forwards, one thing we do seem to do pretty well is produce forwards, the best imports are backs and half backs.

I've always though we should let France have a 3 game series. 1 game against Lancashire, 1 game against Yorkshire, then a final game against England.

It would give France more games and a better chance to be competetive and it would also allow us to trail a few more english players in the first two games and reward the top performers with an England cap in the final game.

4 years ago apart from Hall that could have been the australian pack.

monas best 9 in sl

There has been a real decline in the last few years in the quality of the SL.



I'm surprised the usual suspects who try to argue everything in the Super Duper League garden is rosy haven't responded to your post but perhaps the evidence is now so damning that even the most shameless apologists for the status quo are now keeping a low profile....

I'd rather help us develop.



I've always liked the "rest of SL" idea, but I'd include some of the French forwards in that team posted in the OP.

I reckon in austrailia, someone like Joel Tomkins would be coming through as a centre, maybe moving in later in his career.