2013 WC Group A Game 1: Australia vs England - Cardiff

What if he'd play for the Cowboys when he came over?

 

Damnit, really wanted to have you on record prioritising the Cowboys chances over Queensland's. Would've quoted it so often.

 

Sam Burgess would definitely make the side, perhaps off the bench but rugby league forward rotation isn't really about starting your best players as such as there are rolling interchanges. No-one else would be much of a chance IMO.

 

I'd seriously consider James Graham on the bench of a World side (or an Australian side should be Australian) but given he's not even in England's side at the moment it's a bit of a non-starter, disciplinary reasons or not.

Sinfield and Roby would be candidates for the spot currently occupied by Farah.

 

It's not really baffling. They stood him down for disciplinary reasons. What's baffling if that they've refused to make an official statement about it.

 

I think it's a bit like Brett Stewart in a way. I think Stewart would make a fantastic winger and if State of Origin or Test football was played every week as the main grind then he'd train as a winger and develop his wing play. But as it stands he's never really played there so it'd be a pointless risk to just stick him there when he'd not really offer much more than a proven winger like Boyd.

Tomkins's junior background was in the halves so I doubt he's played on the wing much at all. He's got the basic attributes to be a better winger than Boyd but there are specialist technical things that he'd have to learn and he's not going to bother focusing on it.

 

Well, rumour has it, Graham turned up to training in a state somewhere between still drunk and hungover, while Hock was too wasted to even make an appearance. That'll be the difference between instant sacking and being stood down from the first game.

 

Keep in mind that this "training" was, according to Hock, a ten minute recovery session in the pool, too.