Well for once it can't be me - this is my first post on this thread

Do hope it's not me because if we're banning joke replies to opinions we don't agree with then this forum's finished.



First Brexit, then Trump and now..... NewSouthstander.



What a year.

Criticism of the moderation process will not be tolerated.





You vill obeeeey!

I bet Wayne Bennett expected something similar too...

I'm not keen on the throwing coaches together idea, The hope being that you get the best of both but potentially you just end up with a "too many cooks" scenario.



I mean look at Bennett's staff for this campaign. Had he ever spent any time in the company of or even spoke with the likes of Betts, Sculthorpe, Anderson and Peacock to see if they're a good fit for what he wants from his team? A few of those were very late appointments within a month of the tournament starting. Wouldn't any coach be better having a coaching staff he's worked with, knows and is compatible with instead of just throwing ex-England internationals at him?



Whilst Bennett has been successful in his career, it does happen in sport where great coaches & players go to a new team (and country) and it's just not the right fit and they've can't reproduce the success they've had at previous teams. Whilst it is only his first competition as England coach I'm just left thinking after what we've seen and heard that he just isn't the right fit for this job.



Speaking of former England internationals, one of Sinfield's roles in his new job was to lead a review of England's 4 Nations campaign so will be interesting to hear that.

The myth England have a better pack than Austrailia was certainly busted.



James Graham is probably the only English player who would get into their team. Maybe Sam Burgess if he re-gained some form.

You can add to your tale of errors by Widdop his interception pass that cost us the game against NZ. He had a very poor series and he should not have been selected in the halves for this match. He is a much overrated player. Perceval also had a bad series and should have been replaced at half time.



The whole side looked ponderous and had a slow line speed and at times looked like strangers to each other with a lack of leadership. We had a predictable one up down the middle game plan that posed no problems for Australia and we only looked dangerous going wide with cut out passes and a couple of dummy passes in the middle.

I thought Graham looked tired and ineffective in this series - his time at this level is coming to an end.

Probably still the best we've got.



Against NZ and Australia I thought that when Hill and Graham both went off, we lost some grunt and momentum.



Thought all the Burgess lot disappointed.

I thought Sam was trying too hard & the other two not hard enough.

Burgess' punch the the head on Klemmer was embarrassing and very lucky not to have been a red card.

I'm not sticking up for Sam but klemmer deserves it half the time he started that altercation with Burgess with the push but Sam over reacted and in the heat of the moment lashed out. But i remember in the 2014 four nations Australia scored and he ran over to Graham and pushed him in the back for no reason.