So, after 6 rounds are there any eligible England qualified half backs playing to the standard required for the series with NZ?

Matty Smith would have fancied his chances of a recall, but has been well below par so in 2015, but who else is out there? Chase, Sneyd, McGuire.......Brierley?

Jon Wilkin is probably the in form English no. 7 in the competition at the moment.

Sinfield & McGuire?

It's embarrassing how bad we are at producing good halves.

Widdop's been ok even though St.George are terrible this year.

Widdop 7, Tomkins 6, Hardaker 1 (Ratchford 1 if Hardaker is unacceptable to you moralists) is a good combination. Beyond that we haven't got much.

Looking at the English options:

Widdop
Smith
Tomkins
Myler
Sneyd
Gale
McGuire
Brown
Pryce
O'Brien
Bridge
Williams
Sutcliffe
Ratchford
Mellor
Ellis
Chase

It's very depressing reading... Widdop and Tomkins is the only competitive combination we could put out at the moment, and one of them hasn't played in the halves for 5 years! It would be nice if Eastmond didn't make the England RU world cup squad and was snapped up by an RL club.

I think there is another NRL half back who qualifies for England. Is it Trent Hodgkinson?

Can't believe people are forgetting English superstars such as Lance Hohaia, Scott Dureau, Todd Carney, Luke Walsh?

Always on the cards. They could qualify from ancestry if Banished is anything to go by





As long as management/coaches believe the likes of Sculthorpe, Sinfield etc were the best half backs available, then you knew the game was in trouble and the action taken to remedy the situation since then?

Import more overseas halfbacks.

This is usually followed by "why cant' we beat the Aussies/Kiwis/ Samoans?" and struggle against the rest at times.

Not that there is an obvious answer that involves a hell of a lot of HARD WORK.

Nah take the easy option. RL in GB in the 21st century, let others do it for us.

Smith and Widdop odds on faves to be the partnership for the NZ tests

7. Danny Brough

6. Gareth Widdop

Ought to be, in a sane universe. But never will be.

I really don't have enormous issue with the incumbents. Smith has been ordinary in an ordinary Wigan side this season, but that need not be an issue at international level. Playing behind the Burgess boys, Jammer, and Co should provide a better platform.

In the event of one or more of those two being injured/unavailable, it does get more problematical. I used to think Ratchford, but he plays mostly full-back these days, and I'm not sure his kicking game is good enough. Really, I'd be happy to see Sam T at 6 or 7. We have other options at full-back now.

im sure there will be a young academy product who plays a few games for one of the top clubs who we could fast track after 5 games, isn't that the way to go now?

Smith blew the best opportunity England will have for some time to come. Had he possessed any kind of credentials at the absolute top level he would have nailed home the massive advantage we had in forward power that day.

If Jon Wilkin can fathom the obvious benefits of kicking early and deep when you have a clear advantage in the forwards then Smith (who, after all, is a forwards' scrum half) should have been screaming for the ball on 4th tackle every set.

Instead he went completely into his shell and was never seen again. Totally unsuitable for future internationals. Ditto Brough, who the Aussies would be fighting each other to get to knowing full well that he'd shut up shop and go home after the first late hit.