The Rugby Football League have announced a team which they will run out as a representative of England today, and there are a few interesting things to come out of it.
The big news of the day is that Joel Tomkins asked to not be considered for selection for “Personal reasons”. Thise personal reasons are that he will make an immediate switch to Rugby Union, and good luck to him.
He will earn a lot more money, be playing a game that will take a lot less of a toll on him physically, he will walk into the RFU test team and he will win a number of minor competition at international level in the RFU’s English team.
Moving on from that, the team the RFL has named to represent England is not much of a lineup. Obviously the outstanding names in the side come from the NRL, which there are also a number of rubbish players who have been tried many times before and failed on every single occasion.
Here is the squad:
The Official England Four Nations Squad
Carl Ablett
Ryan Bailey
Tom Briscoe
Garreth Carvell
Rangi Chase
Leroy Cudjoe
Gareth Ellis
James Graham
Ryan Hall
Chris Heighington
Ben Jones-Bishop
Jamie Jones-Buchanan
Jonny Lomax
Michael McIlorum
Adrian Morley
Jamie Peacock (C)
Jack Reed
James Roby
Kevin Sinfield
Sam Tomkins
Ben Westwood
Gareth Widdop
Jon Wilkin
Kirk Yeaman
Its pretty shocking that Jamie Peacock and Adrian Morley are still being selected. To see Ryan Bailey getting another run is also incredible.
Obviously the side is boosted by the NRL contingent of Gareth Ellis, Jack Reed, Gareth Wippod and Australian born Chris Heighington. New Zealand Maori representative Rangi Chase also gives them a bit of depth in the halves…that is if New Zealand don’t call him up.
Lets be fair, this lineup is going to get its arse kicked. They have no chance of getting anywhere near winning the Four Nations title.
The Rugby Football League made a clear decision to turn its back on English born and bred players. It is ironic that on the day it named an England side with an Australian and New Zealand born player in it, that we say an English born and bred player leave the sport for Rugby Union.
More will follow, and in the VERY near future.
Watch this space…
