wiganermike wrote:However having said that I can't see any merit whatsoever in the incusion of Lee Smith. He is a decent player who is playing well but despite what his new employers (Wasps) are willing to allow he is no longer a RL player
In Richard Owen we have a promising young full back who at present looks likely to be second in line after Briscoe in the coming years. The same principle should have been applied and Richard Owen not Lee Smith should be in the squad.
But Owen is injured. So he's not available. If he was I think he would have been selected, I can't see any other player that could fill in as well as he could at full back if Briscoe picked up an injury.
Personally I'm happy seeing players picked on form through the season rather than the names that normally get picked and then don't play well. Lee Smith played well in the world cup, and has played well all season. Its an end of season tournament, so I don't have a problem with him being picked.
The one I am a bit miffed about is Myler. He hasn't played for ages, and in the Salford team Ratchford has had the better form through the whole season, not just at the start of it. You can't drop 1 player due to form and then pick another that hasn't been playing!
I hadn't actually thought of Ellis being played at centre, but that could be a good call to try and stop their outside backs. It would mean our pack could have O'Loughlin and Burgess at second row for good defence and size, and Ellis is an 80 minute player in the NRL I believe, so could switch to the second row to rest other players, so we aren't losing size in the pack.