It looks like I've found this discussion just as it's closing down! But, for what it's worth, I'd have to agree with Guernica when it comes to the NRL/ESL comparison. I watch a fair bit of NRL, especially the Warriors and the Kiwi side isn't all that great. Most of the players wouldn't rank in the top 5 in their positions in the NRL. How does that compare with the England team and ESL?
I was really looking forward to last night, and was very disappointed in the England team. In fact, the whole game was rubbish. 2 teams who could barely complete a set without dropping the ball.
Wellens looked like his mind was elsewhere, Gardner had a shocker, Calderwood did nothing again (where was Lee Smith?) and McGuire was frustrating - brilliant at times, then made a couple of simple errors.
With the exception of the 1st tackle kick that got a sneaky try, we don't seem to have a threatening attacking kicking game and the wingers are barely capable of getting off the ground to attack a bomb (in defence or attack). A complete contrast to the kicking of Thurston/Lockyear - grubbers to Inglis, bombs to Folau.
The English defence didn't even stack up to Nathan Fien, who's been told by the Warriors that he can look for another club and they're desperate for a quality no7!
The cream of the ESL had no answer to a bunch of average NRL players and that says it all to me. The Australians are a class apart and could field 3 teams that would finish ahead of NZ and England.
As for the World Club game, what part of the season does that take place in England? Because I'm pretty sure it comes about half way through pre season training for NRL sides.
I've had a night to sleep on it, and I'm still fuming. I've got to put up with another week of the kiwis giving it the large to their colonial overlords. Roll on next Saturday and the pasting they'll get from the convicts...