Who should be the England spine for the upcoming World Cup, if it goes ahead? All thoughts and/or predictions and/or guesses and/or "would-like-to-see"s welcome.

1st Hooker
2nd Hooker

Half-back 1
Half-back 2

Fullback

Some possibles to get the juices flowing:

1st Hooker: Roby
2nd Hooker: Not Hodgson for mine. Nor Clark he unless plays very well this year. Happy to try one of the workhorses as 2nd fiddle e.g. McShane or Houghton.

Half-back 1: Luke Gale
Half-back 2: George Williams

Fullback: IMO Jake Connor needs to be on the pitch somewhere and happy for it to be here or centre. I guess Wane'll probably go with either Lomax or Tomkins.

Hodgson, Clark, Williams, Widdop and Connor.

I think Connor at Full Back for Hull this year (with Hodgson as coach) will be a revelation

Why would you not play Clark? For me he is one of the only players that actually performs at international level for us.

Lomax over Connor every day of the week at FB based on what I have seen, I don`t get all of this " Connor needs to be on the pitch" nonsense, yes he has shown glimpses of been a very special player of that there is no doubt, if he gets his head down he will be a top player I think, but at this moment in time he has no consistency and has really done nothing to warrant the pedigree he is put on by some people.

1-Tomkins
6-Lomax
7-Gale
9-Roby
17-Williams

Tough call for me between Lomax, Gale and Williams to start in the halves but Gale brings a kicking game and is a goal kicker and I fear Lomax/Williams would be a bit too similar. George Williams can more than hold his own in at dummy half when needed and he can cover the halves. If not him on the bench then Daryl Clark.

Jake Connor is the Jesse Lingard of Rugby League

Half decent, annoying and in 10 years time people will still be claiming "hes gonna be a top player in a few years"

crikey I'm agreeing with you I better sit down

I was thinking the same Snowie

He certainly has the ability but, I agree that he doesnt hit a 9/10 performance often enough.
Mind you, our spine wont scare anyone.

Tomkins is the only X factor player in there but, Daz Clark has to play either at 9 or be coming off the bench.
Even though he's getting to the end of his career, Roby, if he is still going strong at the end of the season will be nailed on.

Houghton is good but also getting on a bit and Hodgson has never offered the flair thet either Roby or Clark can offer.

Our halves, whoever we pick wont scare anyone. In fact our backs look ordinary.

We have relied on having a quality pack for the last few years but, even our forwards are looking weaker than they were at the last world cup.

It has to be said that under Bennett we have gone backwards, a poor side and no new blood to reinvigorate the side.

A semi final exit is the best that we can hope for.

Houghton over Clark and Hodgson? Wow!!
Think someones had 2 many sherberts

Agree totally. Our backs are miles away from the class of Australia and NZ