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Dave Craven: England's future likely to be forged in the heat of Australia
SEEING so many Australian clubs listed in brackets alongside the names of Steve McNamara's inaugural England team pick was an alien sight.
However, the inclusion of Wests Tigers, South Sydney and Melbourne instead of the more customary Leeds, Wigan and St Helens proved just as reassuring as it was strange.
The knowledge that Gareth Ellis, Sam Burgess and the intriguing Gareth Widdop are all honing their skills in the NRL offers instant belief that the international side is already on the right track under McNamara before he has even sent his first side out onto the field.
It is not so much that their presence will be needed to overcome a France squad beset by injuries. Before yesterday's press conference Leigh stand-off John Duffy pulled up in the Leigh Sports Village car park and wound down his window to have a chat with the French coach Bobbie Goulding.
Much laughter ensued, and the former Salford team-mates were obviously just catching up following the chance meeting, but you did wonder whether Goulding had asked his pal if he had ever spent a week in the Loire Valley or even just been on Eurostar such is France's current desperate shortage of players.
No, Ellis, Burgess and Widdop will not be crucial to their country's chances against a depleted France but when it comes to the Four Nations later this year it is comforting to know England have, for once, more than just Adrian Morley to call upon with first-hand experience of the Australian game.
Of utmost importance is the skills and practices they are learning while out there and, if England are going to overcome Australia and New Zealand in future, the more English players who make the transition the better.
Burgess, after his first training session since flying in from Sydney, told reporters yesterday that he has already benefited from his time in the NRL and has returned an improved player just three months after his debut and echoed the sentiments of Ellis – now in his second season with Wests – that Englishmen have nothing to fear from the Aussies.
Burgess said he would advocate other players making the move and believes it would enhance England's international prospects, even conceding he knew of players currently speaking to NRL clubs about switching over for 2011.
However, it was when the former Bradford star added that the "majority" of Super League players could make the transition that ears really pricked up; he respects the NRL and the challenges it brings but is not in awe of it and is starting to dispel the myth.
While most English players would love the chance to try their hand in the NRL, the problem has always been the Aussies have consistently thought they are not any better than the seemingly bottomless pit of talent they already have.
But the impact of Ellis, Burgess and the big surprise story – Mark Flanagan at Wests – allied to the earlier success of Morley with Sydney Roosters, has brought about a change of opinion.
England players, meanwhile, have marvelled at the skills shown already in training by Widdop, who apparently can do things other Super League players just would not be able to produce. The 21-year-old from Halifax has only played a handful of senior games for Melbourne but it will be fascinating seeing Billy Slater's deputy chime in to the line tomorrow night in an England jersey.
What will be even more fascinating is seeing how many of McNamara's side, come the 2013 World Cup, will be bracketed with Australian club names. Expect more than three. He knows it could be crucial to their chances.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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