Dave Craven: Huddersfield’s Brough first name down in any Dream Team

Normally I am at odds with myself when it comes to countless conundrums yet for 2013 the team almost picks itself.

Dynamic French youngster Morgan Escare has been a revelation for Catalan Dragons at full-back during the long absence of major signing Brent Webb and now looks like being a star of the forthcoming World Cup.

It has been brilliant to see just how much unbridled fun Tom Lineham and Ben Crooks have had in Hull FC colours this season, Wembley woe aside.

An exciting young wing/centre partnership not even originally uppermost in Peter Gentle’s mind – winter recruits Jason Crookes and Joe Arundel started the campaign at Headingley – it quickly flourished into a prolific and potent weapon full of power, pace and no little panache.

On the left, Huddersfield Giants’ Leroy Cudjoe has quietly matured into an outstanding centre who will be desperately unlucky if he does not start for England against Australia on October 26 while, the next time he crosses, Wigan winger Josh Charnley will become the first player to score 40 tries during a season since living legends Martin Offiah and Ellery Hanley did so in 1995. He needs no further verification.

Stand-off is more difficult. Kevin Sinfield has been his usual big influence on Leeds Rhinos, Blake Green has fared admirably at Wigan after moving from Hull KR and Huddersfield’s Luke Robinson has excelled on his return to the halves.

Warrington’s Stefan Ratchford is another who I feel would be a great bet for the World Cup but one reason for that – his versatility –- is probably the same reason he does not make my Dream Team. So, just because invariably whenever I’ve seen him he’s made me shake my head in disbelief – in a positive way – I’m going for Rangi Chase’s magic.

Alongside him is probably the first name down in everybody’s Dream Team – Danny Brough.

I’ve run out of superlatives for the Huddersfield scrum-half so I will not even bother trying to come up with any more. I just hope he gets individual recognition, too, with Man of Steel surely looming?

The one person who may challenge Brough’s accreditation there is, of course, Jamie Peacock, the Leeds Rhinos prop who, at the age of 36, has defied medical science to produce some truly astonishing stats this term.

He has literally dragged the champions through on his own at times and produced the sort of excellence which has left many wondering if international retirement was premature.

Eorl Crabtree has replicated his 2012 form to earn the other front-row spot, while Huddersfield colleague Shaun Lunt has been the best hooker, narrowly pipping Warrington’s Mickey Higham and Hull FC’s Danny Houghton.

At second-row, Wigan’s Liam Farrell was an early Man of Steel contender but has not maintained that form, while Warrington’s Trent Waterhouse is everything expected of an Australian Test forward.

But Brett Ferres has regularly been unplayable at times for Huddersfield this term with his long-striding style and ability to squeeze out passes possibly seeing him as the most improved player in the competition, too.

Wakefield’s Danny Kirmond currently looks like a caveman and has played with all the rugged abrasiveness of a Neanderthal. He has also been so tireless and classy often in a lost cause and has rightly earned admiring attention from many of Super League’s leading clubs.

Finally, at loose-forward, Wigan captain Sean O’Loughlin has proved yet again why he is not only so integral to his club’s cause but also, crucially, to England’s.

Dave Craven’s 2013 Super League Dream Team: Escare (Catalan); Lineham 
(Hull FC), Crooks (Hull FC), Cudjoe (Huddersfield), Charnley (Wigan); Chase (Castleford), Brough (Huddersfield); Crabtree (Huddersfield), Lunt (Huddersfield), Peacock (Leeds), Kirmond (Wakefield), Ferres (Huddersfield), O’Loughlin (Wigan).