Clean slate for Smith
Reputation will count for nothing says England World Cup coach
Last updated: 7th February 2008
Smith: form, not reputation
Everybody wants to play for their country but they want to be picked on good form, they don't want anybody to give them a leg up or be picked because of their name. They want to be there on their form.
Tony Smith
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Tony Smith says reputation will count for nothing when it comes to picking his World Cup squad.
The England coach, who has just returned from a fact-finding mission Down Under, says form will be the only guideline when it comes to selecting his party for Australia 2008.
And although he was quick to point out it is not meant as a warning for those established stars who triumphed in the New Zealand series last year, he made it clear that the door is wide open for anyone to force their way into the reckoning.
"All the guys that were involved in that New Zealand series did themselves a lot of justice and put their names forward and this is a new year and each team I'm involved and my coaching staff are involved in, will be picked on form," he told Boots 'n' All.
"It's up the players now to go out there and put that form on the board again, but it's certainly open to all English players to represent and put that great badge on their heart.
"I've got no doubt there's some senior campaigners out there that have done a lot of very good things for their country and will be doing the same again.
"I'm sure that they'll put the form on the board throughout the season to get themselves selected.
Leg up
"But if they don't - and it's not a warning - everybody wants to play for their country but they want to be picked on good form, they don't want anybody to give them a leg up or be picked because of their name. They want to be there on their form.
"The players will agree with that system so certainly it will be picked on form. I think that's the only way to go."
England's opening game with Papua New Guinea may be over eight months away, but Smith is more than happy with the preparations that have been put in place.
His recent trip to his homeland was to check on training facilities and pre-tournament plans and he was happy enough with what he saw to turn down the offer of a warm-up game with the Manly Sea Eagles.
"They came in fairly late," he said. "We'd pretty much set our stall out as far as our warm-up games are concerned but they came in with a late suggestion and one that probably just didn't wuite fit our calendar really.
"But we're going to have the midi game against the French again and we're more likely to pick our strongest team rather than rest our senior players for that one.
"Then towards the back end of the year we're looking to have a warm-up game against the Irish - who are also involved in the World Cup - so that's likely to happen just after the Grand Final, just before we head off to Australia."
When England do eventually jet off Down Under, they are likely to do so as third favourties behind the hosts and New Zealand.
Smith is more than happy for his men to be classed as dark horses, but is quietly confident that they can upset the odds and bring England their first taste of World Cup glory since Great Britain - and Stevo - lifted the trophy in 1972.
"We're probably rightfully put in third, maybe second depending on how you view the Kiwi series and probably due to the fact that we're the only nation that puts on a competition other than the Australians.
"Whether that puts us into second place is up to everybody else to discuss. But we've got a very good chance and I'm going to take players to the World Cup who feel the same way: if they don't, then they won't come."
Comments
Michael Casey says...
Well done Tony Smith. At last, someone who sees form and not club tie as the way forward. If we are to suceed as a Rugby League force, we must choose from the best at the current time and not only on how good they used to be. We read that the younger lads are the future of Super League (Boots 'n' All, Rugby League Weekly etc) so why not for their country too? PS - Welcome Tony as a Pom! Mick C
Posted 13:20 7th February 2008
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