Australia exclude Hunt and Hayne.

Australia named their twenty four man squad yesterday at the same time as New Zealand announced theirs.

Australia

Terry Campese (Canberra Raiders), Justin Hodges (Brisbane Broncos), Darren Lockyer (Brisbane Broncos, capt), Joel Monaghan (Canberra Raiders), Paul Gallen (Cronulla Sharks), Anthony Laffranchi (Gold Coast Titans), Scott Prince (Gold Coast Titans), Brent Kite, Josh Perry, Brett Stewart, Glenn Stewart, Anthony Watmough, David Williams (all Manly Sea Eagles), MichaelCrocker, Israel Folau, Greg Inglis, Billy Slater, Cameron Smith (all Melbourne Storm), Kurt Gidley (Newcastle Knights), Johnathan Thurston (North QLD Cowboys), Steve Price (NZ Warriors), Brent Tate (NZ Warriors), Petero Civoniceva (Penrith Panthers), Craig Fitzgibbon (Sydney Roosters).

What sticks out there, is Karmicheal Hunt and Jarryd Hayne both miss out on the twenty four. This shows an alarming strength in depth that Australian possess, especially in the back line.

Looking at the two fullbacks, Billy Slater and Brett Stewart, are both good enough to play without the squad missing the other.

Isreal Folou, Kurt Gidley, Justin Hodges, Joel Monaghan, David Williams and Brent Tate are each capable to doing the same as the fullbacks.

Terry Campese, Darren Lockyer, Scott Prince, Greg Inglis and Johnathan Thurston definitely out class anything in the English side.

Front rowers, Brent Kite, Josh Perry, Michael Crocker, Steve Price and Petero Civoniceva are beatable by the English contingent, but only at full strength. If Morley, Peacock or Graham take a knock for England, these five will walk all over the team.

And again with the back rowers, Anthony Laffranchi, Glenn Stewart, Anthony Watmough, Paul Gallen and Craig Fitzgibbon can be pegged back. But this would have to be a very bad performance by the Australian side.

So overall the back line is untouchable, but England will have to take the game to the forwards and hope Burrow and Pryce can take advantage using the backs and the momentum gained from their hard work. Australia are beatable, but doing it on the 22nd November is a different story and one England will be hoping to do.

And as for the New Zealand team, they have a trickle of quality. Players like Greg Eastwood, Jeff Lima, Steve Matai and, for once, Benji Marshall. The full squad looks like this;

Nathan Cayless (Parramatta, captain), Adam Blair (Melbourne), Greg Eastwood (Brisbane), David Fa'alogo (South Sydney), Nathan Fien (New Zealand Warriors), Dene Halatau (Wests Tigers), Lance Hohaia (NZ Warriors), Krisnan Inu (Parramatta), David Kidwell (South Sydney), Thomas Leuluai (Wigan), Jeff Lima (Melbourne), Issac Luke (South Sydney), Simon Mannering (NZ Warriors), Sika Manu (Melbourne), Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers), Steve Matai (Manly), Sam Perrett (Sydney Roosters), Sam Rapira (NZ Warriors), Jerome Ropati (NZ Warriors), Setaimata Sa (Sydney Roosters), Jeremy Smith (Melbourne), Iosia Soliola (Sydney Roosters), Manu Vatuvei (NZ Warriors), Brent Webb (Leeds).

Keeping Benji Marshall fit is easier said than done these days. If they can, he will cause problems for Australia and England. On the back of go-forward from Lima, Kidwell, Hohaia and Fa'alogo they can be as dangerous as England with a good pack.

I think England should be looking to beat this side, but not in the same vein as they did twelve months ago. This year New Zealand will be no pushovers. They have almost a fully fit squad (excluding Sonny Bill Williams) that can even challenge the Aussies to a decent game like in the 2005 Tri Nations.

It will be a toss up between NZ and England for that place at Suncorp on the 22nd of next month. But it should be a fiery occasion if that situation does arise.