http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...nto-some-forward-thinking-20120528-1zfde.html
JAMES TAMOU'S stunning show of athleticism against Wests Tigers on Sunday may help convince NSW coach Ricky Stuart to choose another front-rower on the interchange bench in place of Tony Williams for Origin II.
With Williams having been ruled out of the June 13 clash at ANZ Stadium due to a back injury, Stuart is believed to be considering Tigers front-row pair Aaron Woods and Keith Galloway and Penrith prop Tim Grant as his replacement.
The loss of North Queensland's Tariq Sims (broken leg) has left Stuart without a strike forward who could make a similar impact to the Manly second-rower, and it is understood he is looking at changing the balance of his bench.
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Utility Jamie Buhrer may also make way for another forward after playing just seven minutes in his Origin debut at Etihad Stadium last Wednesday night.
The Blues went into Origin I with just two specialist props in Tamou and St George Illawarra's Trent Merrin, with captain Paul Gallen usually a lock for Cronulla but starting in the front row for NSW.
Dragons second-rower Ben Creagh was also used in a front-row capacity but the extra workload limited his involvement in the game to 25 minutes.
By choosing another prop on the bench, Stuart could enable Creagh or Gallen to spend time in their usual back-row roles.
Tamou also showed in the Cowboys' 26-18 loss to the Tigers at Campbelltown Stadium that he possesses the footwork and speed to be able to play a wide-running role.
Despite being 113 kilograms and 194 centimetres, Tamou rounded up Benji Marshall after he had run 60 metres from behind his own line and then made a 65-metre break that featured a massive sidestep on Tigers fullback Tim Moltzen.
The Test prop, who yesterday escaped a judiciary charge for a late tackle on Marshall, later revealed he had begun his junior career in Palmerston North as a centre.
Galloway played for NSW in the final game of last year's series and was a member of the Australian team that won November's Four Nations final in Leeds, while Woods was 18th man for the Blues in Origin I.
Grant is also in contention, with Stuart known to be a big fan of the Penrith prop, who is considered a captaincy candidate at the Panthers.
Barring injury or suspension this weekend, there are expected to be few changes from the side in Origin I as Stuart considers that the Blues were the better team on the night.
However, he may decide to dispense with Buhrer after barely using the Manly rookie in Melbourne.
Buhrer, who was a promising hooker in his junior days, was selected to fill the utility role made vacant by Kurt Gidley's season-ending shoulder injury, but Tigers hooker Robbie Farah proved he can play 80 minutes at Origin level.
The only concern about not having Buhrer in the side would be if Farah was injured early in the match, but Queensland did not have a back-up dummy half on the bench to cover for Cameron Smith.
If Farah needed a spell, it is expected the likes of Greg Bird or Luke Lewis could play dummy half and the pair would also be able to cover for any injury in the back line.
