No idea why you’d make major changes after that. They turned up lack intensity and application and lost to a hungry team. The only thing that has separated us from the pack from 2023-now is intensity and application. We didn’t have it and we lost every facet of the contest. Maybe we would have had it with Fish and Romey around the squad but Talagi certainly isn’t the answer and Jenkins isn’t the answer to that question.
Maybe those two guys are two key ingredients in the mental makeup of this side missing too many. We’ll see. They certainly had the mentality in Vegas so I’m not worried yet.
I think switching Alamoti and McLean would be my change. Alamoti is a more typical Panther winger build and McLean has better hands (passing) and is strong defensively at centre. I’d also like to see Laurie get on the field, maybe for Cole, much earlier, say 55 mins in. Laurie has earned a proper role in this team and he could add that spark and speed we lack. The other option would be sliding Cole to centre, Tago to edge for a stint which would give the edges a bit more speed and agility to work with during that softer 50-70min period of the game.
The rest, go do whatever Marto is doing because he has the intensity in spades this year. Absolute maniac.