You want guys who may not be ready yet but have potential down track. We have a great back up fullback. And good depth in halves and middle.
Backs and 2nd row especially if cop 1 or injuries is worrying.
I would say every team if they suffer 2 injuries at the same position are either going to have to force a good player into a bad position (2nd rower playing centre, prop playing 2nd row) or otherwise pick a player who at best (but unlikely to be) is their 19th best player. Salary cap would probably start to even talent spread better around there so a team’s 19th best player is likely to be somewhere between the 300th to 350th best player in comp.
But really if a team is losing say 2 outside backs, their replacement is more likely going to be 20th something player in squad. Regardless of team that’s going to be more between 400th to 500th best player in comp.
That can be mitigated with some youth but just because they’re young doesn’t guarantee they’ll be better than the other bottom 100 players and also isn’t that what we have done anyway with Renisini, Nanva? And even if they aren’t the answer, the fix there is a deeper process because going to market to replace that level means paying overs or getting worse players (or at least not better). Better to self develop the replacements (or go to market at younger age group).
The problem isn’t at that level. It’s the likely value will get out of Simonsson this year that’s the issue. Somewhat mitigated by the likely value we get out of Russell.
But I’m sure even if we replaced Simonsson with a starting left centre, posters would complain that Russell isn’t a good enough backup outside back