definitely an option. i hadn't considered it. Hilder is wasted space, he isn't even playing as well as he has in the past. i think the instability in the halves is the only thing that may go against it. i would prefer to carry Roberts than Hilder. Hilder, for all the praise i have heaped on him in the past, now looks well out of his depth.Perverse you don't think Gidley giving bedsy a rest at hooker allowing Roberts to be injected at halfback for 20-25 minutes wouldn't offer more than carrying another useless Hilder 15 minute cameo into a game?
I don't think we'd lose much with Bedsy going off to allow
6. Mullen
7. Roberts
9. Gidley
which in turn would allow us to rest Bedsy for a proper 20 minutes. I guess it could be seen as a disruption to our already unstable halves but Hilder is so far off first grade standard this year and Roberts given instructions to run direct and sniff around for offloads could be a game breaker in a 20 minute stint.
A jib is a sail but 'I like the cut of your jib' is like ... 'I like your style'
1. Boyd
2. Uate
3. W Naiqama
4. Tahu
5. McManus
6. Mullen
7. Gidley
8. Snowden
9. Buderus
10. Mason
11. Houston
12. Taia
13. Costigan
14. Hilder
15. Tetevano
16. Fa'aoso
17. Tuimavave
maybe something like that? who knows. Mason in the team changes things. i would definitely be rushing him straight in. as RABK has said, he has been training outside of footy. he shouldn't be too unfit. Hilder only in for lack of options to give Bedsy a break. Costigan on the bench may be a solution to that.
House came straight in to our side after 12 months on the sidelines. Why not Willie?
i'd rush him in, and it would be up front. he doesn't have to play massive minutes, but he would be there for sure. having said that, i haven't seen the bloke in 18+ months. realistically none of us are qualified to make the call, but if i could get 30+ quality minutes out of him, he'd be there for mine.
you're probably right, though. it would be remarkable for someone to come straight into the NRL after being away for 1 1/2 seasons. i was extremely rattled by what i saw against the dragons. we were gutsy, but so out-muscled that it was embarrassing.
Did house come back for the first game of the season when everyone else was still finding their feet? Or was it round 8 when every other players bodies were conditioned to the rigors of the NRL?
Mase and Laurie change the landscape of our go forward remarkabky if they both aim up. Two very big lads waiting for a chance to put it up the doubters. Snowy, mase and Laurie in rotation over 80 could be devastating.
Eddy needs to learn how to make metres and not drop the ball if he wants back into first grade