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For years it was 1 prop who could cover both sides - like a slipper, HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes), talakai all spent time at lhp. So did alan early days. Just likes Greg Holmes, Guy sheperdson had to when that was the rule. Risky, but possible.

Without changing anything else, I'd go with Gordon & Toole on the bench. Jorgensen is at best the 3rd rank fullback in Aus - the starting team already has 2 starting 15s and a wing who can play 15. Gordon can cover 10/ 12, Paisami & Petaia can cover 13 if needed, Toole has wing and Kellaway...

Uru and Cale showing more then Wilson, but also tussling with Glesson and Hooper for the final spot in my 5 man backrow squad in a 33man program - Leota, Valetini, Mcreight, Swinton + ?

I hope a bunch go to Force. They have a foreign thp, lock, average backrowers, losing their 13 and have average collection of outside backs. Loving JTA and Ravai at the Reds, but would be a shame if guys like Talakai and Eloff were lost because the Reds and Force currently have foreign props...

I want to see Toole, Flook and Potter get their chances. Potter has had a couple poor ones and a couple great ones. Picking a 33 offical squad is hard, Im sure the initial squad will be more broad

Going with a local only for the July series - this is my 33 man squad. Hk: Faessler, Porecki, ? Pr: Slipper, Bell, Hodgman, Ala'alatoa, Tupou, Talakai Lk: Frost, Neville, Holloway, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) BR: Leota, Wilson, Valetini, Swinton, Mcreight * I do not think we will see Swinton, with him replaced by...

Not sure of the previous context but those two are essentially replacing Perese & Markymark. So no sign of overloading there, however 4 centres and 5 outside backs is pretty standard, so on that metric, if Pietsch, reilly and Karawalevu are retained, then Wilson is surplus to requirements.

May be completely irrelevant as I don't know if squad sizes are pre agreed upon for Spring series & Rugby Champs, but world cup limit is 33.

Gordon said himself how much he was learning and how great it was to be roomed with him - so just going off that.

Thought he said he wasn't - and i dont rate foketi, especiallynot ahead of kerevi.

Lynagh and HMP going solid, but can't rule out the veteran. Definitely the 22 jersey however.

With Skelton not being picked for the incoming series (unavailable) I still think we should be bring in the 3 foreign based players. 1) We need 2 decent 12's, we only have one in Paisami - so Kerevi still vital 2) Vunivalu is ok on his best day and Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase) is leaving - so I think we need...

Assuming he is doing well there firstly.

Ikitau has to be in line for a good offer here, especially with Petaia no longer a 13 and Perese leaving. Talk about a valuable and rare commodity.

Yeh for sure, he isnt going to go from 1.5 down to a point where the force and RA can actually table a competitive offer.

Force would be the most likely target. They are short on outside backs, and the guy who SHOULD be playing fullback, is an import (tiatia)

Suli is still on one They offered Markymark 750 or 800 total, he took a big cut to go to league. I imagine they would have a similar offer for Petaia, especially as they would have likely been expecting to offer both a topup (albeit a smaller one for petaia originally i suppose)

Yes I would have gone Vaihu or Ripley straight into starting @ 13. Leaving Daugunu, Kellaway and Anderson alone. Oh well.

NPC is the big one! Takes ALOT more to become a NZ Super player - not many teenagers in their squads!

Yeh 100% - forwards get closer when you take out ravai and hodgman (didnt included JTA), but that still reinforces the gulf - bringing in test caps foreigners and still struggling to beat newly promoted NPC players. The gulf is only partly International Rugby: Hurricanes have 5 capped players...