daz As the numero uno Mitch Inman fanboi, your thoughts on him having a bash at 12 next year?
I'm just waiting for KRudd to legalise same-sex marriages so I can pop the question to Mitch.
I am not adverse to Inman playing 12, especially if English plays at 13. I assume Hegarty at 10.
Here's the problem; Mitch has really picked up the defensive part of his game in the back-end of this season. But given his size, in attack he struggles to bust a line in the finest traditions of a crash and bash 13, such as Mortlock. He also tends to run straight lines, which is good, but unfortunately his pace is not great.
2 tries in 2013 for a 13 is not great.
However, what Mitch does is provide very good linking support to the backs. Like AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at the Tahs, his ability to straighten up the attack is excellent, which means he can make a few metres, draw the defenders, go to ground and give Stirzacker or Burgess the option for quick ball. As a 12, the added bonus to that would be that he would also release English and the wingers to attack in waves. English appears better at creating attack than Mitch.
In defense, he is also a very good counter-rucking player. So many times he gave Scott F and Jordy R a chance to get turnover ball.
My personal feeling is that he should continue at 13 for now (after all, it's not as if it is really broken) but if Hegarty can develop quickly, 12 might be an option.
EDIT: This is all hypothetical. To be fair, Sidey played a great second half of the season at 12. Both Mitch and Rory deserve to retain their spots going into 2014.