Codie Taylor seems to have fallen off like Julian Savea did after RWC 2015. He's a completely different player - and I'm not sure is among the top 4 hookers in NZ right now (plus Dane Coles when he's back).
Fakatava appears to have the best ceiling of any AB 9 at the moment. I cannot stress enough how defenses have changed the game. The 9 has to be a) physical and b) a running threat, 2 areas that Aaron Smith, for his kicking and passing excellence, is poor at. Outpassing a rush will not work unless there is a checking force in the middle, and every checking force is enhanced by a 9 that can run. But if there's one area Fakatava needs working on, it's his kicking, especially the box.
While everyone, myself included, loves Will Jordan's running game, defensively he looks very frail, and I worry about his top-end high ball ability against the likes of Freddie Stewart and Hugo Keenan.
Finally, I quite like Fletcher Newell. He's a strong fellow, and he runs well. We need that because the other AB props are not good carriers. You only have to look at Joe Moody now. What's missing is a little bit of old-school Owen Franks aggression.
I would like to see both Leicester and Caleb Clarke back into the AB set-up for that left wing spot. In fact, there are only 3 players I will consider for that spot - the 2 of them and Reiko. I don't see Jordan and Reece at 11, they are 14s - namely they are not going to get that crash ball off first phase into heavy traffic.