RedsHappy
Tony Shaw (54)
Giteau covers 10. Beale covers 10, 12 and 15. JOC (James O'Connor) covers 12 and 10. Horne covers 12. Ioane covers 13.
Do you really think that we need more cover for the inside backs? IMO Hynes deserves to be there, even in front of Beale if not Barnes. I mean, who would you feel more comfortable in coming on to finish off a game at fullback - Hynes or Beale?
Indeed. And then just compare the S14 form of Hynes (huge contributor to Reds 2010) and Barnes (whoops, was moving south all a big mistake?)...then, for me at least, Barnes hardly dazzled on Tuesday and is way down in confidence. I thought Hynes played well on Tuesday and is a proven pressure player (recall Barnes miscalculated pass option against the ABs last year in NZ, when the pressure was really on, just as it will surely be on Saturday night).
Then we have Burgess as run-on. I believe Valentine would have been a better risk-reward calculation. The idea that Burgess wins the position as the better defender is cart before the horse if ever there was one.