Oz Sport Mad wrote:
Woods is soft and merely a stat accumulator at the best of times.
Selecting him after an injury layoff, ahead of an in form Fifita would make me very happy as a QLDer and would be utterly moronic at best.
It is also exactly what I suspect NSW will do.
Agreed. I reckon Gallen should play prop in rep games (he does that pretty well), and him and Woods should be competing for the same spot with Gallen winning. In my opinion they should be be playing the reliable hit it up prop role for 55-60 minutes. You have 160 minutes to get out of props and I think the 3 other props should be able to share 100-110 minutes comfortably, and hopefully with some impact. Clearly Tamou, Klemmer and Fafita do that role much better than Woods and all would typically play well over 40 minutes anyway. An impact second rower and a utility should be enough to cover the bench then, and if injury strikes, or the backrower get tired you can easily put Gallen in the backrow and increase the other 3 prop's minutes.
I think Woods is a powder puff, but he has gone better the last couple of years. Unlucky for him that I think he should only be considered if Gallen is injured. I also think if Gallen is injured he should be close to the first prop picked to because he is the next best NSW prop in that role.
With the backrow you have to get 240 minutes out of them. I can't even think of 1 potential candidate who you wouldn't get 60 minutes out of, between the 3 starters and 1 bench role. That leaves the bench spot for the utility. I don't know why you'd save a spot for a 20 minute forward, particularly one who is good because of their motor, not their impact (Merrin comes to mind).
As a Queenslander, the pack and bench I would least like to face is (might have missed a couple in the backrow):
8. Gallen
9. Farah
10. Tamou
11. Cartwright (But you have to pick Beau Scott if you pick a speed bump like Moloney in the halves, otherwise you'll be chasing 30. Okay if you have halves who are okay defensively)
12. Cordner/Merrin
13. Bird (I think his time has passed, but lets face it, you get free reign to be a cunt in origin, and he's as good at it as anyone
14. Whoever is the best utility. There is no standouts ala Craig Wing. Maybe it's Austin, Wighton or Josh Reynolds, even if they do end spending 80 on the pine
15. Fifita
16. Klemmer
17. Whoever is next best. Maybe even someone like Luke Lewis (not that he will be picked). In my team it would be Merrin with Cordner starting.
Edit: Would probably actually start with Merrin and Cartwright on the bench.