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Message: [QUOTE="Morkel, post: 2780607, member: 8215"] I've done a 180 on Oates. For two reasons. One, if his injury concerns are genuine, we'll likely get 4-5 years extra out of him on the wings. And two, because he offers more as a big tall winger who can run fast and finish than a back-rower who can run fast and finish. For mine, he brings everything that we benefited from with Vidot - the crucial starts to the sets dragging 3-4 defenders - plus genuine speed and the ability to finish with the best of them. He's got some over the line in the corner that you'd expect someone half his size to bomb. It's the same argument I had 5 years ago when Idris was carving up at centre. "Move him to the back-row, he's big enough" was the call. But why? There are plenty of back-rowers who can fit the criteria of having decent size and the ability to run hard. Why limit someone to such a narrow criteria when they have so much more to offer? Why run someone regularly against 2-3 defenders and make them do 20 - 30 tackles when they can be utilised one-on-one against generally smaller opposition and steamroll/fend/outrun them? If they can handle the increased short-burst intricacies, such as lateral movement in defence against fast opponents, the ability to turn and chase, and be safe under the high ball, there is far more value in sharpening the broadsword and using it to slice through than blunting it and trying to use it as a battering ram. 01 Boyd 02 Oates 03 Kahu 04 Roberts 05 Mead / Pearson is what I would run with until Opacic is healthy. It means we don't have to rush him back and end up with Jack Reed 2.0. Let him get 110% and warm him up in Q-Cup, then he can try to force his way in to the side. [/QUOTE]

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