SaintsFan wrote:
it proved useful last week, when Meli went off injured and Wheeler covered
But we had Soliola and Flannery in the side - we could just as easily have brought a back rower off the bench for one of them and moved Sia/Flanno to centre. With Foster is in the side, he can cover full back.
We have easily enough versatility in our 17 with 4 forwards on the bench to cover injury across the backs without having to run a man light on the bench in the event that a back doesn't get injured.
I just think it is overkill and wastes a bench spot. Yes, we have players who can play 80 minutes, but do they play 80 minutes as vigorously and effectively as they would play 60?
Wire had 4 forwards on the bench against Wigan last weekend and it allowed them to be absolutely relentless up front, something a back on the bench limits. More often than not your backs will come through unscathed and a bench spot is wasted.
IMO anyway.