I'm really looking forward to seeing Byod play at seven and I hope he gets picked there. I don’t think we’ve had a traditional half during
Webster’s time in charge.
SJ,
TMM, and Metcalf have all been more running-style halves. Even in 2023 and 2024, I’d still consider
SJ a runner. As he was averaging around two to three linebreaks a game in 2023.
So watching a Warriors team shaped more like the Raiders or Broncos, rather than the Panthers or Storm, (half wise) is going to be interesting at the very least. Byod has also been in our system long enough to know it well, so I trust he’ll slot in quickly and make an impact.
Now for a more controversial take... I think
TMM is a great person and still a talented player. But putting him at six or seven i think would actually hurt the club in the long run. Players like
CHT, Metcalf, Byod, and even Jye or Cleary are long-term prospects. If any of them reach their potential, you could build a team around them for years. Bringing in an older player instead, and not rewarding Byod for his patience and performances in NSW Cup, feels like a mistake. Or if they put
TMM at 6, it would also mean moving
CHT out of the halves and stalling his development by shifting him to a utility role or back to NSW Cup level. All for the chance that this last-minute switch somehow turns things around, it would feel like a very short sighted decision.