Will Smith started his first game in the halves for Parramatta for over a year when he took to the field on Saturday night against the Wests Tigers.
He played perhaps his best game for the Eels since his stint at fullback in 2017 and looked dangerous whenever he touched the ball, not to mention he marked up well opposite Luke Garner.
Dylan Brown may very well be fit this week given he was running last week and he will slot into the side if available.
However, there is still the chance of Brad Arthur having to choose between Jai Field and Will Smith.
Field has been up and down this season as he slowly comes to grips with playing in the NRL.
Smith meanwhile has seen very limited game time but has more NRL and finals experience than Field.
For mine, Saturday night seemed a trial run for week one of the finals if Brown isn't fit. It looked odd given Field has played little football himself to be given a rest and Smith to be moved into the halves. Was it indeed a case of rotation, or was BA trying to decide who gets a run in the number six this weekend?
To add to this is the expected return of both Marata Niukore and Ray Stone.
The Eels will have almost their entire squad available and players are going to have to miss out.
Alvaro will almost certainly drop off the bench while there are some questions over Stone, Takairangi and Lane.
Andrew Davey, in my opinion, has earnt himself a starting position with his performances this season. He's aggressive in defence, runs fantastic lines, provides high quality offloads and has a great engine. Lane has been filling in through the middle but has been a little impotent in that position, offering little in the way of ball playing or "x-factor".
Takairangi has been in and out of the side this season, he did a job against the Tigers to give Michael Jennings a rest but could very well serve as a super-sub of sorts for BA to call upon against the Storm. He has great utility value, offers some variety with his ball playing and is different to virtually every other bench player in the squad.
The other consideration is Ray Stone. He is in a similar mould to Brandon Smith regarding his defence and workrate through the middle and serves as a backup hooker.
So what does BA's bench look like?
For mine, it has to have a little unpredictability about it. Stacking it with four middles will not provide a great deal of change that we'll need against Melbourne.
So I'm going
14. Taka
15. Niukore
16. Evans
17. Stone
18. Kaufusi
19. Lane
Replies
in backing brown to be back with smith on the bench
Don't think it is a time for safe choices. We will just lose by less points by doing that.
I hope we play the most attacking team possible and tell them them to go for it.
Yeh that's what I'm hoping. We're not going to beat Melbourne in an arm wrestle. We need to unsettle them.
For mine. Your so predictable and pathetic in your guessing. I'll bet you $500 bucks right here Lane in in the side. Come on Super.
Walk on dopey kid.
I won....pay up Super.
Food for thought, i think you got it right Poppa.
Smith every day. He's played finals which is vital and his last start was very decent.
Got a bit of Panther in him can't be all bad.
Its between Lane and Davey on the left backrower spot. Perhaps noting that strangely neither make our bench at full strength.
Its between Stone and Smith for the bench.
14 - stone or smith
15 - Niukore
16 - kaufusi
17 - Evans
If brown is still out I'm stating the obvious but it's between Field and Smith and I reckon we go smith because he covers slightly more positions and is more likely to be called in if needed to cover e.g. hooker later in the finals series.
I wouldnt pick Brown as I dont think he'll be 100% and against the Storm Im not sure. I reckon Smith at number 6 and Bench should be Nuikore, Evans, Stone Taka/Lane. I still think Lane is a good player and has lots to offer. Davey to start hes great value and hope he stays in 2021.
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