Robinson - STOP Playing Jake Friend for the full 80mins.

[Bigchook]

The reduced interchange means Jake plays 80.

If you take him off for a spell and then back on that's a quarter of your interchanges gone.

The alternative is to bring him on after 20 or take him off after 60 - but you want him there at the start and end of the game.

If we played several games with 16 men at the start of the year then we can spare interchange for friend. And if aubusson is spelling him then you just do it with the forward rotation where aubo slides from second row to hooker friend off and a forward on. Then when they forward or another is ready to come off friend back to hooker and aubo back to second row. It's not rocket science. Napa plays 80 last week. Evans is capable of playing 80 as is tko cordner Guerra etc.

Guerra probably the least comfortable with 80..

[Insider]

I think that was going to be Niko's job until Pearce, Cordner and JWH became unavailable for a long stint.
Then of course Hendo got injured.
Our depth is shit this year and until we get a full strength team on the field there really isn't anyone who can fill that backup role.

Had all players been available Nikorima wouldn't have been in the team at all SST cords Guerra JWH Friend Napa Moa Evans Liu Aubbo . So I don't think there was ever a plan to start the season with Nikorima on the bench until of course the shit hit the fan. Imagine he will be out when and if we get our best roster all available.