Bateman is a skinny little Pom with a hard head, good on him.
I will just add I was talking to an Aussie mate of mine, who knows nothing about NRL he is a an AFL fan. He knew Andy Platt when he was here. Every Thursday he, Betts and another import used to spend Thursday after training drinking themselves stupid at home. He was not impressed, neither am I. Poms are not welcome in my team. I couldn't care if Heyzeuss himself was a bloody Pom.
Our backs are not the problem right now, it is our forward pack.
Ah Mau is doing the job, so is
Afoa and
Harris. What about the rest, and they are not small. I would not want to be hit by Papaili,
Blair is a big guy too. It is a mental problem as alluded to by
SK, but all this pack were signed by him. He has to carry the can for that.
You mention speed,
Fusitua isn't slow and Ken is slow off the mark but when he get going he is ok.
Hiku isn't slow nor his
Chanel Harris-Tavita. Green was carrying a groin injury and was let down by his forwards.
Nikorima will add genuine speed from close in, but if he is getting belted by forwards as well it might not help much.
I have been harsh on the ISP side, but there are some goers in that team Riki and Frie for starters. Are they worth a go? I don't know but something has to happen.