Quote: Fully "You've just justified why we should PERSEVERE with the same half-back combination. They've played 2 games together and not had enough competitive games to try out combinations, get used to each other etc.
How many weeks/months does it take to settle new halves together at a club level? I'm pretty sure they're not super dooper together after two games.'"
I think that is the problem with british RL. When you look at the auzzies and NZ squads. There is lways changes in prsonnel but barring injuries you will always have/had the same half back partnerships. Lockyer/Thurston before Thurston it was Johns. No doubt next year they will struggle as Thurston and who ever setles down. But rest of the squad always changes.
What we need to do is for a couple of years play against teams which we are marginally better than such as the Pacific Islanders. Where they will give us a game but at least we could manage to get a win on a consistant basis. This will also enable to get combinations established and have a settled partnership. Instead every year we have two different players in each role who do not know each other.