I'd give them first crack, yes. And I'd only change it for injury. I just see consistency as paramount over anything else, and to be fair it's the only position I would make that sacrifice.
Id rather have a consistent partnership for 27 games than a marginally better one for half a season. In the long run I think that will serve us better.

Fair enough. For me it's the most important position in the team to have form players playing.

You have already said that your not a fan of Rankin and more importantly don't even see him as a half back yet you would only drop him if injured and keep a fit and probably our most consistent player in the first half of last season(horne)on the bench regardless of form,bewildering.

We've been waiting for ages for decent h.backs and now imo we have got 3 so let's just enjoy the fact of the competition for places COYH

I seem to recall last year having Seymour , Holdsworth and Horne available and being very surprised that Seymour and Holdsworth barely got 15 minutes together in pre season games. I think if you bring players in on long , expensive contracts , especially in pivotal positions , then you've already made a decision that these players are "first choice" and it has to then make sense to make the roles theirs to lose and give them time together to create an understanding with each other and the rest of the team. At least then you know whether the decision to bring them in was right or wrong , ie potentially just poor recruitment , as opposed to it being lack of game time , not gelling , losing confidence , not getting a platform from the pack etc etc.

What if they're consistently shiit?

They Don't play!!

Unless all three are playing shiit then i'd go with Miller and Rankin to build a partnership for the long term and if they keep playing shiit get rid asap..

They won't be.

I expect, Miller to have gone home, before the season ends.

Is that just a feeling? Or have you heard something?

I've got a feeling McDonnell won't see the year out.

I also don't see Miller being here at the end of the season. I think he'll be dropped and through either a club decision or his own he'll be on his way. Hope I'm wrong cos that would mean all is rosy, just haven't seen anything from him last season to suggest he will cut it. Cue, he was great against Widnes for 90 seconds replies.....

That would be a strange decision if it was purely down to on field performances between the two players.

Millers played about 50mins in pre-season 20 of which he played pretty well dragging a young side off of the deck against Donny for the draw. Yet some already have his bags packed resigned to the scrap heap at 22.
FFS.

This is FC mate, it happens every year for one of our players.