On another note, is Steven, Armitage, Ross, Dunstan, (a fit) O'Meara, Newnes, Gresham, Acres, McKenzie, Freeman, Billings, Weller, Templeton and Sinclair - fed by Hickey, Longer or Pierce - premiership-achieving midfield?
1. How would you line them all up (assuming fitness)?
2. How would that change if the context was 2018 onward?
EDIT: For mine, if you were assuming fitness, and talking next year, you'd be hard-pressed to keep O'Meara out of the team.
RK: Hickey - O'Meara - Ross
CR: Freeman - Armitage - Steven
Has a nice mix of grunt, class and speed about it... Then you consider;
FB: Dempster - Goddard - Webster
HB: Savage - Carlisle - Montagna
RK: Hickey - O'Meara - Ross
CR: Freeman - Armitage - Steven
HF: Billings - Bruce - Riewoldt
FF: Gresham - McCartin - Membrey
And a fair mix of talent to squeeze onto the bench, and that's not a half bad side.
Even if you took out the two old fellas, that's still:
FB: Dempster - Goddard - Webster
HB: Savage - Carlisle - Newnes
RK: Hickey - O'Meara - Ross
CR: Freeman - Armitage - Steven
HF: Billings - Bruce - Membrey
FF: Gresham - McCartin - Weller
There's some class building here.