Wherever BBO ends up playing his best football whether it be 7 or 9 I think time will tell. Until then I disagree strongly with the opinions he‘s best off spending a year in Reggies to find his feet or whatever the reason.
He’s played NRL and excelled, he’s not gonna learn anything in Reggies that he‘s not ready to learn in NRL now. He should be in the 17 (bench as THE utility) as long as form and injury allow. He can play minutes, most of them I’d assume, at 9 and get a run at halves and maybe even elsewhere as needed.
Not only be best for BBO, it’d be best for the team.
Right now I don't believe that BBO knows what is truly required to fully develop his body and, as many would say his mind, to play consistent level NRL quality every week, for 80 minutes, week in week out, against all opposition. Talent only gets you so far, after that it's puting in the time, to learn, do the gym work and train so that he is able to use that talent consistently. I'm sure he will be training with the NRL squad and coaching staff every day, learning from the experienced players how to do recovery, so that he can play at his best in the next game and the one after. Learning how to manage the inevitable niggling injuries, avoid them and overcome them when they do occur. Just training and hanging with the NRL squad he will learn what he has to do every day in every game to earn an NRL spot, to demand that he be picked.
To be frank "he’s played NRL and excelled" for a few minutes here and there in the odd game, maybe 5 out of the 9 games he played, but consistently over a whole game, let alone game after game, not even remotely close.
Always a Bulldog
