Yeah. If I'm remembering right, Seibold put wanted McGuire on the bench when he first came in, and tried to replicate the 3 big prop style forwards thing he did at Souths with the Burgess brothers. At the time it possibly was the right move. But it was before Vlandys came along and sped the game up, which is seeing mobile props or traditional ball playing locks starting to make a comeback at the top clubs now.
McCullough though, I think needed the move at the time. He wasnt regressing, but he wasn't really progressing either.
To be fair, Cameron Smith and I think Robbie Farrah played halfback at junior level as well. So it wasn't like the idea was without merit at the time. They just committed to it longer term than some other teams did.
When Macca debuted, Lockyer and Peter Wallace were still our first choice halves pairing. And I think it was just after Ennis had left. It did make sense to put him there.
Before Smith and Bellamy revolutionized it, most hookers were just small defenders who mostly shovelled the ball to the halfback. But second rowers and even some props played a little bit more of dummy half back then. It wasn't as set a playmaking position as it is now. Anybody could go there.
Paix vs Marshall-King will be an interesting battle in this one though. They both have a point to prove for different reasons. Paix to knock off Turpin as the first choice, Marshall King to retain his starting position.