Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin has not ruled out playing Peter Wallace at five-eighth should youngsters Ben Hunt and Corey Norman fail to fire in NRL trials against Gold Coast and Melbourne.
Hunt, 21, and Norman, 20, resume their battle for retired five-eighth Darren Lockyer’s No.6 jumper against Gold Coast on Saturday night with Griffin admitting former Penrith junior Wallace was a possible back-up option if required.
Hunt will start at five-eighth outside Wallace against Scott Prince and William Zillman in the Pizzey Park trial for which Titans coach John Cartwright has named a near full strength line-up including the club’s prized off-season signings Jamal Idris, Beau Champion and Nate Myles.
“It’s an option,” conceded Griffin when asked if Wallace could play five-eighth.
The second-year coach was critical of both Norman and Hunt for not taking the game to North Queensland in the second half of last week’s win and has challenged them to step things up against some quality opposition.
“At the moment I’m happy to keep Pete at number seven,” said Griffin when the question was posed after training at Royal Pines on Friday morning.
“Pete came here as a five-eighth so I know he can play there.
“That may be an option but at the moment we’re concentrating on him staying at halfback.”
Saturday’s clash gives Griffin a chance to see representative prop Ben Hannant and Josh McGuire go up against two quality props in Luke Bailey and another Titans forward recruit, Luke Douglas.
Hannant has been training the house down and desperately wants to be reunited with Petero Civoniceva in the Broncos front-row this season.
A fine-tuned McGuire also looks ready to resume where he left off late last season, his end-of-year form so impressive he made the Kangaroos train-on squad.
“Ben was disappointed about missing that rep stuff (Four Nations) but I think he’d be the first to admit his form probably wasn’t up to his standard at the end of last year,” said Griffin.
“I’ve got a massive rap for the way he’s prepared himself during the off-season, he’s got a terrific attitude and he’s in really good shape.
“He’s done everything he can to get himself ready.”
