Q. Why do you think the confidence has dropped?
A. Well I think because they are playing in different positions in some cases and it is a little bit different workloads to what they are used to. Probably in the end, you lose three of four champions out of the side and it does make a difference. It is not as if you are losing your eighteenth or your possible fourteenth best player. You are actually losing five of your best seven and that is a bit different. But it gives us an opportunity to find one or two and we think McVeigh and Danny Jacobs and these players are really starting to stand up and we think David Hille has been quite good. We are getting something out of it but we are not getting the four points - that is unfortunate.
Q. There was a report today saying Paul Salmon won't play and will be rested....
A. He won't play. It probably isn't a bad time to rest him - it will probably be raining Friday night and you don't need three tall players. It is a good opportunity for us to play Hille and Alessio. He has been terrific - we have won three games since he has come back and he has helped us win those three games. But really, he is not here to play every game.
Q. Has Hille's improvement been that noticeable this year?
A. I think Hille will be happy to get the whole game this week and from the point of view of developing - it is very hard to be developing your game from sitting on the bench, coming on and off the field with the other ruckmen. Welsh, Forster-Knight, Reynolds, Harvey, Hille and these sort of players need to go another step now. We might have to put one or two other players in that haven't had an opportunity lately.
Q. Will Dustin Fletcher play?
A. I am pretty sure he will play. When you have a situation when you have your goal to goal line out virtually - if you want to count Solomon - when you lose that sort of line-up, it is a little bit awkward to fill. We have hung in there and it has left a very average taste in our mouth last week in the last quarter when we didn't perhaps fight right to the wire and that is something we have to make sure we do - even when you lose, we expect that - it is apart of being a competitor.
Q. Will McGrath be right to play?
A. I would think he would be alright to play. McGrath unfortunately got hurt in the reserves but I am pretty sure he will get up.
