I think Bateman has done enough to get a go, and from the squad I'd go with Ferres. Incidentally, I wasn't saying that I would play him, I just think he'll struggle against the very physical Kiwi forwards.

Farrell has a good 5kg on Bateman. John may be slightly taller, but it Farrell is bigger built.

To misquote Mark Twain - “It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.”

Bateman and Farrell both do just fine for me. The effort that these two put in every time they cross the line is awesome - Who cares if they are 5'11" or 6'??

"Farrell is too small for internationals" is one of those buzz statements that people churn out without much to substantiate it. He was the only forward to play the full 80 on Sunday, he got through a ton of work both defensively and in attack and didn't look out of place. I think the combination of Farrell and Whitehead with Ferres coming off the bench is a pretty good balance in the SR.

Well I for one hope he continues to prove me wrong. He may well turn out to be the exception that proves the rule. Time will tell.

My views were based on his performances in the 4N last year, when he lost the ball in contact a few times and simply didn't look comfortable in the collision. I still have my doubts but his workrate in defence can't be faulted.