Jones explains decision to play Egan over youngsters in halves

This Saturday Wayde Egan will become the sixth, and certainly most unexpected, player to start a game at five-eighth for the Warriors in 2022.

The usual hooker has been named in the halves for the match against the Rabbitohs on the Sunshine Coast, after playing five-eighth out of necessity last week when Chanel Harris-Tavita left the field with a knee injury after 28 minutes.

Egan has been selected ahead of young halves Ronald Volkman and Daejarn Asi – who were both signed mid-season by the club – with Jones making it clear that despite the top eight being out of reach, his focus is on winning in round 21, not developing players for next year.

“I don’t think it [Egan in the halves] is a long-term solution for the club. We do have some young halves there, but at the moment I am focussing on trying to get a result this weekend,” Jones said.

It’s just a week-to-week thing, he’s a hooker, an out and out hooker, but he’s a very smart player that can do a job in the halves.

Stacey Jones

“I thought the way Reece [Walsh] played on the weekend, [he and Wayde] both complimented each other really well.

“Shaun with his kicking game was pretty spot on, so the balance of those three I thought worked really well for us in the weekend and another week together, a week of training, is going to make them better.”

After leaving the field early for an HIA which he passed, following a heavy tackle from Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Egan returned to be one of the Warriors’ best players in the loss to the Storm, with a quality cut-out pass to set up Ed Kosi’s try among the highlights.

Following last week’s match Walsh told reporters, tongue in cheek, that the club had found their “halfback for the next 10 years” in reference to Egan, who admitted he had enjoyed the experience in the halves. 

“I was talking to the boys and it’s probably a bit more fun out there [in the halves], you are a bit less gassed, and you are sort of making defensive decisions and attacking decisions,” Egan said.

“I really enjoyed it… my first year in 20s I played there a little bit, probably my first 5-10 games, but after that I haven’t played there since.

“I have been playing footy for a while and you sort of don’t lose the footy player in you.”

The positional switch for Egan gives mid-season signing Freddy Lussick a chance to make his second start of the year, with the 21-year-old relishing the chance to come up against incumbent New South Wales hooker Damien Cook.

“I am really looking forward to it and taking the opportunity with both hands,” Lussick said.

“Damien has been a wonderful player for a number of years now and it’s always a really good challenge when you come up against those more experienced players.

“The Rabbitohs are playing some really good footy at the moment.”

The Warriors are likely to be without utility forward Jazz Tevaga for the remainder of the season after he suffered a shoulder injury in round 20, while Harris-Tavita will also miss 3-4 weeks with an MCL injury.