I think Dimma is going about it the right way. He is not throwing all the kids to the wolves all at once but rather given each an extended period of time to learn the craft and gain the confidence to find their way. He is keeping older, more experienced backman, down in defence to support this educational period and ensure they are not burdened with the most difficult opposition forward straight up.
McGuane is a necessary evil currently. He is our best tall defender at the moment and someone who has played on the better forwards for numerous year now. Players such as Grimes and even Rance will learn from him and learn how to play within a defenite defensive structure. Players such as Batchelor and Conca are not true defenders per say, but rather defensive forwards. Their role and responsibilities are completely different.
When their form warrants it, I would like to see Astbury and Post be given similar time frames in defence to gain experience in this type of role. Moore's return will strengthen up the defence in the short term (though he may never return this year) but we are pinning a great deal of hope on too few.
We do need to continue to develop our tall backs and hope that with experience and continued education they become a strong defensive unit. Until then though expect the points scored against us to continue to mount
