It is purely that Jones' contact zone involvements are so passive. He gets belted running the ball and he completely ineffective in performing a decent ruck cleanout. He is however a much better lineout operator than any of the other options.
Dempsey and Valentini both had stop-start seasons with injury only playing nine and ten super games each so I can see the hesitation. Both have far greater potential than Jones and being that he hasn't exactly bashed down the selectors door in the extra few super games (he played 14) or in the test I'd look elsewhere.
I'd prefer to see Wright develop as an openside. In Australia we are just use to having shorter players in that position (from the professional era Hooper, Pocock, Gill, Smith, Waugh, Hodgson, Croft, Wilson, McMahon, Hardwick and Robinson all who are 185cm or less) I would like to see him develop along the lines of Burger or McCaw where he can play six but seven is his preferred spot.
I am a proponent of best player first, balance later (I believe Chekia is too). Although playing Hooper and Pocock has its limitations they are so far ahead of our blindside options I cant genuinely see the selectors picking anyone else. This means we need the locks to lift and provide more than they have over the past few years.
