If our locks were Skelton, Potgieter, Chapman, Peterson I wouldn't feel too bad about the situation.
Braveheart: You are always looking for the bright side, but really that would be a poor locking roster to go into next season with. Chapman played really well at the end of the season but unless he can maintain that level of intensity and smarts over 80 minutes week in and week out, he's only going to be a bench player. Petersen has not ever performed to expectation yet. That leaves just Skelton and Potgieter who will have to remain injury free all season. Worse, it significantly reduces our lineout options.
Long term I see Skelton as Palu's replacement and I think giving him a couple of games at eight next year will be important preparation as well as handling Palu's workload, which will be massive in a World Cup year. We need another up-and-coming lock who is a lineout catcher and preferably a tight head side lock too. Finding one is the problem and we are already using our import card on Potgieter, so it has to be someone who is Wallaby-possible. A trip to Samoa or Fiji is probably our best shot - no one seems to have screamed out "pick me" in Shute. Maybe there's someone not yet contracted in the NRC; we'll have to wait and see.
