Tahu to learn Tahs' bench fate soon
Timana Tahu is set to find out soon whether his bench-warming days will continue throughout the entire 2009 Super 14 season.
NSW Waratahs coach Chris Hickey has chopped and changed his centre combinations throughout the first six weeks of the competition, with Tahu and Tom Carter both having worn the No.12 jersey.
Young gun Rob Horne has consistently started at outside centre, but Tahu has also spent time in that position as a replacement.
Hickey said on Monday he would be making a call on his best combination soon as the Waratahs backline struggles for cohesion.
"At some stage we ... need to settle on a combination," he told reporters.
"I guess the fact that the three players concerned all offer so much and are all such good players makes it such a hard selection decision."
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans fast-tracked Tahu to Test level as an inside centre last year with mixed results and skipper Stirling Mortlock was shifted there late in the season.
Hickey said he wasn't decided on which spot best suited the 28-year-old former NRL star.
"Timana's versatility there allows him to play either position," Hickey said.
"Even after six games it's still not probably settled in our own head about which is the best combination and we're fortunate we've got three players there who all bring a lot to the table.
"While you can sit down and think about it, it's not until you see these players playing in positions in game conditions to get a little more confirmation in your own mind about what are the best combinations to play."
A destructive ball runner who played State of Origin rugby league for NSW and Test matches for the Kangaroos before switching codes on a lucrative deal, Tahu's time on the bench has come under recent media scrutiny.
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