Incumbent ...Prince's arrival could force a shift for Wallace or Norman. Source: Brett Costello / News Limited
Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin will answer one of the most frequently asked pre-season questions when he names his starting halves on Friday for the Broncos' NRL season opener against Manly.
The Sea Eagles will field one of the NRL's best 7 and 6 combinations in Daly Cherry-Evans and Kiwi international Kieran Foran, who led the club to a premiership in 2011 so, whoever Griffin settles on, will have a big job to do.
The make-up of Brisbane's halves has been a major mystery since the club swooped on quality Gold Coast half Scott Prince last year following his ugly bust-up with Gold Coast.
Since then, there's been constant speculation over whether Prince, a former representative No.7 with a wealth of NRL experience, including a premiership with the Wests Tigers in 2005, would break up last year's experimental pairing of Peter Wallace and Corey Norman.
Griffin declined to give any clear indication of which way he was leaning on Thursday after giving all three players ample field time to state their cases in trials against North Queensland, the Titans and Warriors.
There are two schools of thought.
Either he will stay loyal to Wallace and Norman who finished 2012 in the halves and play Prince off the bench, or he'll pair up Prince and Wallace in the halves and use Darren Lockyer's replacement at No.6 Norman as a bench utility.
Prince's trial form has been strong and the way he runs and shifts the ball to his outside backs probably gives him an edge over Norman.
The youngster's confidence is a little down and his kicking game was off the mark against the Warriors in Dunedin last weekend.
Griffin said on Thursday he would announce his 17-man squad earlier than expected so his players could enjoy their weekend.
While he wouldn't reveal his halves, he was happy to talk about Manly's.
"Manly are a great club, premiers a couple of years ago and preliminary finalists last year. They've got good players right across the field, including their halves," he said.
After limping into the finals last year following a late-season collapse, three trial losses have led to predictions Brisbane will struggle to make the final eight in 2013.
"They've said that every year that I've been here. We haven't been tipped to make the eight for the last two seasons - it is just people's opinions," said Griffin.
Griffin confirmed injured centre Dale Copley could make a late bid to play again this season after undergoing surgery on a ruptured patella tendon a week ago.
"The surgery went very well and the injury was very clean and nowhere near as messy as (forward) Dave Hala last year whose whole joint was blown apart," he said.
"There's some chance at the back end of the year he could be in a position to play which is good."
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