Mark Gasnier will sign with the Dragons today, but his first game is likely to depend on whether St George Illawarra centre Beau Scott is selected for State of Origin III.Blues selectors are agonising over the choice of attacking weapon, caught between Jamal Idris or the defensive rock of Scott, when they name the NSW team tonight.If Scott is picked for his second Origin appearance, it means he will be in the NSW camp in Wollongong this week and unavailable for the Dragons clash with Penrith at Kogarah next Monday.
Full coverage of the Dragons Scott's absence will open the door for Gasnier to be thrust straight into a Red V jersey, just one week after inking his return to the club following a stint in rugby union.It is understood coach Wayne Bennett is considering delaying Gasnier's start, his first game for the Dragons since walking out on the club for a French rugby union deal two years ago, until after next week's bye.Bennett is keen to have the club's million-dollar man complete several training sessions with the squad before the former captain plays for the NRL competition leaders.However, with Scott potentially among six Dragons players to be chosen for either NSW or Queensland in Wednesday week's dead rubber Origin game, Bennett may unleash Gasnier on the Panthers.Already boasting an embarrassment of riches in terms of talent and form, St George Illawarra have now managed to squeeze Gasnier under the salary cap as part of a back-ended deal worth about $1 million over three years - plus other lucrative third-party agreements.Gasnier, who turns 29 next month, announced he was leaving the Dragons midway through the 2008 season after third-party payments fell through, leaving him significantly out of pocket.The dilemma Bennett now faces is how to use the superstar centre.When the Dragons regain their full complement after Origin, the obvious move would be to inject Gasnier into his favoured right centre position and switch Scott to the back row for the rest of the season.However, Scott was in superb touch in Friday night's 34-10 victory over Wests at WIN Jubilee Oval.Not only was he at his punishing best in defence, he also made a stunning fleet-footed break which led to Kyle Stanley's try before half-time.Another option would be to drop Stanley - who has scored five tries from as many NRL appearances this year - to the bench and switch Gasnier to the left until Matt Cooper returns from a hamstring injury.Cooper is likely to be out for another month after suffering the hamstring problem in the Origin II loss to Queensland in Brisbane.The complication for Bennett in moving Scott to the forwards to make way for Gasnier is how the Dragons will defend on the right edge.Scott has defended inside Jamie Soward, a move by Bennett last year which sparked the five-eighth's amazing surge into NSW Origin selection consideration tonight.There are concerns that despite all of Gasnier's amazing attacking talents, the Dragons could become defensively weaker on the right-hand side if Soward and Gasnier are defending next to each other, outside Scott, Neville Costigan or Jeremy Smith.Moving Gasnier to five-eighth or fullback is not a consideration for Bennett because of Soward and Darius Boyd's form in their respective positions.
