Can you or someone else please explain to me why it is a problem for Blayke to play 80 mins? Is it his size, lack of strength/endurance or is this position very demanding?
Hooker is possibly the most demanding position in the game. I don't think Brailey playing 80 (which he did most games) was a problem in itself, but there are two common threads when discussing Brailey and his minutes:
1. There were a few examples of games last season where people pointed out some "lazy" plays in defence
2. Quite a few posters have been critical of his attacking output
Most people seem to agree that he can handle 80 minutes, but there is some suggestion that we may see more attacking output and less of the fatigue-related misses if he gets a rest. The alternative view of course is that if he is surrounded by better defenders and guys who are playing appropriate minutes, he won't be getting worn down.
As far as attacking output goes, I personally believe that his influence on the team is greater than just "doing stuff that shows up on stats sheets". There is a very important control/organising factor which goes unnoticed by many, and the team plays better when he is out there even if he isn't taking scoots or setting up line breaks.
The other big factor with Brailey is that his worst game of the year was the final game. Recency bias is a real thing.