I agree he should be better now he will get more assistance in the middle, could still be some value to a quick breather too.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.
I definitely agree he does a lot of good work that doesn't show as stats, or even that obvious to watch.
Be an interesting year for him, thought he looked good in last trial.