Would easy' rather take these fresh new guys, or last summer's rejects?
The question you have to ask is: which is cheaper?
It seems logical that they would rather have the guys who have a type rating, time on type and knowledge of their routes/SOPS/way of life
Remember who you are dealing with. They are not logical people, they are people whose bonuses are based on spending least money to run the airline, not having the most qualified people to do it.
Would this be outweighed by the cost of not paying a cadet for 6 months? (I'd guess yes)
Very likely correct, sadly.