Thank you for these replies. Obviously I wasn't factoring in the "Ab Initio" portion of the training which does not exist here in the U.S.
That said - there is only so much that can be taught within 800TT. For example, I never dealt with thunderstorm/icing scenarios until well into my first couple thousand hours - most of it as a flight instructor/charter/ferry pilot. What if these "cadet pilots" hit the line for the first time having never seen these situations? Yes they depend on the CA's expertise but therein lies the problem - we shouldn't have to see this stuff for the first time when at the controls of an airliner. I believe the proper seasoning of an airline pilot should occur well before they set foot in the right seat an airliner. And you can't possibly have the proper seasoning with just 800TT at some ab initio program - that is simply not enough time to gain experience and confidence that should always exist in a jetliner cockpit.
True, hours do not necessarily make a good pilot. But if I had to choose, I would always choose a pilot who's had more experience, obviously. There is a direct correlation between experience and hours.