I have flown with the antiskid U/S MEL, it's not really t-h-a-t big a deal, although obviously there are massive weight penalties (no probs with a 1 hr sector though - we did SYD-MEL, took off 34L and landed 16, cavok both places) and, of course, the runway must be dry. Took us ages to do the performance data though so we were mega late.
Um also, did all you armchair critics bother to find out the environmental conditions before you go off half cocked monday morning quaterbacking this?