I don't think I've ever heard any reports of someone getting bad rhizomes. Unless the whole rhizome is DOA when you get it, hops are so hardy that within a couple years I doubt you'd be able to tell the difference between the different rhizomes in terms of initial quality.
Just make sure you pick hop varieties that you won't mind having a lot of. Also, if you have growing conditions that are drastically different than ideal hop growing conditions, then you might want to ask around to see what varieties grow well or have a tough time in your area.