No I'm not, I talked about them physically being up to NRL standard both in offence and defense. What Loko lacks is the same as what Tony Williams still lacks and jennings used to lack and that is reading of the game and decision making.
I reckon Loko and Williams also lack agility.
Loko is actually a good defender technically and his lateral movement isn't terrible but he does have a problem making good decisions which can make him a liability in pressure situations in both attack and defense. It could mean he runs an inside line rather then an outside line costing a try or it could mean he jams in instead of sliding. Now a lot of this can be learnt but will take time but it doesn't mean he is a horrible centre it just means until he does develop the mental aspect he will only be a 7/10 player rather then a 9/10 player.
I agree he could improve his defence by learning the position, but just like Tony Williams he would be better off moving to a position where he is better suited physically and learning that position.
Now on a second note, Loko would be a terrible winger. If he was to move to the wing he would just be a battering ram like Grothe became at the end of his career and his defensive issues would still be problematic and maybe worse because is has never played as a winger through his junior career.
How many NRL wingers played wing as juniors? f**k all I reckon. Wingers just aren't important enough in lower grade football for coaches to worry about playing their best players (i.e. the ones likely to become first graders) at wing.
Loko does not have explosive speed of the great finishing ability of most wingers these days and he would be exposed.
Well he is currently being used as a battering ram at centre, so he may as well move to the wing where the high workload won't impact his defence. Centres make two or three times as many tackles as wingers, so you don't want to wear them out with hit ups.
But I agree Loko would also have defensive issues (vs kicks) on the wing. He is better off moving infield.
For me Loko is destined to be a backrower with his ability to go around or through players in traffic and offload. Although similar to being in the centre it will take time to adapt to the lines he would run because they are slightly different and he will have to learn to run more inside the outside a play.
Agreed. He would have to learn the position but at least he is already suited there physically.
