If you think the way Townsend played against the Storm (Both times this year, in fact, most times he has played them) was just Ok and other halves would do that, then why do other teams lack that game management against them year after year?
Obviously it was a good game, not just half decent, and if he does that we have a team built around that and can win any game.
"Swapping" a player depends on money and other players who can complement a player, so for the Sharks we'd need a top tier half or another good kicker and manager to replace Townsend (and people who think he is poor at either of those are out of serious discussion about halves, compare him to other NRL halves for the last 3 years, he is not terrible at those things).
So I wouldn't swap him for Hunt or Taylor as I don't think they do enough better to justify their fragility, and Pearce is not so much better that we should pay more for him.
But even if you want Moses (who has played about 8 good games in his career, as rocks and diamonds as they come) or Brooks (1 good season, with a very experienced minder doing all the big game management), or even Sezer or Nikorima (and if so, who the heck would run the team?), do you really rate Townsend as much worse than those guys?
This smacks of people with an anti Holmes agenda.
Townsend is not a top tier half, and not on top tier dollars. But has clearly kicked well enough for years, and is not a "passenger". First grade teams don't win premierships with passenger halves.
In regards to his defense, it is clearly good. Which doesn't mean he doesn't miss tackles and concede tries, as all small, wide defenders do.
If you wanted to dispute this seemingly simple observation (looking at both his style and his effectiveness) with statistics, quoting just accumulated missed tackle stats is a poor way to do it.
He also has a lot of accumulated tackles. Way more than most backs, as many as many forwards. Just based on that he is a top defender.
When you average both those out by looking at his effective tackle rate he is about the 80% we expect from average backs (a little under this year inflated by a poor game).
But this year he has made more one on one tackles than many other players, (right at the top of the NRL) so if we consider that with an average effectiveness, this makes his work this year good. For all players.
Given that he is in the position that is usually weakest at defending, he is a good defender out of the NRL halves.
Compared to Taylor or Sezer for example, he is a superb defender.
But that really is just gravy on top.
His kicking and game management are his main strengths, and he is good at them.
