On the topic of what we need at the club at the moment I think we really need to get our hands on a creative forward or two, someone who can ball play a bit and throw an offload. We must be the worst team in the comp for second phase play, which in part I put down to the coaching because I have a feeling Brown is trying to keep things simple, but it's so frustrating seeing us do the same predictable crap in attack every week where the opposition just needs to tackle the legs of the guy with the ball and the play dies right there.
It's becoming clearer and clearer that letting Cuthbo go was a bad move, he was our most creative player by a long shot, his offloads made us harder to defend against every week and he injected some energy coming off the bench.
Totally agree on Cuthbo. He had his critics in here early on but certainly towards the end he was clearly our most effective creative forward. I throw him into the same basket as players I've talked about before like Joey Leulia, who I personally was disappointed to see leave. I understand there were some extenuating circumstances there, and yes he could be dumb, but now look at our options at centre. I'd have Leilua back in a heartbeat because he actually offered something in attack, he could break the line, he could pop an offload in heavy traffic etc.
I feel like too often these players who can create something from nothing are not given the credit they deserve. You don't score points in the NRL if there isn't some creativity, explosiveness, skill or point of difference somewhere. You can have a million promising forwards like the Saifitis,steady playmakers like Mullo and Hodko (steady is being generous), and backs like Pat M who appear okay early on because they try and they can tackle... but in the end you get found out for a lack of x-factor.
If I could assemble a team that I think is somewhat realistic for us, I would place a premium on finding the right balance of solid with some spark that we are so desperately lacking right now.
My semi-realistic team that would make me happier:
1. Coote
2. Pete Mata'utia
3. Leilua
4. S Mata'utia
5. Ross
6. Pearsall / Lamb / Feeney (whoever comes along the fastest)
7. Ash Taylor (younger, better and cheaper than Hodko, and wasn't an auto selection at Titans)
8. Mataora
9. Levi
10. K Sims
11. Tapine
12. Taia
13. Lewis
14. Randell
15. J Saifiti
16. Stockwell
17. Cuthbertson
18. D Saifiti
I've let go of Gagai, Uate, Mullen, Hodkinson, Smith, T Sims, Snowden, Rochow and Peaa. That is a lot of cap space, including all of our highest paid players.
I've brought in (or never let go of) Coote, Leilua, Taylor, Tapine, Taia, Lewis, Cuthbertson.
There's no way the second group costs more than the first group. And we'd still miss the finals, but I would feel a lot more confident about actually doing something with the footy that asks questions of the opposition with that team over our current pile of plod.
