This is a great outcome as I don't think we went overboard to keep him.
AD put himself in this position because he is good at a lot of things but not great at any of them. As a result he is capabale of playing plenty of positions but he has deficiencies in all of them. If we take the rose coloured glasses off after the win last week and his good showing v Manly and Easts we can get a better feel for how he fits going forward.
If we look at his overall capabilites he is: tall and rangy (191cm, 95kg) providing a good physical presence; he is quick, but is not explosive off the mark; his kicking game is above average for a centre or lock, but below average for a half; his ball playing ability is good for a centre or lock but lacks the finesse of a top class half; his leadership is flawed, he is vocal and usually competitive, but has poor off the ball effort; and he can kick goals, but is well below average ranked 21/25 for kickers that have attempted more than 20 goals this season (Stats from RLP).
As a centre:
Strengths
- Strong Ball Carrier: Powerful running game, good post-contact metres.
- Defensive Communication: Reads defence better in 2025 than many natural centres due to his playmaking experience.
- Offloading Ability: Can keep the ball alive and create second-phase play.
- Kicking Option: Can be used as an alternate kicker on an edge.
Weaknesses
- Agility/Footwork: Lacks elite lateral movement to consistently beat top-tier centres one-on-one.
- Speed: Not fast enough off the mark to break open games or handle the fastest outside backs defensively.
- Positioning: Occasionally caught out when defending complex backline shapes; lateral movement is below average and he can be a defensive liability
As a 5/8:
Strengths
- Running Threat: Best utilised when he plays direct and takes on the line.
- Ball Playing Vision: Solid short passing game, especially on sweep plays or shape shifts.
- Kicking Game: Functional kicking game; has slotted clutch goals and repeat sets.
- Composure: Has shown he can direct a side when paired with a controlling 7.
- Strong Running Game: Off the back of momentum his strength allows him to dig into the line so defenders are committed, this provides time for his outside backs
Weaknesses
- Not an Organiser: Needs a dominant half next to him to handle tempo and structure.
- Lacks Creativity: Doesn't break down structured defensive lines with deception.
- Inconsistent Game Management: Can go missing or overplay his hand in pressure situations.
- Injury Impact: ACL issues have dulled his explosiveness on step and acceleration.
- Takes too much on: Tends to starve his outside backs of posession as he runs too often.
- Kicking Game: He lacks control and his long kicking game is below average for an half.
As a half:
Strengths
- Competitive Nature: Willing to lead, has attitude and effort defensively.
- Kicking under Pressure: Can handle some pressure kicking, including bombs and cross-field kicks.
- Strong Running Game: Off the back of momentum his strength allows him to dig into the line so defenders are committed, this provides time for his outside backs
Weaknesses
- Not a Natural Organiser: Game management, set-up play, and tempo control are not his strengths.
- Decision-Making Speed: Takes too long to assess defensive movements in tight spaces.
- Limited Vision: Doesn't naturally find mismatches or manipulate edge defenders.
- Kicking Game: He lacks control and his long kicking game is below average for an half.
As a lock:
Strengths
- Ball-Playing Middle: Can act as a link-man between halves and forwards – handy in attacking shape.
- Physicality: Handles the contact defensively and offensively; decent tackle efficiency.
- Utility Value: Adds tactical variety as a middle who can kick/pass.
- Kicking Game: Provides an alternate kicker which will disrupt last play defensive patterns.
Weaknesses
- Defensive Reads in Middle: Sometimes late in adjusting to decoys or A/B defenders.
- Lacks Line-Bending Impact: Doesn’t hit the line as hard as other specialist locks.
- Speed of Play: Not a natural quick-play-the-ball or first receiver at pace.
- Not a Defensive Enforcer: Doesn't dominate collisions like top-tier 13s (e.g., Yeo, Murray, Radley).
- Fitness: Currently does not have the motor to meet the workload requirements (80 minutes).
If we take all of this in you are looking at a player who is not elite in any of the positions he is capable of playing. AD can't be a starter in our team, at present, based on his
current capabilities. It has been made clear to all an sundry that his long term future at Wests Tigers is not in the halves. He is capable of pulling the odd game out of the bag as a half when the opposition is ill prepared; however, he lacks most of the skills required of a half in a top 8 team.
He has potential to transition to 13, his defence appears to be up to the task (but he doesn't win the collision) and he can perform the link role. However, to make the transition he needs a with a lot of work on his fitness and probably needs to add at least 5kg to enable him to win the collision and take on the line effectively.
The ball is well and truly in AD's court. He can hit it down the line for a winner if he puts his mind to it and make the transition to 13 (if we don't buy one in over the off season) or he will sit behind a raft players in the starting lineup as depth.