PART 2
The Halves Conundrum & The Schuster Wildcard
With Luai departing, our playmaking options offer contrasting styles:
- Jock Madden: A textbook, traditional option. He provides a standard, structural kicking game and reliable direction, but lacks x-factor.
- Latu Fainu: A high-ceiling, modern option with devastating running power and unstructured attacking instincts, but needs to work on his discipline and game management.
- Javon Andrews: A big half and a rookie wildcard. While sidelined at the tail-end of the season with a right calf strain, he represents raw potential that he demonstrated clearly in NSW Cup. He needs more time in Cup to refine his defensive reads before transitioning to first grade permanently.
- Josh Schuster: The ultimate reclamation project. Dropping an astounding 33kg (from 120kg to 97kg) to play NSW Cup proves his dedication. He offers elite ball-playing size, and Benji clearly views him as a high-reward asset who could easily push for a Top 30 spot as a utility, back-rower, or dynamic five-eighth.
- Jake Averillo at 6? Shifting Averillo to five-eighth injects speed and an explosive running threat directly into the spine, but it could disrupt team balance. Offensively, Averillo at 6 would excel at unlocking outside backs on quick shift plays, using his acceleration to slice through compressed lines. These traits would create instant, dynamic sweep combinations with Jahream Bula. However, this move would place an immense burden on the halfback. Because Averillo relies on an instinctive, eyes-up running style rather than disciplined tactical kicking, pairing him with someone like Fainu leaves us with two run-first playmakers and no structural control. To make Averillo at 6 viable, he would need to be paired with a percentage-play halfback like Jock, who could shoulder the game management, direct end-of-set kicking, and anchor the defence.
Our halves are our biggest puzzle, requiring a calculated transition plan that balances immediate on-field performance with targeted investment in our genuine generational talent.
- The Short Term: We are in a decent position here with a three-into-two competition over the off-season between Madden, Latu, and Schuster. In my mind, it all depends on how Schuster progresses. From a developmental perspective, the more time Latu spends at 7, the better. However, this depends on Schuster being up to standard at 6. If he is, it allows Madden to backup the 7 spot and mentor Latu on game management, while Schuster takes the opposite role with Javon Andrews: starting 6 and mentor. Should Schuster not be up to the task, Madden must act as the primary, steady general to handle the tactical kicking and organising duties. This structural safety net would allow Latu to play his natural, high-tempo running game with maximum freedom; lowering his error rate and protecting him from playmaking pressure while he builds first-grade resilience.
- The Long-Term Strategy: The future lies in a dynamic combination of Latu and Andrews. Once Latu develops his ability to manage game tempo, the pathway for Andrews to transition into the top grade is clear. Javon provides distinct line-running traits and raw playmaking potential that, when paired with Fainu's running power, should give us an unpredictable, highly explosive 6/7 pairing capable of driving the team out of this rebuild cycle.
The Rest of the Roster: The Unknowns vs. The Next Wave
The Unknowns (Squad Fillers & Question Marks)
- Bunty Afoa: Pure operational depth. He'll provide stability and mid-game engine metres, but at his age, offers zero x-factor.
- Heath Mason: Utility insurance. Versatile depth across fullback, wing, and outside backs, but needs to lock down a permanent role.
- Tristan Hope: Under immense pressure. The arrival of Jayden Brailey completely pushes Hope out of first-grade utility and backup hooking calculations. He's likely holding back youth if he remains on a Cup contract.
The Development (The Powerhouse Generation)
- Vaka Aho: An emerging middle forward. He needs to work hard on his fitness and lateral movement in defence. A work in progress, but a keeper.
- Solomone Saukuru: A highly-rated youngster with great attacking skills but defensively quite frail out wide. He could be an excellent centre with time, but needs careful development with a clear focus on his defensive reads.
- Ethan Roberts: Officially graduating to the Top 30 in 2027. He showed enough this season to prove he can handle the transition. Expect to see him demanding bench minutes early and building from there.
The Coaching Shake-up
The big moves are happening off the paddock. Morris was Benji's tactical right-hand man, but his tenure was cut short after we leaked points consistently through the middle of the season. Removing the only former head coach from the staff leaves a void in technical accountability.
Weidler has reported that "Bomber's" exit is a targeted move to rein in Benji's operational control. I don’t buy it; Shaun and Pat are doing their due diligence and are shortlisting options. Benji as head coach will still have the final say, so what has really changed?
Having said that, I expect Benji realises by now that he needs to be challenged by strong, progressive football minds if we are going to be successful (meaning Shane Flanagan types need not apply).
While I have no inside info on the process, they have cast the net wide. Given that Teo has ruled himself out, it is highly likely the club will look hard at NSW/QLD Cup specialists. Lower-grade and pathway coaches at other NRL clubs can be readily secured for a first-grade opportunity, as tier-one systems routinely grant releases to staff stepping up into senior NRL assistant roles. We should be targeting tier-one reserve grade systems like the Panthers, Dolphins, Roosters, and Storm, where defensive line-speed and decision-making are drilled into players daily. That would provide a plug-and-play blueprint to fix our defensive leaks.
What Success Looks Like
While success on paper in 2027 is finishing in the Top 8, the reality for us needs to be measured differently. A finals appearance might happen, but real success for us in 2027 means developing a coherent and stable spine, establishing genuine defensive steel, and building the squad depth required to be a long-term threat.
The cold roster reality is that we are still a transitioning team that lacks depth. We might jag a player or two over the off-season to change our fortunes, or get a relatively injury-free run. But at this stage, with our current roster, I see us finishing anywhere between 10th and 14th.
Expect plenty of explosive, high-scoring highlights from our young kids, but developmental inconsistency will likely keep us just outside of finals football for one more season unless we can recruit well during the off season.
