Thomas Leuluai. Photo / Richard Robinson.
I got it wrong when early in the season I said Thomas Leuluai was not the answer for the Warriors as a half.
To me, he was an able player but his best position was in the hooker/dummy half role. Now I will gladly proclaim that Leuluai, along with Simon
Mannering, has been a stable influence, keeping the team from capitulating when performances were terrible and providing the same during the winning streak.
There are not enough of these types of players in this team, which does not allow for consistency of performance.
Dependability is a characteristic a coach is looking for in players, so they can concentrate on game plans, tactics and recruitment. Look at the Melbourne Storm - the playmakers are their key. They have Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith, while the Warriors have Kevin Locke, Shaun Johnson and Nathan Friend in the same positions.
The latter is not in the same class as Smith, and with the other two, the consistency is a gulf apart. It is obvious why the Storm win more games, as Cronk, Smith and Slater outplay their counterparts every week.
