So what does super coach suggest?
Naden and JAC wings with Schoupp/Burns/Averillo taking up two centre positions to start the season. Alamoti, Lumelume, Okunbor, Marsters, etc pushing for spots as the season goes on.
The potential combo of JAC/Naden is appealing but imo it's hardly a must have when you consider the overall makeup of the side. He's defensively poor at centre (JAC might help) and that was while playing in the top defensive side. There's a clear weakness on the wing with Cotric gone (fucked if Okunbor is a top 2 winger) and Naden would fill the hole nicely while adding much needed size to our undersized back 3.
Centres are iffy, no one at the club is established enough to demand the role so it's really just putting the pieces together as best we can and see how they go. JAC is at his best with a whole running centre inside him (Olam) and Schoupp could potentially fill the role as a whole running centre but doesn't really offer more than that at this stage. Burns could be an okay option to start the season. Right centre whoever you want from the 3.
TPJ and Hetherington in the backrow together is a liability, there's not enough work or defensive stability there. TPJ is a beast but he's no Kikau. Burton and JAC need a good hole running backrower between them and that isn't him, much better through the middle in the physical contest breaking tackles and popping offloads. Defensively he's also poor on the edge, numbers were dead set worse than Elliott there. Hetherington is a gamble on the edge and hasn't played much there at a senior level but spent time there in the juniors. He's always been a backrower and I said it when we signed him, i think I'd prefer to gamble with him on the left and have Burton coach him through a game than have TPJ there and play him away from his strengths. Right edge backrow you got me...I don't have a clue who goes there. Max King, Stimson, Topine..fucked if I know but surely the coaching staff can come up with a better pairing than TPJ/Hetherington.
Like I said in previous posts here I'm hardly a fan of how Baz wants the team to play so I'm rarely going to agree with what he throws out. Playing Averillo at halfback last season under those conditions only to dump him this season is ridiculous and totally unfair on him. Could've just played him at centre or 5/8 and let him develop there I'd that was the case instead of heaping all that unwarranted pressure on him.