The North Queensland Cowboys come into the 2022 season under plenty of pressure following what can only be described as a disastrous last 12 months.
The arrival of Todd Payten was supposed to bring plenty of excitement and improvement to the men from Townsville, however, it did anything but as they slumped down the table.
A monster losing streak at the back end of the season saw them falter from one week to the next and by the time it was all said and done, they were lucky the Canterbury Bulldogs were in the competition and just that much worse than the performances they had churned out for the entire season.
Some of the decisions the Cowboys - and Payten - made with regards to team selection were at times baffling.
What could be even worse is the reports regarding the role some of their stars will play in 2022, as well as the problems regarding their recruitment.
For a team at the wrong end of the ladder last year, it has been an incredibly quiet recruitment period for the Cowboys, with only Peta Hiku, Chad Townsend and Jamayne Taunoa-Brown of note joining the men from Townsville.
It leaves them with plenty of head-scratchers and very few answers, with coach Payten likely to be seriously under the pump if he can’t turn things around for the club this year, especially when they play at home with their enormous home advantage - everything from weather conditions to travel for opposition teams.
Here are the questions which will shape the Cowboys season.
What role will Jason Taumalolo play
The North Queensland Cowboys simply had no idea how to use Jason Taumalolo last year.
Some of it wasn’t their fault given he spent a sizeable chunk of the season out injured, but most of it was.
Todd Payten used him in reduced minutes at lock, then out of position in the second-row and everywhere in between. None of it made much sense, and even without his usual minutes, Taumalolo managed 155 metres per game.
That’s down on previous seasons, but still up on most other players.
Now that it has been revealed he has been vaccinated for the season, there will be no excuses.
Taumalolo is one of the best middle forwards in the game, and whether in eight, ten or thirteen, that must be where he spends every minute of his season. Big minutes, big production. The Cowboys need him at his best.
Can Valentine Holmes play in the centres?
This is another head-scratcher for the Cowboys, but one which has become almost unavoidable all things considered.
The emergence of Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, as well as the erroneous ways of Valentine Holmes - he made 38 errors in 2021, the second-most of any player in the competition - means the youngsters has to be the first-choice fullback.
That should move Holmes to the wing where he has a reputation in representative matches as a serious try-scorer.
But all reports suggest Holmes will now play in the centres. It seems a grab to get him closer to the ball, but given he has never played there at NRL level and won’t have the size or strength to be a great front-line defender two in from the sideline, it could be an ill-considered decision at best.
How does Chad Townsend fit in?
Chad Townsend’s signing is still one which makes little sense for the men from Townsville.
What Townsend brings is a strong kicking game, experience and a little bit of control to the team.
The problem is that the Cowboys have also signed Thomas Dearden, who is a star of the future but has all the organisational and structural skills that Townsend, even at his best, could possibly bring with him.
The other problem created is that he and Dearden are far too similar as players, which will leave opposition teams easily picking them off in attack.
With Scott Drinkwater also at the club, but seemingly on the outer, the decision to sign Townsend makes even less sense.
Can they stop leaking points?
The Cowboys had major problems in defence last year. By the time it was all said and done, they had let in a staggering 748 points - 38 more than wooden spooners the Canterbury Bulldogs - to give themselves the competition’s worst defensive record by a considerable margin.
Simply put, if the Cowboys can’t work out that part of their game, they might as well give up on the 2022 season before it even begins.
They had major problems, but it was all over the park. It won’t be a single or quick fix, but rather, a fully revamped structure which also needs to go with better ball control and options in attack so they don’t spend quite as long without the football.
The Cowboys simply can’t afford another season like the last one.
Can the young forwards stand up?
One of the bright spots for the Cowboys is in their forward pack with a stack of junior talent running around.
On the edge, the likes of Heilum Luki, Ben Condon and Jeremiah Nanai all had some big games at the back end of 2021, while in the middle third, Tom Gilbert, Griffin Neame and recruit Jamayne Taunoa-Brown all have enormous potential.
With the speed of the game in the modern environment, fast, agile and young forwards are what every club needs to have a chance of competing, and the Cowboys have got just that.
They will need the six to stand up in defence, which they struggled with majorly in 2021, but the potential is there to lay a platform for the likes of Tabuai-Fidow, Reece Robson and Drinkwater should he play to have an absolute field day.
