NRL 2021: Cowboys reveal secret game plan to unleash Jason Taumalolo

Jason Taumalolo may be playing reduced minutes in 2021, but the Cowboys have a plan to get their hulk back to his Dally M medal winning best.

Jason Taumalolo is set to be unleashed in dual positions this season under plans for the Cowboys wrecking ball to be shifted to the edges to terrorise smaller rivals in defence.

The Courier-Mail can reveal new Cowboys coach Todd Payten has formulated a multifaceted game plan to help Taumalolo recapture the blockbusting form that won him the 2016 Dally M Medal.

While Payten has already spoken of his desire to reduce Taumalolo’s game time this year, the Cowboys co-captain has revealed another tactical strategy — having cameo stints in the back row to maximise his tackle-busting 110kg frame.

Taumalolo road-tested the plan in last week’s 34-18 trial defeat of the Broncos, operating primarily in the middle before skirting wider of the ruck when the Cowboys were in attacking positions.

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Jason Taumalolo will still play in the middle, but has been given permission to shift to and edge to reignite the Cowboys hulk. Picture: Getty Images.

The sight of Taumalolo charging at smaller men on the fringes in one-on-one situations would represent one of the most daunting defensive challenges in the NRL.

Titans recruit David Fifita became a Queensland Origin player on the back of his lethal back-row charges at the Broncos and Taumalolo confirmed a two-pronged role that will have every edge defender on red alert this season.

“There’s a couple of plans we have for me this season,” Taumalolo said.

“Toddy has touched on me not trying to punch out as many minutes.

“Not only will I be playing less minutes, but I will have more flexibility in how I play.

“I’ll still be in the middle but I’ll also look to get out to the edges running at the defence.

“I’m excited about how it could work.

“I am happy to play whatever role he (Payten) wants me to. If that means less minutes or me going to an edge at certain parts of the game, I‘ll do whatever ‘Toddy’ needs me to do.”

Taumalolo was the most destructive ball-running forward in the NRL in 2017, amassing a staggering 129 tackle busts in North Queensland’s fairytale surge to that season’s grand final against Melbourne.

Cowboys hulk Jason Taumalolo is set to be unleashed on the edges this season to target smaller rivals. Picture: Alix Sweeney.

But since posting that career-high statistic, Taumalolo has suffered a gradual decline. In 2018, he made 97 tackle busts, which dropped to 70 in 2019, before registering 53 last year as the Cowboys crashed to their third consecutive bottom-four finish.

Now, with the six-again rule having increased the speed of the NRL, Payten is mindful of not burning out Taumalolo.

In the year the Cowboys won the 2015 premiership, Taumalolo averaged 49 minutes per game.

That figure has risen to more than 60 in recent years, putting excess stress on Taumalolo, who is also working on a passing game to make him less predictable in midfield.

The Tongan torpedo has also lost 2kg over summer to aid his fitness and mobility if called on to attack from the back row.

“I would like to be using the ball a bit more this season,” he said.

“I want to get more guys around me involved and if I do that, the team will be better for it.

“Todd hasn’t put a number on how many minutes exactly I will play but I have to be prepared for less minutes.

“Being in the middle, the way the rules are and the greater speed of the game, we need to find ways for me to conserve energy.

“I’ll probably be defending less by tempering my minutes and hopefully it allows me to be more damaging with the ball.

“When I do get on the field, I hopefully can make more of an impact.”