Changes required to fix Turbos lineout

It is only two games into the season, but it’s time for the Turbos to weld an axe over their disastrous lineout.

Manawatu’s inability to hit their man at the set piece has been the major blight early in their 2016 campaign.

With a 70 percent success rate, they are second to last in the competition, only ahead of Northland.

When they win ball, it is messy. So if you factor in penalties and turnovers on the phase after the lineouts they win, they would be last by a mile.

If the Turbos want to have any chance of winning the Championship division, changes must be made.

And it starts with simplifying the system.

There is so much movement in the Turbos lineout it would not look out of place in an Irish jig. That level of intricacy should only be added once they prove they can achieve the basics.

But personnel changes are also necessary.

Tom Parsons needs to be starting.

He has been the best lock in the squad this year.

And it is time for Tim Cadwallader to have a spell on the sidelines.

His throwing has not been up to standard. In fact, it has been so much of an issue that he has copped the Shepherds hook at halftime twice.

I still believe Cadwallader is the best hooker in the Turbos squad. If you look at everything else he does on the pitch, he is outstanding. But the bloke has the yips. So unless there is a halfback or another forward in the Turbos pack who fancies their throwing ability, Cadwallader may need to spend some time with the Development XV to rediscover his throwing form.

Hunter Prescott was better when he entered proceedings in the second half, but surely Travis Taylor will get his debut as a starter.

Taylor’s lineout throwing was one of the most impressive elements of his preseason.

Given the team’s lineout issues, it’s hard to imagine former Turbos hooker Nick Grogan doing anything else but giggling after watching the first two games of the season.

■ The penalty which set up the Black’s match-winning kick has come under scrutiny from Southland fans.

Taranaki’s Cam Stone awarded the penalty with time expired and in reality it was a fair call which would not have warranted further mention had it not been on fulltime.

But you have to question the decision making from Southland.

With the scores level, time expired, Manawatu featuring the competition’s best goalkicker and steady rain sweeping the field, all Southland needed to do was tackle and wait for an inevitable error.

Instead Southland first five-eighth Wharenui Hawera made his highrisk-high-reward attack on Manawatu halfback Kayne Hammington.

He took a gamble and it cost his team dearly.