EXCLUSIVE: Lockyer, Lewis concerned for 'distressed' Cowboys' use of Jason Taumalolo
Cowboys star Jason Taumalolo's form has been raised as a reason behind his side's slow start to the season, with questions asked about Todd Payten's use of the power forward.
The 29-year-old's form has mirrored that of his team's through the first month of the season, with the Cowboys, preliminary finalists last year, stuttering to a 2-2 record in its first four outings.
Broncos legend Darren Lockyer said Taumalolo's form was a "key factor" in the Cowboys' struggles.
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"I just don't know whether Taumalolo is having the same impact that he has in past years," he told Wide World of Sports' QLDER.
Jason Taumalolo is yet to score a try this season with the Cowboys dropping two of their first four games Ian Hitchcock via Getty Images
"I feel like he is definitely a key factor. If he is getting the metres like he normally does, they generally play better."
Taumalolo has routinely averaged more than 200 running metres per game at his peak, but this season he averages a significantly lower 154 metres per game, which ranks him 27th in the NRL.
Immortal Wally Lewis put the microscope on Cowboys coach Todd Payten, suggesting Taumalolo needed to be used more effectively.
"Remember 12 months ago we were all talking about this new style of game Taumalolo was playing," he told QLDER.
"He's normally a power running forward that targets the guys on the edge of the ruck, but he was playing this new style of game which had a lot of people confused ... but it turned out to be quite successful for him.
"At the moment, he seems to be a little tighter in his control of his game and where he's targeting, but doing a lot more work where we've become used to seeing him in the last few years just be a power runner.
"They seem to be playing a different style of game this year and I'm not sure whether that's intentional or it's being forced upon them by their opposition, which sometimes can happen.
"They don't appear anywhere near as comfortable as they were last year when they were in total control and they played a game that was cool, calm and collected.
"At the moment, they just seem to be a little bit distressed. I don't think they can afford to lose too many more games before they start to display that distress."
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has had a flying start to this season after leaving the Cowboys to join the Dolphins Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
The Cowboys lost a number of players in the off-season, including Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who has enjoyed a flying start to life at the Dolphins, and Lockyer said the departures could be having an impact as well.
"I still think they haven't had the intensity they had last year both with the football and without it," he said.
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"They might be missing a few players that moved on. I think they're lacking a bit of X-factor, but they're also not executing the simple things in the game."
The Cowboys face a tricky road trip in round five when they travel to Accor Stadium in Sydney to take on the Canterbury Bulldogs on Sunday evening.
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