Seasons, and series results, can be decided a decision.
A recruitment decsion, a personal switch, a change in gameplan.
Sometimes these decisions lead to glory. Other times they lead to disaster.
“Disaster” may be hyperbole here but today we are going to focus in on those decisions that didn’t pan out particularly well.
These are not meant to be “I told you so” type of moments. Just a look back at five decisions that didn’t go the way they were designed.
With that said, here of the biggest mistakes during the 2025 season:
5. Cowboys shift halves despite having semi-successful combination
Heading into the season it looked as though Tom Dearden and Jake Clifford were the best possible halves pairing for the Cowboys.
I don’t blame coach Todd Payten for running with young gun Tom Duffy to start the season. It did become obvious though that the team was much better upon Clifford’s return.
The Cowboys would chop and change their halves combination throughout the year, shifting Jaxon Purdue from the centres into five-eighth occasionally.
Tom Dearden played 13 games at halfback and nine games at five-eighth. I know the roles are very similar in 2025 but that shows a lack of planning.
Surely your Origin level half is just that, your halfback. Then you rotate the players around at six if required.
Seven of their nine wins, including their first four, came with Clifford beside Dearden.
I know injuries play their part in switched but Payten dropped Clifford in mid-May and the team never regained the momentum they did have for a month.
Like other entries in this list, it was not the only reason a season derailed, but it certainly didn’t help.