North Queensland hooker Jake Granville is so fast it forced his teammates to completely reshape their offensive line, according to retired Cowboy Aaron Payne.
Payne says Granville’s pace and ability to break the line is enabling the Cowboys to overcome potentially disastrous season-ending injuries to Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott.
North Queensland play the Roosters this Saturday in a battle of fifth against second, with a top-four finish still a reality despite the Cowboys’ injury woes.
The Cowboys have strung together seven wins in nine games since the beginning of the State of Origin period, while Granville has helped the side win six of the eight games this season when Thurston has been absent.
Four and one-point losses to Cronulla and Melbourne respectively have been their only blemishes in that time.
Granville’s statistics remain similar with or without Thurston on the park, but importantly so too does the team’s win-loss ratio.
“He’s a vital cog in the machine and is using his experience now given they’ve lost so much experience with JT and Matt gone,” Payne, now the club’s under-20s coach and academy manager, said.
“I remember first seeing him at a training session and noticing how quick he was out of dummy half … the guys had to retrain their line to make sure they could keep up with him.”
“He’s a great defender but also provides that extra threat running the ball, which every great team needs.”
Teammate Te Maire Martin, Thurston’s replacement at No. 6, is witnessing Granville’s turn of speed first hand.
“He’s a freak of a player, Jakey,” the 21-year-old said.
“He’s that fast you’ve got to be a few steps ahead of him to catch him.”
Payne, who played 219 games for the club, said the pair’s performance will shape their fortune for the rest of the season,
“That combination is a new one and developing,” he said.
“But they’d tell you they aren’t playing at their best right now and they’re winning, so there’s plenty of upside there.”