Matulino needs support for team to get the best from him

Ben Matulino can turn a game on a regular basis. Photo / Getty Images

The Warriors aren't getting the most out of Ben Matulino - and it could start to prove costly.

The club has a few issues to sort out at the moment, some more complex than others. But Matulino is an easy fix. He's going well - really well - this year but he could bring much more.

He is both the most damaging runner of their forwards and also the best offloader; Matulino is probably the only one in a fairly workmanlike pack who can turn a game on a regular basis.

But the Warriors aren't getting support around him often enough. It should be quite simple: when Ben has the ball, surround him with support, especially in the opposition 20. Someone should always be hovering, just in case, as Billy Slater does so well at the Storm. Matulino has a unique skillset; he can bend the line, he can put on a step and he also times his offloads extremely well. However, too often the 26-year-old is looking back in vain for a teammate and then the moment is lost as a second or third defender comes in to wrap the ball up.

Solutions to the Warriors' other problems aren't quite as easy. It's not an excuse, but this is a team full of rookies and we have to be patient. It is going to take time for those players to develop a hard edge, to come up with an 80-minute performance. That's why the club still needs some more experience, old heads that can take the knocks and weather the storm defensively. As much as the future looks promising - and the club is definitely on the right track - some of these players are going to take one or two seasons to mature.

That may be too long to wait, as it's all about the now. That's why signing someone like Jason Nightingale wouldn't be the worst idea. He'd bring a professional edge and a never say die attitude and could cover a few backline positions. However, the price would have to be right - as the Warriors aren't exactly short of wingers - and Nightingale would have to be prepared to have some time in reserve grade.

Meanwhile, I'm a bit worried about the Titans game tomorrow. The Gold Coast team came up with a perfect game plan in the round-eight clash between their two teams. They shifted the ball from east to west constantly, which meant the Warriors could get no control in the middle.

Ryan James was dominant on the edge of the ruck last time - he had a huge game - and Nate Myles is always a pest to play against. And what about James Roberts? He is a freak of nature, like Dylan Walker, but has upped the ante. He is a genuine athlete - incredibly quick - you almost wonder if he should be in the Olympics rather than the NRL. It's so hard to mark someone like him.