I think there is a lot of buying for time with the coach right now. We are not fit, and probably won't hit peak fitness for a while yet.
I think he is doing everything in his power to take the pressure off the team. Even setting himself for a personal attack or two.
Ideally we would have a bench utility filling that role you speak of, but I can't see our forwards surviving with one less. With our fragile backs we need someone who can fill in at centre or wing.
I guess thaiday, Sims and sua might work against smaller packs but we're playing the warriors.
You'd know better than me on this, but I suspect our best bet is to try and wear sides down rather than the traditional broncos game of expansive attack. Our kicking game may be struggling, but our back line looks disjointed and in slow motion. As much as people criticise Boyd as fullback his pass in the 20 is the most dangerous. Otherwise we lack coherance and rely on individual brilliance. There's plenty there in Milford and roberts, but it soon gets predictable and they end up having someone in their face every time they get the ball.
We also seem to find confidence in attack when our defence is strong, and a initial willingness to go back to some no frills simple gameplay might help in that (so long as we can hold onto the football and tackle, no certainty at the moment).