You have Payne, McGing, TAHW & Laws all there, available now. Probably was a NPL level CB 'trialist', that spent some of the preseason training with the team in the Gong, that they could quickly call up as injury cover in need.
Are likes of Brotherton, Kaltak or Schrijvers going to be profoundly better? Highly unlikely. Especially considering the amateur Handy Prem fitness levels are a long way below what's required for the A League. Ask Sigmund how tough he found his first few months of A League training, coming from ACFC.
Any visa CB is going to have to start with 2 weeks MIQ, before they can even start getting to know their team mates, playing patterns etc - and the season is what about 1/3 through already. Plus Welnix are already bleeding cash as it is.
Likely that once quarantine travel to NSW reopens, they send over 2-3 guys (Old, Mogg etc) from Weenix. If just to fill out numbers at training sessions, plus gain some valuable experience for those youngsters.
Whilst the defence is obviously weaker this season without Taylor, it's not like the Nix are shedding heaps of goals. No more than 2 goals a game to date, and surely some of the errors defending set pieces are fixable.
To me the big problem is converting the high possession, and chances stats to goals. Especially getting something from Hemed when he returns.