The Lockyer effect: switching your talent to five-eighth

 

Roar Pro

By Gabriel Knowles, 2 Mar 2009 Gabriel Knowles is a Roar Pro

Tagged:

 Benji Marshall, Darren Lockyer, NRL, Rugby League, Wayne Bennett

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Before the start of the 2004 season, Wayne Bennett came up with the type of plan only Wayne Bennett can come up with. He moved the then world’s best fullback to five-eighth. The critics doubted the decision and initially Lockyer looked all at sea in his new role.

But then it clicked – premierships and plaudits followed for the duo and many regarded the man with the gravel voice as the worlds best. Fast-forward to the pre-season of 2009 and a number of NRL coaches are trying to come up with their own version of the Lockyer switch.

Authorising the switch is one thing but sticking to your guns another.

This weekend we saw Jarryd Hayne play his second first grade match in the number six jersey for the Eels and by all accounts he performed better than his “rocks and diamonds” hit out a week earlier.

Unlike Lockyer however, the majority of Hayne’s top grade matches have been played on the wing and not at fullback where joining in the back line closer to the ruck than the touchline is a regular occurrence. Daniel Anderson will be hoping that his new five-eighths midfield running game will overshadow his untested passing and kicking skills other wise he could well find himself back on a plane to St Helens.

The problem Anderson might face is similar to the one that’s had Craig Bellamy thinking about moving Cam Smith out to five-eighth. Bellamy had the same train of thought that Anderson is having now when he decided to move Greg Inglis from centre to pivot but despite their recent success Inglis has never looked as comfortable there.

Whether it was the extra defensive work or having less room to work with, Anderson should take note – great ball runners can’t always make that step closer to the ruck.

Bellamy shouldn’t have that problem if he does decide to try Smith at six, his biggest problem will be filling the void of the world’s best hooker. No mean feat, but the need for a quality ball player like Smith in midfield is such that you can see where Bellamy is coming from. Smith and Cronk standing either side of the ruck eager to get their hands on the ball is not a situation other NRL coaches will be keen to see eventuate.

Further north Tim Sheens and Brad Fitler are taking the opposite step and have new positions in mind for their incumbent five-eighths. Sheens is taking what looks to be a logical step in moving Benji Marshall into halfback but there’ll be concerns over Marshall’s ability to restrain his own attacking instincts and direct the Tigers around the park. Sheens is obviously concerned enough to enlist Andrew Johns to come and mentor his new halfback.

Fitler has Braith Anasta lining up at lock after a much publicised off season positional switch but from pre-season reports it appears Anasta is still slotting into his old playmaking role.

Perhaps Fitler is playing a trick on those of us who look too deeply into the number on a player’s back.

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