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SMITHY: NRL lacks quality and depth

17th March, 2014
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George Burgess was crucial in the Rabbitohs 2014 grand final win. (Digital Image by Grant Trouville © nrlphotos.com)
Expert
17th March, 2014
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The Roosters, Rabbitohs and Sea Eagles will dominate season 2014. It’s not so much a prediction I’m making as it is a feeling I get about where NRL footy is at right now.

The quality of the playing rosters of Sydney, South Sydney and Manly suggests they are quite a way above the rest.

All three teams have been developed over at least a few seasons – almost a decade in the Sea Eagles’ case – and enjoyed roster stability in the past two or three – again, Manly slightly different in losing a few front rowers.

To read more Brian Smith, outside The Roar, check out his website SmithySpeaks.

They are not only filled with high quality players, they play like quality teams.

It’s possible that a serious run of injuries could set them back but it’s unlikely to rattle them out of the top four and they all look capable of winning the premiership.

However it’s not just about how good these teams are, it’s about the serious weaknesses of most of the remainder.

Excluding Melbourne and North Queensland, I just don’t think any of the others can topple the standouts.

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The Storm can’t be disregarded, as they have those key, top-class performers Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk and of course coach Craig Bellamy and all the stability and culture of a winning club.

Maybe those qualities can all feature again for another season but I just sensed a little dip in performance in 2013.

Champions deserve to be lauded and plenty of people finish with egg on face when they don’t do that, so I am holding fire at present to see if the gut-feel of a slight downturn in Melbourne’s production is real.

The Cowboys are coming from the other end. They have not had that culture or as many top-end talents and performers and the coach is a rookie at NRL level.

It’s more a gut feel, again, that a player as good as Johnathan Thurston should lead a team to top four and maybe a grand final. But there is still something missing, which may come with time.

I didn’t get the feel that whatever it is was being sorted in a pretty scratchy home win over the Raiders nor on Friday night’s loss to the Broncos.

I was looking for dominance over a team without standout halves or powerhouse front rowers in that match. It didn’t arrive. Perhaps coach Paul Green can find it and bring it out as the season unfolds.

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The Broncos have started well but are still trying to work out an efficiently functioning attack.

You actually need a potent method to win regularly. Where is that going to come from?

Ben Barba? A finisher deluxe and a broken play specialist but generator of efficient attack? I don’t think so.

Ben Hunt at 7 is doing pretty well but would need to improve his kicking skills and reading of play by too much in one season to be relied upon.

Josh Hoffman could do the job at 6 if he had a high quality half but he is probably a better fullback for this Broncos team than Barba is.

Barba playing in the halves is just not possible for his defence.

The forwards are working their butts off for each other and coach Anthony Griffin but don’t have physical dominance in them week-to-week and against the giant packs will get out-muscled.

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The solution – and big risk – is buy Chris Sandow from the Eels.

The Bulldogs could also grow within the season. They have a proven coach and players who have been successful but something ain’t right there at present.

No fullback doesn’t help. The most important position in modern day footy in many teams, you often only realise what you are missing when it’s not there anymore and that applies to fullback and the Dogs at present.

Solution – and maybe impossible – is buy Peta Hiku from the Sea Eagles.

The Knights have some of the most dynamite backs but are the slowest team in the comp! Go figure.

The quickness of movement around the field rates a thousand times more important than fast-flying backs. Quickness of footy thinking and adjustment rates a million times more important.

Too many slow players and slow plays make them gutsy, hard-working and hard to beat but predictable and relatively impotent against the top sides.

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Solution is start five years ago and produce some terrific, fast, young, athletic and powerful kids that grow into champions and NRL performers so you don’t need to pay veterans over-the-odds playing slow footy in a fast speed competition.

The rest of the clubs have not nearly enough in any department to seriously trouble the playoffs.

Sorry, but our NRL lacks real quality in depth at present.

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