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SMITHY: Adjusting to the new rules proving too hard for some

16th April, 2014
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Manly centre Steve Matai. (Digital Image by Robb Cox )©nrlphotos.com : Brookvale Oval. Sunday the 23rd of March 2014.
Expert
16th April, 2014
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I read Nathan Brown’s thoughts on NRL 2014 with great interest. It’s good to know he is keeping an eagle eye on footy down under as I feel he is going to make a tremendous contribution to our competition in the near future.

His interpretation of how the game has changed this season is largely based around ruck speed. I think many of us would agree that change has been apparent in most games to some degree.

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

He is spot on in stating that most clubs have adopted a ‘Storm-style’ of attack in the past decade, despite lacking players with the skills of those at Melbourne. I reckon this is very ugly footy, and it can be very ineffective.

Adopting certain styles of play is a feature of Australian rugby league that has been going on for a long time. It’s one of the reasons for our country’s dominance of the world scene for so long.

If something is working in one club, whether it’s in attack or defence, other clubs are onto it as quickly as possible. In Super League it tends to happen as well, but not as quickly and almost always with a strong emphasis on the attacking aspects only.

“If you really understand how and why an attacking principle is so good you will also know how to counter-act it with your defence” is a measure of a coach when being interviewed for a position on staff.

Perhaps the Storm are feeling the heat a bit more this season for defensive reasons with this increased ruck speed.

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Rather than hurting other teams through such a great dummy half in Cameron Smith, maybe they are now struggling in defence because they practiced for so long against the best dummy half. Only now it’s all changed.

Moving at that quicker speed from the tackle to marker and centre of the ruck defensive positions in 2014 is what they need to adjust to as this season goes on. They are certainly leaking plenty of points at present which is most unlike them.

I think Brownie is also right about some teams and players being more suited to taking advantage of the changes in the 2014 season. I was a bit surprised he didn’t emphasise the role of dummy halves, and their ability to capitalise on increased ruck speed.

Perhaps the Roosters are not scoring points this season as they have not adapted their attacking play. I rated Jake Friend’s role in the Roosters’ premiership as huge. But this season he seems less focused on his own attacking opportunities. This is limiting the variety of his side’s attack. It could be what’s missing to re-ignite their season.

That ad-lib type play that Brownie was pretty good at himself is being rewarded much more this season, so those players who have developed that awareness as youngsters have a great advantage in this type of attack.

Daly Cherry-Evans is definitely one of those who backs himself in his attacking play to take advantage and create opportunities for himself and teammates. The Chris Sandow and Jarryd Hayne combination is creating and executing some tremendous plays at Parramatta. Rookies Luke Brooks and James Tedecsco are generating try-scoring plays for the improving Tigers; less structured, more reactive and way more effective than the grind.

These creative players are utilising not only the improved ruck speed, but the attitude to attack that their coaches employ.

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I did some stats recently on how many passes opposing teams throw in head-to-head situations. Manly, for example, made a truckload more passes than the Roosters in their big game recently.

In fact the deeper stats showed the Eagles were passing from the start of the match, from inside their own 20, from early plays in their sets and all without great risk or committing errors. The Roosters were rattled by it (penalties ensued) and also fatigued. They were out of their rhythm in both attack and defence.

Parramatta appears to have beaten both the Broncos and Roosters using a similar strategy. This is Brad Arthur and his Eels adapting more quickly to what works in 2014. But it is also what works against teams that were very good defensively in footy without much passing, but aren’t so comfortable when the attack is different to that old-school Storm style.

Any team willing to move the ball in those situations as Manly dared to on a wet night against Roosters deserves success. Let’s see which other clubs dare to be different as the season unfolds.

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