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One of the great things about the NRL is the way different clubs go about their business.
One of the disappointing things is the sameness we sometimes see in the playing style employed by coaches, despite the obvious difference in the qualities of their players.
The current three teams on top of the NRL table offer great differences, and maybe that’s why they are there.
Manly plans for success with top-end payments to their long-serving stars.
To read more Brian Smith, outside The Roar, check out his website SmithySpeaks.
Penrith, on the other hand, runs a big squad of players, having moved some of their highly paid stars on, like Michael Jennings and Lachlan Coote.
The Bulldogs are in the middle of that player roster management style, with more depth than Manly but more stars than the Panthers.
How then does Manly maintain such consistently high standards with such a skinny squad? This season perhaps they have not been quite so consistent, but it’s a bit hard to knock whatever they have done when they remain on top of the comp!
Those top-end talents they are have are committed to each other and to getting the job done. We about some of them not getting on as people, but it doesn’t seem to cut across them performing as a team. All credit to the group and their coaching staff for remembering what matters most – winning.
The Eagles also do something special in how they pick up rejected players and turn them into first graders. However they do that, to get players to fulfil roles and not let the team down, is bloody fantastic. Most clubs do it with one or two guys, but the Eagles have a half a team of them.
They also play some of the most thrilling footy to watch. Shift plays from scrums in their own 20 to start the game off or scoring last-play tries on a regular basis shows just how differently they approach their way to win. These guys really back their skills and combinations.
How have Penrith managed to reach their lofty position with no real stars? They are new to each other in comparison to Manly and Canterbury, just a few remain from a couple of seasons ago, and there are a few first-grade rookies as well. Because they have the big squad approach they don’t lose a lot when injuries hit or rep teams are selected, although neither of those have been a great issue this season.
Ivan Cleary has done a good job in blending these guys together to form a confident team. It still remains to be seen whether this low budget group can meet the really big challenges when the stakes are high. It starts Friday night away to the wounded Roosters. In any case it’s hard not to acknowledge the achievements already made on the back of this different plan for success.
Likewise the Dogs have done it differently, though much credit has to go to the style of attack they have created, and perfected to the point that they have won matches with Josh Jackson and Tony Williams in their halves!
Like Manly, they are willing to play expansive, attacking footy and use their skills in many different ways to get the best out of their many talented individuals. They started their victory over Melbourne last weekend with a shift play from the kick-off reception! Some teams haven’t put a shift play on from their side of halfway all season!
I am not confident any of these teams are going on to win the comp, but they have done well to be where they are at this point.
And they have each done it their own way.
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