There were some impressive performances over the weekend, none more so than the Melbourne Storm, who showed again how just lethal their star axis of Smith, Cronk, and Slater is.
Throw hard yard guys like Ryles and Bromwich into the mix and you have the secret of Bellamy’s success.
Put simply, Cameron Smith is the finest hooker I’ve seen play the game. Whilst there are other hookers around who have as much natural talent as Smith, he just never seems to get flustered and his composure on the field is what sets him above the rest.
What’s more, somehow he manages to expend almost no energy in defence but still be a very effective tackler. As a result, he’s always fit, and never injured.
He gets wonderful support, of course, from the Storm’s superstars Cronk and Slater.
Great combinations are the nucleus of great teams. If you look back over the years at dominant sides like the Bulldogs, the Broncos, and others, you’ll find that the common factor was a very strong hooker, halfback, and fullback combination.
I think Melbourne’s may well the best.
Billy is unbeatable at what he does, but the spark he gives the side in attack comes off the back of the hard yards won in the middle by big guys like Ryles and Bromwich.
I thought Ryles did well in his last 6 or 7 games for the Roosters last year, but when they opted for a younger forward pack, he was picked up by the astute Bellamy, no doubt motivated by the realisation that the Storm struggled to get out of their own half against the Warriors in last season’s major semi-final loss.
As this season winds down, you’ll find that referees will blow less penalties. It happens every year.
So Ryles is the addition the Storm needed this season. Due to lack of penalties in semi-finals, you either need good ball movement or good yardage players. And Ryles adds that to the Storm.
Elsewhere, I thought my old team, the Dragons, looked good again.
Pricey has done a great job with the weight of expectation on his shoulders after Wayne left. He’s moved Soward and Hornby from right to left, which has resulted in more ball movement. And the loss of Gasnier and Boyd, coupled with the injuries to Cooper and Scott, just shows how well the Dragons are going with the addition of some of younger players.
I’ve also noticed that they’re chancing their hand a bit and taking a few more risks, rather than being as physical with the ball as they were under Wayne.
Former Dragons coach and player Nathan Brown writes an exclusive weekly column for The Roar. Brown, who played 172 games for the Dragons and coached them for a further 142 games, is currently the head coach at the Huddersfield Giants in the UK Super League.
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