The halfback of any footy team is often the critical link that connects any attacking play.
They pull the strings and for this reason, the No.7 has become one of the most highly sought after and highest paid positions in the NRL.
Reputable names, including Mitchell Pearce, Nathan Cleary, Shaun Johnson, Ben Hunt, Daly Cherry-Evans and Jahrome Hughes, are some influential players that spring to mind.
Perched at the peak of the table sit the Melbourne Storm and Penrith Panthers after proving their dominance to the rest of the competition.
Both sides are flooded with stars and possess an abundance of talent, yet it’s no secret that a pivotal key to both their respective successes is their respective No.7s.
Nathan Cleary at a young age has cemented himself as arguably the form player over the last two NRL seasons, give or take.
He has taken Penrith to a grand final, won three out of four Origin series with the Blues and is tipped to be the next captain of his state when James Tedesco’s time is up.
When Cleary has played this season, the Panthers have not lost.
Some 2021 stats for reference below:
Played 12, won 12
Tries: 8
Try assists: 14
Forced dropouts: 15
Average running metres: 118
Line break assists: 10
Tackle efficiency: 91.5 per cent
Enter Jahrome Hughes, the current premiership-winning halfback. Jahrome Hughes has been nothing but immense for Bellamy’s men this season, winning 16 out of 18 games.
Melbourne recently broke the record by winning ten games by 40-plus points, a statistic accompanied by the amount of one-sided matches this season has caused controversy in the NRL world and may lead to rule changes being made for the 2022 season.
Hughes is chaperoned with the star-studded side of the Storm including Cameron Munster, Harry Grant, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Brandon Smith and Nicho Hynes.
With Storm in such commanding form, a problem is arising in which Papenhuyzen and Grant might have to fight for their spot back after The Cheese and Hynes have proven to tick for the Storm. Some 2021 stats for Hughes below:
Played 18, won 16
Tries: 9
Try assists: 16
Forced dropouts: 7
Average running metres: 106
Line break assists: 11
Tackle efficiency: 88.5 per cent
Ivan Cleary and Craig Bellamy have come out and said they wouldn’t swap their respective No.7s for anyone.
Both players have the likes of Cameron Munster and Jarome Luai by their side to help dictate the play, which is always a bonus!
Both at the top of their game, and a nightmare for the opposition when these boys decide to switch it on.
Which halfback are you picking in your fantasy NRL team of the season so far?
I'm a Kiwi, so is your question for me or what Ken?
Ken
Guest
Didn’t the kiwis beat you guys last time along with Tonga? , why do you think you’d beat us ?
Ken
Guest
I’m biased but it always makes me laugh the arrogance Australians have discounting Hughes verses Cleary , so Clearys won a few origins something Hughes is ineligible to play in , please don’t use the “ Origin is the best of the best “ , Australia were beaten by Tonga an NZ their last outings so the best is no longer Australia ,Internationally Hughes has played an beaten the Kangaroos , Cleary is not the Australian 6 , Hughes is a Nrl grand final winning 7 , Cleary is not .The fact Cleary kicks goals does not answer who is the better running , passing , visionary 7 out of the two , I’m not saying Cleary isn’t better I think they are pretty much neck an neck but the arrogance is outstanding lol.
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Right now ? With Cleary out is has to be Jerome Hughes. And he has been great when the other Storm big guns are missing ( Munster, Papenhuyzen, Finucane, Smith- pick either) Shaun Johnson ?, pity he only turns up once a month Adam Renolds turns most tries into six pointers, make his tackles, goes to the line, and gets the ball to his strike players. Sam Walker on the up and may play Origin next year
The Barry
Roar Guru
Yeah, he’s been one of my favourite players to watch but he can be frustrating too Sometimes I think the inconsistency angle gets over stated with Johnson. It’s hard for players who have that brilliance edge to their game to replicate it every week. When he’s not had injury interrupted seasons (which has been a while now) he’s regularly at the top of key metrics like try assists, line break assists, tries, etc But then he has spells like this where it’s really hard to defend him…
If he played cricket he would need a chin guard while facing chin music from fast bowling
2011
Johnson's best year was his first, when he took the Warriors to an unlikely GF against Manly. He has never been that consistent again,
What's a couple hundred $K when you are (and I say this with grudging respect) playing under the best coach in the game, and probably the best coach ever. Sorry Wayne.
Melb Storm are full of Kiwi and Aussie International class players at the moment. In lieu of the World Cup likely to be postponed, a full on test series between NZ and Aus would be a hell of a series at this time with so many star quality Kiwis that Bellamy has brought through at the Storm. Roos would be favourites, but the Kiwis could put together a hell of a side at the moment, with Hughes a walk in for the no.7 Kiwi jersey.
Adam
Roar Guru
100% agree. Same with Panthers at the moment as well. Will be interesting to see if they can continue that culture
Adam
Roar Guru
He just re-signed with storm for his unders. Its crazy
Adam
Roar Guru
Yep he turned down that kind of money from the Warriors too. The storm can pay some serious unders these days
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Exactly, some clubs get to pay unders , most have to pay overs.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Seriously Adam, the Cows would need to pay $1.2 mil to get him and he came through our system.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
That encapsulates in a nutshell why the Storm are so successful . Say Hughes is the second best 7 in the comp. So he's a $ 1 to $1.2 mil player. Hes on nothing like that . Harry Grant is the number one or 2 number nine in the game , so a $800k to $1.0 mil player. Hes on nothing like that . In a true open market where money is the one and only criteria for player contract decisions the Storm have $ 12 Mil on their books. No they aren't cheating but to pretend the NRL is a level playing field is naive in the extreme.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
BS , that chin leads everything else.
JGK
Roar Guru
Still, it would be hard going from a consistently high performing environment to a perennially losing one. It's why the Storm success is self-fulfilling to a point - good players are happy to play there for less than they can get elsewhere because of the club set up and the relative lack of pressure.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Johnson had a couple of weeks where he looked great but his form has fallen off a cliff…
Sam McCosker
Roar Rookie
Pretty much sums up the story of the season, top teams, daylight, the rest of the competition. Same with the quality of halves. I suppose it's all linked as you've stated.