Sam Verrills

[King Salvo]

I think many on here are thinking that Watson in number 14 is the second dummy half - Watson will be cover for both Backs and Forwards not necessarily or solely dummy half - he can play fullback/centre/5/8/half/lock/backrow if necessary and dummy half

Thus you could have a bench of the following for Instance.

14.Watson
15. Verrills
16. N Butcher
17/ Baker and or E Butcher

It's about agility , mobility and speed of play not lumbering props or one dimensional players- move it ( the ball) or lose the game- The Structured footy of multiple hit ups and out the back with decoys and kick on the last is old hat - it doesn't cut the mustard nowadays.

[Thirteen]

I think many on here are thinking that Watson in number 14 is the second dummy half - Watson will be cover for both Backs and Forwards not necessarily or solely dummy half - he can play fullback/centre/5/8/half/lock/backrow if necessary and dummy half

Thus you could have a bench of the following for Instance.

14.Watson
15. Verrills
16. N Butcher
17/ Baker and or E Butcher

It's about agility , mobility and speed of play not lumbering props or one dimensional players- move it ( the ball) or lose the game- The Structured footy of multiple hit ups and out the back with decoys and kick on the last is old hat - it doesn't cut the mustard nowadays.

So your bench means one of either Jarred, SST or Collins aren’t playing?

[Kelby]

So your bench means one of either Jarred, SST or Collins aren’t playing?

2023....

[King Salvo]

So your bench means one of either Jarred, SST or Collins aren’t playing?

2023 old bean as Kelby mentioned - You can have backrowers moving up to fill in at prop as well

[Thirteen]

2023 old bean as Kelby mentioned - You can have backrowers moving up to fill in at prop as well

Sorry didn’t realise.

I don’t think the game is getting to a point where we won’t be carrying a front rower on the bench. We aren’t there yet and we certainly won’t be in 2023.

[Johnny Tobin]

I think many on here are thinking that Watson in number 14 is the second dummy half - Watson will be cover for both Backs and Forwards not necessarily or solely dummy half - he can play fullback/centre/5/8/half/lock/backrow if necessary and dummy half

Thus you could have a bench of the following for Instance.

14.Watson
15. Verrills
16. N Butcher
17/ Baker and or E Butcher

It's about agility , mobility and speed of play not lumbering props or one dimensional players- move it ( the ball) or lose the game- The Structured footy of multiple hit ups and out the back with decoys and kick on the last is old hat - it doesn't cut the mustard nowadays.

One of your best.

[ChookMaster]

I think many on here are thinking that Watson in number 14 is the second dummy half - Watson will be cover for both Backs and Forwards not necessarily or solely dummy half - he can play fullback/centre/5/8/half/lock/backrow if necessary and dummy half

Thus you could have a bench of the following for Instance.

14.Watson
15. Verrills
16. N Butcher
17/ Baker and or E Butcher

It's about agility , mobility and speed of play not lumbering props or one dimensional players- move it ( the ball) or lose the game- The Structured footy of multiple hit ups and out the back with decoys and kick on the last is old hat - it doesn't cut the mustard nowadays.

That’s some absolute dribble. We played with a fairly mobile pack most of this season and against the top tier teams got owned.

I don’t care what anyone says but there will always be a case made for big forwards like our young Tuku. The key is to try and get the best out of players like him but like little things such as PCM , Offloading or most importantly defence.

Earn your way through the middle then play expansive.

[Bondicigar]

The 2 grand final teams had big plenty of big boppers

[King Salvo]

Backrowers can step up and fill in at prop during a game- a Player like Watson will cover backs ( FB/Centre/5/8 and Half) and forwards ( Lock/ Dummy Half and Backrow) - Your Benchies roles will change - wont be able to have a player who is just a third or 4th prop on the bench - they have to be able to play other positions - backrow and lock at least

Gone are the days of a bench being

* Second dummy half
* 2 Props
* either a backrower or back reserve who sometimes didn't even get on the field or had very limited game time

To

* Second Dummy Half who can also play another role
* Utility Back
* Utility Forward
* Multi Utilities - Players that can play back and forward positions

So in my example you can have a bench of

14. Watson- Multi Utility- Backs and Forward
15. Verrills- Second Dummy Half
16. Nat Butcher - Utility Forward
17. Baker/Egan Butcher - Utility forward
18. Keighran - Utility Back

I think some are still stuck in the multiple hit up / out the back with decoys / kick on the last style of footy with a bench to suit this style of play- that don't cut the mustard anymore although quite a few teams still play this way - Parra for an example - only when they get into the opposition 20 do they move the ball - better defensive teams will eat that up all day and why they don't progress far in the finals series

Move the ball is the new way - move it or lose the game simple as that

[ChookMaster]

Backrowers can step up and fill in at prop during a game- a Player like Watson will cover backs ( FB/Centre/5/8 and Half) and forwards ( Lock/ Dummy Half and Backrow) - Your Benchies roles will change - wont be able to have a player who is just a third or 4th prop on the bench - they have to be able to play other positions - backrow and lock at least

Gone are the days of a bench being

* Second dummy half
* 2 Props
* either a backrower or back reserve who sometimes didn't even get on the field or had very limited game time

To

* Second Dummy Half who can also play another role
* Utility Back
* Utility Forward
* Multi Utilities - Players that can play back and forward positions

So in my example you can have a bench of

14. Watson- Multi Utility- Backs and Forward
15. Verrills- Second Dummy Half
16. Nat Butcher - Utility Forward
17. Baker/Egan Butcher - Utility forward
18. Keighran - Utility Back

That is a shocking bench.

[King Salvo]

That is a shocking bench.

The game has moved on it's not multiple hit ups/out the back with decoys and kick on the last where a bench of a second dummy half / 2 props and a utility forward was favoured due to the workload that type of playing style would entail.

It's about moving the ball and letting it sing- agility/ mobility and speed of play.

If you play old hat over structured multiple hit ups/out the back with decoys and kick on the last footy against say Melbourne what will happen - you will lose - to beat them you need to move the ball and run them around.

I not sure if Melbourne invented the structure play i mentioned above but they certainly don't play like that nowadays and haven't for a number of seasons (ditto the Riff) and love it when teams play that way against them.

Melbourne's bench most of the season below - second dummy half/ Utility forward / 3rd Prop and Utility Back - that's the way it's moving the game is faster so the make up if the bench has to change too - utility players will be worth their weight in gold and especially multi utilities those that can play multiple back and forward positions.

Need to move with the times or be left behind

• Harry Grant
• Tui Kamikamica
• Nelson Asofa-Solomona
• Nicho Hynes

[The Corner Post]

Yep, when we don’t have the right player, we buy the right player. It’s a luxury many other teams in the comp wish they had.

Its a luxury for sure.

[Snapn1]

I think many on here are thinking that Watson in number 14 is the second dummy half - Watson will be cover for both Backs and Forwards not necessarily or solely dummy half - he can play fullback/centre/5/8/half/lock/backrow if necessary and dummy half

Thus you could have a bench of the following for Instance.

14.Watson
15. Verrills
16. N Butcher
17/ Baker and or E Butcher

It's about agility , mobility and speed of play not lumbering props or one dimensional players- move it ( the ball) or lose the game- The Structured footy of multiple hit ups and out the back with decoys and kick on the last is old hat - it doesn't cut the mustard nowadays.

Wow 1 less prop??? The middle is the most important part of the field where defence patterns compress either side or both which determines what side to attack! NO WAYYYY Watson type of player's will overtake a collins type of player !

9 verills/ smith2023
14 watson
15 egan
16 JWH
17 Baker/Nat/tuku/Atoni

[Johnny Brass]

The game has moved on it's not multiple hit ups/out the back with decoys and kick on the last where a bench of a second dummy half / 2 props and a utility forward was favoured due to the workload that type of playing style would entail.

It's about moving the ball and letting it sing- agility/ mobility and speed of play.

If you play old hat over structured multiple hit ups/out the back with decoys and kick on the last footy against say Melbourne what will happen - you will lose - to beat them you need to move the ball and run them around.

I not sure if Melbourne invented the structure play i mentioned above but they certainly don't play like that nowadays and haven't for a number of seasons (ditto the Riff) and love it when teams play that way against them.

Melbourne's bench most of the season below - second dummy half/ Utility forward / 3rd Prop and Utility Back - that's the way it's moving the game is faster so the make up if the bench has to change too - utility players will be worth their weight in gold and especially multi utilities those that can play multiple back and forward positions.

Need to move with the times or be left behind

• Harry Grant
• Tui Kamikamica
• Nelson Asofa-Solomona
• Nicho Hynes

Kamikamica and NAS both played prop when they came off the bench and Grant replaced the cheese at dummy half who then went to lock.
So it was two props, dummy half and utility back.
You have to have two props on the bench because they get gassed the most in the middle of the park and the dummy half gets worked over the most in defence and getting to the majority of the rucks.
No reason edge backrowers can't play 80 unless they are injured and with hia a utility back or forward who can play in the backline without disrupting it too much is essential.
We have been blessed in that department over the years with Chris Flannery and later Aubo who was as versatile as anyone to play the game.
I just can't see both verrills and Watson being on the bench together, it leaves us too light in the middle.

[Mark Harris]

With all the time off for injuries and feigning injuries over the last 2 years the big guys got a lot more rest. 3 big prop rotation still needed, in my opinion.