To win a Premiership, you often here the experts rattle off a few things you need to go your way. The first is a healthy roster; having your best 17 available for most of the season and especially going into the business end of the year and throughout the finals. The other is luck, which often refers to the bounce of the steeden bouncing your way more often than not. Let’s not discount the importance of momentum either. Winning, just like losing becomes a habit. Most premiership winners have taken out the competition on the back of a winning run leading up to holding the Premiership Cup aloft.
(top photo courtesy of http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Sam+Perrett+Bulldogs+v+Roosters+-KyjqzvPYvIl.jpg)
Since 1908, one of Rugby League’s oldest clichés has been and still resonates today is that ‘forwards win matches’. I do not think for one minute this has changed. Rugby League is a simple game. Dominate possession, dominate field position and more often than not, you’ll come away with the biscuits. Although, one element that often does not get enough attention and emphasis is the importance of a quality half. Take the Canterbury and Parramatta sides of the 1980’s. Both teams blessed with not just one, but two quality halves. The Bulldogs with Mortimer and Lamb. The Eels with Kenny and Sterling.
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have a pack that is unrivalled amongst its competitors. A team that has the ability to make 70-80 yards every set of six, getting the Bulldogs into the opposition’s red zone setting them up for the perfect opportunity to post points. Just like the 1980’s where the Warren Ryan coached Canterbury side was touted the ‘Dogs of war’ who possessed a big, menacing, uncompromising cluster of forwards. Whilst it has held them in good stead for most of the 2014 season, there remains an elephant in the room. The clear lack of a quality playermaker.
(Photo courtesy of http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/James+Graham+NRL+Rd+18+Storm+v+Bulldogs+elGpQ12ZVjml.jpg)Since 2012, Canterbury’s game plan and style of play has not evolved or progressed. Their recipe for success involved playing to their strengths; that being their forward pack. Hasler transformed his props and back rowers into ball players. After establishing a foundation and laying a platform, the Canterbury forwards would swap their position descriptions and become the side’s resident ball players. Taking to the line, producing short balls off the hip; tip on after tip on, second man plays, tram line to tram line with Ben Barba being the polish on the end of their shifting plays and sets.
2014, not much has changed, except the polish is no longer there. Barba the Bulldog left the kennel for the stable at the Broncos. Hasler has struggled to fill the void, hoping a makeshift miracle in Sam Perrett would be able to replicate Barba’s heroics that he provided for Canterbury. But sadly, it has not worked nor paid off and what has been exposed is the clear lack of quality player makers. But Hodkinson and Reynolds are winning Origin halves right? Let’s dispel the myth. The Bulldogs halves were accidental hero’s. If Mitchell Pearce does not have an off field indiscretion, both players do not pull on a sky blue jersey. Throw in the fact, they were playing behind some of the best forwards in the world and one freakish talent in Jarryd Hayne made everyone look outstanding.
Every Premiership winner in 106 years of Rugby League has had one common element. A quality half. A dominant playmaker that possess ball playing, can lead and direct a team around the field with exceptional leadership, an astute kicking game which is used as an attacking weapon. If you cast your eye over the top 8 at the moment, the top 5 sides in Souths, Manly, Penrith, Easts, Melbourne all have quality halves. Some are blessed to have quality halves pairing. The Rabbitohs have Reynolds and Keary. Manly have arguably the best pairing with Foran and Cherry-Evans. Penrith have established, experienced leaders in Wallace and Soward. The Roosters, Maloney and Pearce who compliment one another greatly, and the Storm with the Melbourne maestro in Cooper Cronk.
All these sides never have an issue with getting over the white line to post points. Their attack on any given day is evenly matched. A dilemma and a real significant issue Canterbury has and is struggling with. The Bulldogs halves are worlds apart from being able to match it with their rivals. Canterbury cling to a top 8 position by their paws, but risk falling out if they can not win at least 2 of their last remaining 3 games against Wests, Souths and the Gold Coast. The Bulldogs are currently the only team in the top 8 with a negative for and against (points differential). One would automatically assume that this is down to poor defence, but in reality, it is quite the opposite. It is their clear inability to score points and that lies solely with their six and seven.
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Many predicted the Canterbury halves to return to the Bulldogs post Origin with the utmost confidence; to lift to Dogs to another level. Yet, it is yet to show and Canterbury have been on the slide after leading the Premiership only a handful of weeks ago. Hasler has deflected criticism, putting it down to not having “enough respect for the ball” citing poor completion rates as the factor for their decline over the past 6 weeks. Commentators have stated that Canterbury have gone away from their strengths of punching through opposition teams, instead opting to go sideways before being able to get over the advantage lime which has placed a tonne of pressure on themselves, resulting in flat, lethargic, pedestrian, predictable play.
However, the fact remains, the Bulldogs halves have not aimed up and taken ownership of Canterbury’s woes. Whilst Hodkinson has overcome adversity and Reynolds is the ultimate competitor, it is sadly not enough. The Bulldogs playmakers struggle. Whilst Hodkinson and Reynolds are tenacious in defence, they lack the temperament, the patience and the organisational ability to help their outside men cross the try line. The No. 6 and 7 for the Bulldogs are far from fluent with the ball. Set pieces are few and far between, instead watching their many attacking sequences seem more like going off a whim and a prayer, hoping it pays off. Whilst Hasler may have a point about Canterbury’s poor completion rate in recent weeks, he is surely has to be aware of his ineffective halves.
Hasler is one of the game’s premier coaches. One of Rugby League sharpest minds and has proven himself to be an innovator, thinking outside the square to achieve success. He must acknowledge that his Bulldogs team to be complete and a true chance of winning the premiership, requires more then an uncompromising pack of forwards and steely edged defence. Hasler has done his ultimate best to manufacture the polish that was Ben Barba, but Blind Freddy can see, Canterbury still lack potency. Whilst a quality specialist fullback is on Hasler’s wish list, the Bulldogs more need a general. A leader. A half that can direct the team and establishing opportunities, applying pressure on the opposition and providing class last tackle attacking options which Canterbury can capitalise upon.
The Canterbury-Bankstown spine whilst competitive is not premiership material. The Bulldogs like a handful of others have their premiership window wide open and if they do not address their weaknesses sooner rather than later, they may sadly see that premiership window close. Whilst you can never write off a Des Hasler coached team and roster that boasts some of the best forwards in Rugby League, the reality is, they lack the necessary pieces of the puzzle to lift the Premiership Cup aloft in the first weekend of October.
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