Take the Two: Round 12
NRL Round 12 under the microscope
If the beer’s cold and the afternoon’s long enough, we’d be talking footy all day, every day until kickoff on Thursday night. With so much to review each week, let’s break down some of the key plays each week in the NRL.
Finding the Space
Whether you like him or not, Fox Sports panellist Michael Ennis nailed it a few weeks back when breaking down how the new rules have impacted the game in 2020, particularly in and around the ruck:
“They’re (defenders) gravitating toward the play the ball, towards protecting those vulnerable big blokes in the middle, which means the space is actually around the edges.”
As attacking teams gain momentum through the middle - whether it be from a quick play the ball or a six again penalty - we all expected running hookers like South Sydney’s Damien Cook to tear through newfound spaces through the middle of the field. But as Ennis said, opposition defences are deliberately crowding the ruck area to negate this, leaving space on the edges instead.
And the better playmakers in our competition are starting to take advantage of it.
In a losing side, Benji Marshall was again one of Wests’ most dangerous attacking players on Friday, expertly conditioning the defence as we saw with Shaun Johnson’s masterclass last weekend.
Chiming into a backline shift, Marshall digs deep into the defensive line before putting Adam Doueihi into a hole, and the Tigers march upfield:
With the defence retreating, Marshall plays nice and direct again, sending a rampaging Luke Garner back in behind the ruck:
Having just been torn through the middle, the Warriors tighten up defensively and Marshall swings it left where he knows the Tigers have the space - and the numbers:
If the Warriors hadn’t rushed up offside here, you’d like Wests’ chances down that left flank.
Jahrome Hughes was equally clever down Melbourne’s right edge on Sunday night, showcasing his development as a ballplayer since transitioning into the halfback position.
With Bradman Best charging out of the line to shut the play down, Hughes calmly tips it on to Marion Seve, who fights to earn a quick play the ball:
Hughes immediately takes a carry back in behind the ruck on the following play - engaging Best again - before Matt Eisenhuth takes a settler in the same corridor.
Best has now been involved in the last three tackles, and finds himself at 4-defender instead of his usual centre position.
Hughes identifies this and shifts it quickly back down the short side through Felise Kaufusi to find Suliasi Vunivalu on the paint:
Without the lead up work from Hughes to target in behind the ruck, Best would have been in position on the edges to better defend this shift, as he was earlier in the set.
Clever footy.
But the star of this segment is unquestionably Anthony Milford, who reminded us all of his superstar qualities on Friday night with this scything run in the lead up to Richie Kennar’s first try in Broncos colours:
Against a retreating Cronulla defence, Milford gets quality service from Jake Turpin to receive the ball over the advantage line.
With everything that’s gone wrong for the Broncos this season, it’s easy to understate the importance of pinpoint dummy-half service in attack, and Turpin plays his role perfectly here.
With Milford taking the ball on the run and arcing back in behind the ruck, Aaron Woods shuffles infield to support Blayke Brailey chasing from marker.
That slight lateral movement from Woods mightn’t seem like much, but it’s the catalyst for this slick try scoring play.
The instant Woods slides in, Milford stands him up with a big right foot step and instantly engages Jamal Fogarty at 3-defender.
Beau Fermor has to jam in on the lead runner and when he does, Milford finds Darius Boyd running that ever-familiar jockey line out the back.
Try time.
Boyd and Kennar would have never found space on the edge without Milf taking advantage of some momentum around the ruck area and targeting the space in behind the play the ball.
This is hardly a new concept in Rugby League, but the rule changes this year are beginning to highlight the playmakers who understand it best.
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs St George Illawarra Dragons
Dragons coach Paul McGregor would have surely focussed on Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell when preparing his team for their Thursday night clash with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
And when Adam Reynolds left the field just seven minutes into the contest, all Dragons’ eyes would have been firmly fixed on the Indigenous pair down Souths’ left edge as they loomed as most likely to mount a Rabbitohs comeback.
But St George had no answers for Walker and Latrell, who ran riot down the left edge for the Rabbitohs after a slow start to register six tries down that corridor.
We spoke last week about the impact Mitchell has on the Rabbitohs’ attack, and not necessarily with the ball in hand.
His very presence in Souths’ backline here was enough to entice Zac Lomax out of the line, leaving Dane Gagai and Alex Johnston with plenty of room to work with on the edge:
And while it wasn’t the first time we’ve seen ‘Trell throw a pass like this in 2020, Rabbitohs fans won’t grow tired of watching Mitchell link up with his outside men, seemingly out of nothing:
But it was proud Bundjalung-Yuin man Cody Walker who stood tallest for the Rabbitohs in NRL’s Indigenous Round, leading his team to a stirring second half comeback.
In the absence of his captain and halves-partner Reynolds, Walker was everywhere for Souths.
He used his footwork back in behind the ruck for a devastating solo try, repeatedly found the corners with his kicking game and displayed excellent vision and ball playing down short sides to create attacking opportunities for his team:
It was hardly a convincing win for South Sydney, but an important one for a side desperate to stay inside the top eight and away from the logjam forming in the middle of the competition ladder.
With long-term injuries across the competition proving to be the great equaliser so far in 2020, it is imperative for the Rabbitohs that Walker and Latrell are on the field come the pointy end of the season.
There’s Always Next Week For…
… the Canterbury Bulldogs.
A head coach crucified, star players suspended or released and star playmaker plagued with niggling injuries.
The 2020 season will likely end as one to forget for Bulldogs fans, but there have been some shining lights to come out of a dark and difficult season for the proud Western Sydney club.
The form of young Jake Averillo for the Bulldogs in recent weeks has been a stand out, as the diminutive outside back grows accustomed to the pace of first grade footy. He is deceptively strong and fast, and his natural attacking instincts were on full display on Sunday night in what is surely a contender for Try of the Year:
The ‘Dogs had Parramatta strapped for numbers on the edge, and Lachlan Lewis’ cut-out pass misses the mark in his desperation to shift the ball quickly.
When Dallin Watene-Zelezniak takes it on the chest and looks to return infield, Averillo promptly sums up the situation and wraps around his winger into the space.
He does exceptionally well to reach back with his left hand and reel in a wayward pass from Watene-Zelezniak, all while running at full speed.
With Maika Sivo approaching from the inside, Averillo shows good awareness and technique to transfer the ball so his inside hand is free to fend off Sivo.
Once he knows he has Sivo beat, Averillo dives for the corner - all while transferring the ball back into his left hand to plant the ball down in the in-goal - before going into touch.
Incredible work from the 19-year-old.
The attacking output of Averillo (and Kieran Foran) has been crucial to an otherwise lacklustre Bulldogs offence this season, and the more that interim coach Steve Georgallis can get the youngster involved in good ball sets, the better.