2023 NRL Round 3 Cronulla Sutherland Sharks vs. Canberra Raiders @ GIO Stadium Sunday 19th March @ 6:15pm

[bort]

Just a thought (probably a **** one)....is there or would there be any benefit in swapping ramien and talakai. or wilton and nikora to strengthen the left? ramien being a stronger defender than talakai and likewise nikora...

Ramien and Nikora have always (I think) been right side players. Not sure if they'd be comfortable on the left. Some players it makes little difference, for others depending on steps, fends, carries it makes a big difference.

Nikora is not such a better defender than Teig to warrant inhibiting either (potentially both) and I'd say the same for Ramien and Talakai.
Further to that Talakai's deft hands right to left get lost if he swaps sides and I'm not sure he would hit those as well on the other side.
Ramien I feel confident would be an unreliable passed either side.
The Nikora-Ramien-Katoa partnership is also very settled and that has value.

Without seeing it in action my guess is you don't gain enough to offset any loss.

 

[beaver2233]

Ramien and Nikora have always (I think) been right side players. Not sure if they'd be comfortable on the left. Some players it makes little difference, for others depending on steps, fends, carries it makes a big difference.

Nikora is not such a better defender than Teig to warrant inhibiting either (potentially both) and I'd say the same for Ramien and Talakai.
Further to that Talakai's deft hands right to left get lost if he swaps sides and I'm not sure he would hit those as well on the other side.
Ramien I feel confident would be an unreliable passed either side.
The Nikora-Ramien-Katoa partnership is also very settled and that has value.

Without seeing it in action my guess is you don't gain enough to offset any loss.

Yeah I'm not sure if it'd be possible to switch back to their original positions in attack...?

Edit: Never mind haha; probably way too disruptive...much easier to switch a halfback to the wing rather than a centre with the centre on the other side of the field haha

 

[Born&bred]

Commentator: "And we are underway! The Sharks are receiving the kick off and... oh no what's this we have a Shark injured, he pulled up like he was shot, grasping the hamstring - it's Matt Moylan!"

I was pretty accurate with a rifle back in the day.

 

[BurgoShark]

To be fair if Moylan is standing on the wing that doesn't prevent it being Ronaldo standing one spot in who runs back for the kick while Moylan tightens up. It's not a rule of the game that only the widest defender can drop.
Elevated risk of Ronnie being caught up in something else but you often wouldn't drop the winger on a short side if the centre is caught up anyway. Probably end up in some spots where Moylan might need to drop back but I reckon you could get Ronnie back there most of the time.

Not suggesting we do defend Moylan on the wing 100% of the time, just reckon if we did we could pretty easily keep him from taking too many kicks. Could be wrong though, never tried to use anyone from the line other than the winger to defend kicks.

It is also not a rule that NRL teams must always wait until the last tackle to kick the ball.

It’s not under 11’s. NRL wingers don’t just stand in the line for 5 and then drop back when their mum yells at them.

Defending on the wing is quite complex. There are a dozen different places a winger needs to be depending on what the opposition is doing or where the ball is on the field. Sometimes you need to drop on the 2nd tackle. Other times you are up in the line on the last.