five/eighth

[Lettuce_Sharks]

does anyone beleive that the five/eighth position is loosing its credibiltiy. the trend these days seems to be players playing in that position, who arnt traditional 5/8s. the likes of Gansnier, Hilder, Lyon, and Inglis are not five/eighths. im not sure whether it is a tactical decision, or just simply a lack of pure talented five'eighths, but in either case, it seems to me that the position of five/eight seems to be an open postion, waiting for whoever next wants to have a crack at it.

 

[brad]

I believe they only play guys like lyon, gasnier and inglis in five-eighth so they see more ball because they are all great attacking payers.

 

[Megashark]

That's a good call Brad, but personally I like those guys out wider where there are greater attacking opportunities; and we will probably find out this season, but what's to say any of the guys you mentioned would be successful in a playmaking role anyway, great runners of the football though they are?

 

[Hardstyle_shark]

I think you find players such as Gasnier , Lyon and Inglis need a lot of ball. They are dangerous with it. So why not move them to 5/8. I do believe but a 5/8 needs vision like a halfback. He needs a good footy brain and thats where your point of view comes in. The test will be on these players to have vision and play like a 5/8. Lyon apparently went well in that position in the UK. Gasnier well i dunno about him , will be dangerous when running at the line but setting up tries and having vision will be his test. The way Inglis looks he could do anything. Time will tell the full story. I do believe but their are less good 5/8 out there then there was ten years ago. Don't see a Daley or Fittler running around do ya.

 

[Inferno]

Well really the first of this crop to play a "non traditional" 5/8 was probably Benji Marshall.

Inglis is a freak, I can understand wanting to give him as much ball as possible, but I think Lyon and Gasnier will both be back in the centres by round 10. Both are at the best on the fringes of the ruck, not in the middle of it. Add to that the extra 20 tackles they will be making a game and I think that will sap a lot of their attacking juice. I'm not sure either has much of a kicking game either, which in turn puts extra pressure on the halfback or hooker.

 

[Megashark]

No Hardstyle you don't see a Daley or Fittler running around out there but those type of players don't come along very often. Darren Lockyer is without a doubt the best five-eighth going around these days, and even then it took him a long time to adjust to the position after being shifted in from fullback. Early on he had a lot of difficulty in coming to terms with the defensive requirements and Inferno is quite right to point out that the extra tackles use up a lot of petrol and can blunt the attacking brilliance of even the most talented playmaker. Every coach in the comp targets the opposition halves on defence, and that is why you see someone like Preston Campbell for example spending long periods defending out on the wing away from the heavy traffic.

 

[Sempa Fi Sharky]

Traditional positions

Some one was saying we don't really have traditonal 5/8 anymore. We don't have traditional locks or hookers anymore either.

 

[Shiredad]

Maybe that's because we don't have traditional scrums anymore either. It's just the bigger blokes and the littler blokes.

 

[sharks195]

that is so true shireboy, the shorter guys (or politically correctly: the vertically challenged) are playing anywhere in the backs. whereas the taller guys (or politically correctly: vertically gifted) are playing anywhere in the forwards.

 

[Great White]

I think the forward game though has changed a hell of a lot, back in the miller days the backrowers were ball playing type guys and would take pressure of the halves etc, these days backrowers are pure workhorses, metre gainers and defenders.

I think currently our game is lacking in your quality 5/8 to be honest, hence the need for it to be compensated with a quality centre, Daley started as a centre and he had the brain vision and kicking and passing game to make it in the 5/8 position and he lost a bit of pace too due to his knees etc.

But i agree with what is said above the extra defense will hinder their attacking power, but I suppose time will tell, i personally think defensively at times Gaz struggles in the physical side of it and personally I would be running angles at him with your O'Donell's, SBW, Gallens etc.

I also think that in Gaz's case especially his backs outside him will struggle to see the ball at times, but that is just my opinion. To me both Lyon and Gas, look more dangerous when your 5/8 runs towards the lines and then fires the ball out to the centres to isolate the defenders, to me that is where they are lethal and the defense and extra responsibility of kicking and planning MAY hinder both players. IMO. For their sake I hope they do well just not when they play us.

 

[Megashark]

I think currently our game is lacking in your quality 5/8 to be honest, hence the need for it to be compensated with a quality centre, Daley started as a centre and he had the brain vision and kicking and passing game to make it in the 5/8 position and he lost a bit of pace too due to his knees etc.

Good call GW about Laurie Daley, and of course another champion five-eighth who started out in the centres was Freddie Fittler.

 

[sharks195]

covell was a five-eighth too.

 

[Megashark]

covell was a five-eighth too.

Really, did he play five-eighth at some stage for the Tigers?

 

[Great White]

No way, he is not a 5/8's a**hole.

Stop r**ting Covell mate, he is not that good.

 

[j0rd0_ShArKs]

he did use to play in the halves in his local club

 

[Great White]

Glad he doesn't now.

 

[kJm]

covell is a gun thanks great white
have u been living under a rock over the past couple of seasons

always giving 100% great defender, goal kicker

 

[teflon77]

PLEASE. Covell is not a gun. He is there to make up numbers and kick goals. Heres a talking point for every Luke Covell worshipper out there. Name all the first choice wingers at each club that Covell is better than. The gauntlet has been thrown down and I eagerly await your replies. I'll be hard but fair in my analysis of everybodies choices.

 

[Great White]

Thinking thinking, no nothing.

 

[Shiredad]

We could play Covell at prop. Just get his wife to keep cookin pies.