You do not need great expensive forwards to win in the modern NRL

Northern Beaches dog

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Just looking at the way the game is played, you do not need great expensive forwards.

The rules and speed of the game is such that getting to the opposition 20 is very very easy.

Yards are so easy to come by in the modern NRL

What you DO NEED is a GREAT spine. At least 3 of the 4 members of the spine need to be ELITE. The majority of the cap should be spent on this, like the Storm, Rabbits, Panthers and Roosters have done.

You just need workers, toilers in the pack and capable outside backs.

If you have at least 3 of the 4 members of the spine that are ELITE, you will be there at the pointy end of the season.

Gone are the days of expensive forwards. You do not need them

The game has changed. Its like the referees do anything and everything and find any reason for the game to be played on the try lines for the attacking teams.
 

silva

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You need great forwards and a great spine and great outside backs to be a contender. That’s the reality. Clearly we still don’t have a dominant half. Thankfully Mahoney does great field at running things but we need a proper 7 if we want to contend with the best sides
 

billy beane

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Just looking at the way the game is played, you do not need great expensive forwards.

The rules and speed of the game is such that getting to the opposition 20 is very very easy.

Yards are so easy to come by in the modern NRL

What you DO NEED is a GREAT spine. At least 3 of the 4 members of the spine need to be ELITE. The majority of the cap should be spent on this, like the Storm, Rabbits, Panthers and Roosters have done.

You just need workers, toilers in the pack and capable outside backs.

If you have at least 3 of the 4 members of the spine that are ELITE, you will be there at the pointy end of the season.

Gone are the days of expensive forwards. You do not need them

The game has changed. Its like the referees do anything and everything and find any reason for the game to be played on the try lines for the attacking teams.
Did you see Payne Haas last night ?
 

Moedogg

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Yes but when teams step up in intensity, say in the finals, you will need an enforcer or they will come out and bash our forwards from kick off. Look at how JWH changed the game for the Roosters and what NAS almost did to us before he went off.
 

Northern Beaches dog

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You need great forwards and a great spine and great outside backs to be a contender. That’s the reality. Clearly we still don’t have a dominant half. Thankfully Mahoney does great field at running things but we need a proper 7 if we want to contend with the best sides
Disagree, the GRIND/WRESTLE is gone. You do not need to outmuscle the opposition.
Yardage is very very easy.
6 agains combined with penalties now means that getting out of your own area is easy.
Getting over the line is a different story.
This is what separates the good and bad teams.
Elite spine and you will be there regardless of the pack.
 

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Did you see Payne Haas last night.
Yes and the Broncos would get in the opposition 20 regardless.
Broncos on fire because they have an ELITE half back and FB and a very good 5/8.
Broncos without Haas would still win.
I am telling you, its all about the spine.
 

silva

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Disagree, the GRIND/WRESTLE is gone. You do not need to outmuscle the opposition.
Yardage is very very easy.
6 agains combined with penalties now means that getting out of your own area is easy.
Getting over the line is a different story.
This is what separates the good and bad teams.
Elite spine and you will be there regardless of the pack.
You did not see the impact Payne Haas had in the last 10 minutes last night? Even Kikau for us has made a massive difference along with Preston. You need a well balanced side and quality across the park
 

Northern Beaches dog

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Yes but when teams step up in intensity, say in the finals, you will need an enforcer or they will come out and bash our forwards from kick off. Look at how JWH changed the game for the Roosters and what NAS almost did to us before he went off.
JWH came on when there was a change in flow of possession ALONG with Smith - Elite hooker. See the try he scored?
Agree about semi finals.
But if you have a great pack and average spine you are not winning anything.
In regards to the Storm, look at them, no Munster and no Papps and they look horrid in the opposition 20
 

billy beane

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Yes and the Broncos would get in the opposition 20 regardless.
Broncos on fire because they have an ELITE half back and FB and a very good 5/8.
Broncos without Haas would still win.
I am telling you, its all about the spine.
Sure it's about the spine .... i still like quality frontrowers though.

The Broncos spine is on fire because they are good, and the platform their high quality, highly paid forward pack provides them.
 

Northern Beaches dog

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Look at the Rabbits.
They have Murray but he is basically a 2nd half. He is not a barge and bash guy.
The rest of the pack is MEH, no real big names.
Also there outside backs are MEH. Dont say anything about Alex Johnson. I could score most of the tries he scored with the service and breath taking passes he gets from Walker and Mitchell.
But there FB, 5/8 and hooker are absolutely MINT and they made it to the prelim last season.
 

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Look at the dragons, there pack is absolutely PUTRID lol
Yet they are no where near as bad as they should be because of Hunt, he is ELITE.
If they had an ELITE FB and or hooker they would be knocking top 4.
 

billy beane

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Look at the Rabbits.
They have Murray but he is basically a 2nd half. He is not a barge and bash guy.
The rest of the pack is MEH, no real big names.
Also there outside backs are MEH. Dont say anything about Alex Johnson. I could score most of the tries he scored with the service and breath taking passes he gets from Walker and Mitchell.
But there FB, 5/8 and hooker are absolutely MINT and they made it to the prelim last season.
Maybe not huge names but they are very good and BIG.

Spines do nothing without go forward.

How you assemble that go forward is open for debate i guess.

I wouldn't be against throwing big money at Haas.
 

GoTheDoggies

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It's harder to recruit spine players.

I believe forwards are better developed from within, since there are more available. Also if you are paying big money they have to be an elite forward ie: Kikau. We paid marquee for Thompson & TPJ and they weren't NRL proven. Those two players are probably the final tweaks we need to end the salary cap mess once and for all.
 

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Maybe not huge names but they are very good and BIG.

Spines do nothing without go forward.

How you assemble that go forward is open for debate i guess.

I wouldn't be against throwing big money at Haas.
Not big money names.
As i said, you just need toilers.
Spending big money on the pack is a huuuuge waste. Maybe no 4-5 years ago, but now under the new rules it is.
The Broncos do not need Haas.
They would be just as successful without him.
I am telling you, under the new rules, getting to the opposition 20 is the least of the problems.
Coaches have actually said attacking from 30 metres out is the sweet spot.
 

Northern Beaches dog

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The Storm results tend to disagree.

What's the saying? Forwards win games, Backs determine by how much.
Outside NAS, the Storm pack is also MEH. They are just toilers.

There outside backs are also MEH.
The spine is crazy ELITE.
 

GoTheDoggies

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The fact we're after Leniu is a great sign, Ciraldo knows we need some punch off the bench.

Our backrow looks strong, our prop rotation & halfback is the missing piece to being more dominant.
 
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