Having a strong running game has always been a crucial part in the role of any top-line halfback or five-eighth in professional rugby league.
But in the modern game, just how important is it to a team’s on-field success?
This season has seen some playmakers reach new heights, from an experienced guy like Jamal Fogarty to one of the hottest young talents in the game, Isaiya Katoa.
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On the flip side, some sixes and sevens have struggled – most notably the pairing of Kyle Flanagan and Lachlan Ilias, with the latter axed by the Dragons for Magic Round.
Ilias was seen as the No.7 who could lead the Red V after the departure of Ben Hunt, but his time in the top grade only lasted two months at his new club.
Ben Hunt was replaced by Lachlan Ilias at the Dragons. Getty
The former Rabbitohs pivot has registered just two try assists in seven games – the same amount as Flanagan – but has done the majority of the general-play kicking.
However, according to premiership winner Greg Alexander, the main issue for the Dragons in their four defeats has related to the lack of running game from their halves.
“What has let Lachlan Ilias down has been game management, getting the Dragons the win when they’ve been in positions to win,” he said on SEN 1170 this week.
“He’s had some good games but they have been few and far between. It’s when he has run the ball. Running solves a lot of problems for a half.
“I know people will say focus on one-percenters being the kicking game, organisation, your defence and chat, which is all important too.
“Just run the ball, because it will solve a lot of problems.”
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Across the entire NRL this season, the halves pairing of Flanagan and Ilias rank second-last for combined average run metres, with 103 per game between them.
There’s not much splitting the maligned duo either, with the coach’s son averaging 55 run metres per game and Braith Anasta’s prized client with 48 per game.
But weirdly enough, the only combinations with less average run metres than the Saints halves are two teams that find themselves entrenched in the top-eight.
Jamal Fogarty. Getty
Brisbane’s experienced pair of Hunt – the man who Ilias replaced – and his partner Adam Reynolds combine for an average of 85 run metres per game.
In the nation’s capital, the Raiders combination of Fogarty and young gun Ethan Strange come in at 94 run metres combined per game so far this season.
The rest of the halves pairings inside the top-eight average more than 130 run metres combined per game, with the Sea Eagles (174m), Bulldogs (162m), Cowboys (160m) and Storm (159m) the best of the bunch and sit in the top-half for the entire league.
However, having a halves combination that runs the ball more frequently doesn’t always necessarily equal results in the win and loss column.
Nathan Cleary. Getty
While it’s paid off for the past four seasons, Penrith are sitting in 17th spot on the ladder after eight rounds, despite having a pairing of Nathan Cleary and Blaize Talagi, who take more carries and make more metres than a majority of their NRL rivals.
Admittedly, the champion No.7 did miss a week due to concussion and has had a mix of partners, with Jack Cole also spending time in the five-eighth spot, but he has long been a running halfback and off-season recruit Talagi certainly fits that mould too.
The 16th-placed Parramatta are a little harder to judge, with Mitch Moses only playing one game this season – but his stats from last year, along with Dylan Brown, place them in the upper-echelon of playmakers when it comes to average run metres.
Gold Coast’s new-look combination of AJ Brimson and Jayden Campbell average 190 run metres per game between them, but that hadn’t resulted in consistent victories even before Campbell’s recent injury setback.
AJ Brimson in action for the Titans. Bradley Kanaris via Getty Images
So while there is certainly merit to Alexander’s suggestion that a half running the ball more often can help solve problems – both from an individual and team perspective – it’s definitely not a blanket rule and the proof is in the pudding at both ends of the table.
Players like Hunt, Reynolds or even the in-form Fogarty, who all have more experience and know how to steer a team around the park, don’t need to rely on their running game to get results for their respective sides each week.
Perhaps the bigger issue for some of the struggling teams this year, or for the failed Flanagan and Ilias combination, does in fact come back to those finer details as opposed to simply running the ball and forcing their way into the contest in that fashion.
