This is the third in a series addressing what makes for a great modern day NRL player for each position and and after focusing on the fullbacks and winging it on the flank, now it is the turn of centres.
They are becoming the Forgotten People because this position seems to generate the least amount of discussion about day players, except around NSW State of Origin selection time.
Again, it is a position that have evolved greatly over time, possibly to their detriment and hence the reference to them being stuck in the lane. A few years ago The Outsider reflected this view when he wrote this article. So much so, it is a struggle to come up with some attributes, other than an ability to stick to their lane.
Big bodies. Much like the rest of the modern day NRL players, the centre is now a big body that is used as a battering ram or a defensive plughole. Most great centres fulfil this attribute, with a little speed thrown in for good measure.
Know when to hold them and know when to fold them. Too many centres lack this attribute. Maybe they don’t get enough ball, that when they do, they don’t want to let go.
But the great attacking centres should always be playing eyes-up footy and making micro judgments and adjustments about when to hold or when to pass (safely).
Solid Rock. Another key, but thankless and unglorified, attribute of the great centres is to be solid as a rock in defence. A lot of semi-trailers come their way during a game and they need to withstand that assault.
Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
The killer pass and fast hands. Apart from the fullback chiming into the line, the centre is often in the best position to give that killer pass to release the outside speedster. The great centres can throw good, fast and accurate passes that hit their teammate on the chest, or possess the fast hands to catch and release in a blink of an eye.
Left or right? The reasoning for increased specialisation has something to do with your kicking foot, but given they spend so much time stuck in a lane, which lane you occupy doesn’t seem to make much difference.
So who do you think is the best current day centres and why?
My personal choices are:
Stephen Crichton (Bulldogs). Hard to go past him as one of the outstanding players in the game of late and especially in this position. Does everything needed of him and performed at a standard of excellence. Also developing into a top notch leader of his team.
Joey Manu (Chooks). He has demonstrated over a long time many of the attributes mentioned above, except the passing.
Latrell Mitchell (Souths). An honourable mention here for Latrell, who often gets bagged as a fullback, but as a centre playing for the Chooks, he was a beast. This is where he should play, but hey Wayne Bennett won’t ring me to chat about that.
SSTIDhttps://https://ift.tt/NWJwxla centres stuck in their lane as position increasingly gets diminishing value
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