The first team to install a “sea wall” defence to counter the surges of momentum in the modern game will win the NRL grand final.
It’s easier said than done. Momentum is such a powerful force that defensive-minded coaches, such as the Storm’s Craig Bellamy, are as hapless in stopping a tsunami of tries as King Canute was in holding back the tide.
The pendulum between attack and defence in today’s game has tilted strongly to the team with the ball, leading to some of the big scores each round. It’s partly to do with the players themselves: the ad lib ones, such as the Roosters’ young half Sam Walker, Brisbane’s Reece Walsh and even older ones such as Melbourne’s Cameron Munster.
Historically, the premiers tend to set the playing trend and the Panthers, winners of three successive premierships, have been led by an attack-minded pair of halves – Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai – and a ball-distributing lock, Isaah Yeo.
Earlier, when the Storm dominated grand finals, their attack was more structured, allowing the defence to anticipate it.
The NRL’s rules are also a major factor in creating........