Re: General Topic | Where have the leaders gone? : Thu Jan 12, 2017 3:40 am
We should differentiate between leaders and organisers. Sometimes (often in fact) they can be the same player, but what most coaches want is multiple players who can "lead' at different times. At Souths Sam Burgess is clearly the forward leader - he sets the tone for the forwards in both attack and defence. That's entirely separate from the role of guiding the team around the pitch, and in attacking positions Burgess generally lets the halfback call the shots (something James Graham has struggled with).What we lost with Sinfield and JP was both being leaders and Sinfield being responsible for managing the game. In time we will find players internally who can lead as required - by example or talking. Finding the organiser is the real worry. Without that - providing structure, making sure players know what plays are on etc - everything else becomes a bit moot.
I would say that its really hard to judge halfbacks without looking at what's going on around them. If there are no runners or alternatives, anyone will look bad. From what I saw of games last year, the problem wasn't just the halfbacks but the entire team looking clueless. A Thurston would be able to come in and sort it out through sheer presence and ability. Pretty much anyone else and you need the team as a whole to help out.