I've scrapped the weird replacing system I used for locks the last time I created this and I've gone with this instead: 1 Fullback 2 Right Wing 3 Right Centre 4 Left Centre 5 Left Wing 6 Right Half 7 Left Half 8 Right Front Row 9 Dummy Half 10 Left Front Row 11 Right Back Row 12 Left Back Row 13 Central Back Row The team would line up like this: ..................1.................. 2 3 11 6 8 9 13 10 7 12 4 5 5 4 7 12 9 10 8 13 11 6 3 2 ..................1.................. (team at the top in possession)
IMO your Lock and Hooker should defend inside your props but that's one that people do either way so its not that important. other than that I agree with your structure.
I actually agree with you, but just with the way the sim works, having the lock and hooker in those positions means they'll do more defensive work than the props (they'll defend both the tight runs and half the second rower's runs in that spot), which is what I want.
So lock in this is closest to: A. Luke Lewis (ballplaying) B. Dallas Johnson (defence) C. Paul Gallen (3rd prop) ???
You could pick any of those players at lock now. Instead of the lock just moving around to fill holes depending on who the plays the ball, "Lock play" is now one of the possible options at the start of each play (along with scoot, tight prop run, fringe second row run and backline movement), and the attributes of your player will dictate what he does. If you picked Gallen there he'd be a lot more likely to take a hit-up, but if you put Lewis there he'd do a lot more ball-playing. If you picked Dallas Johnson there he'd probably just pass it to Matt Bowen. It's still a primarily defensive position though.
Just expanding on this, it means your lock selection will depend a lot on what the rest of the team lacks, just like in real life. If your props are poor then you'll need more central runs from your lock in order to build a platform. If your props lay an awesome foundation but your halves are average then a creative lock will give you more plays working on the back of your props setting up more plays. And if your props and halves are all gun you can just pick a specialist defensive player and they won't interfere too much with the attack.
This is getting me all hard in the pants. While I was away I even started categorically(sp?) seperating each player into each breakdown of a position as best I could. Eg. Ball playing fullbacks, Organising halves, Creative halves etc etc etc. Didnt get far into it, but this excites me to do it again for CPL.
If you already have gun props, can you put another gun at lock and make sure he makes even more meters ?
Haha yeah you could do that. It'd probably be a bit pointless though as you'd get heaps of momentum from your props and then just use it getting even more momentum which you never took advantage of. You'd become the Sharks.
A lot of hookers would go alright at lock in this I reckon, especially if you had good props and average halves.