NRL.com Predicts Round 1 Lineups

Cows lacks Coote. Slot him in for Lui. Also I reckon it's more likely that Ethan Lowe will start at second row with Taumololo at lock. As said though, old mate has no idea on edge v middle backrowers. It's amazing how many people don't.

 

I think he's just flat out bulked up too much coupled in with the fact that he's far more fatigued given his increased role in yardage sets. To be a good hole runner you obviously need to be mobile but the issue with that is most coaches want their second rowers to be yardage eaters.

If you look past the freaks of nature like Sam Burgess & SBW there's not many players who have remained consistent in their line breaking ability whilst also providing their team with good go forward.

Mannering, Luke Lewis & Gavin Cooper are the only ones who spring to mind who'd go close but even then the latter for example doesn't provide his team the sort of yardage most people expect and he's been criminally underrated for a long time as a result. Players like Aubusson, Symonds & Picker are some of the best line runners in the game but have been in and out of First Grade all their careers & never been able to cement a spot purely because IMO they've just been deemed not to provide enough work or impact going forward. 10 years ago all 3 would've been mainstays in most sides.

Players like Alex Glenn, Ryan Hoffman & Scott Bolton fall into the other category, all players who had successful seasons as hole runners but bulked up and/or took on a larger role in their teams go forward and as a result their ability to break the line drastically disappeared. Could throw a few others like Greg Bird, Chris Houston & Ben Creagh into this category too.

Can you tell I think about this a lot? I find it the most interesting position at the moment, purely because every club is trying something different as there's very few elite players who can provide the power based, hole running, ball playing second rower every coach wants.