Left / Right Centre Question

[Chip and Chase]

I don't know exactly when it became trendy to have a left and right centre instead of an inside and outside centre, sometime in the early 90's I would guess. Can anyone explain to me why we have it that way and what determines a left centre from a right centre ? I can never figure out why people get so caught up with left/right positioning when they talk about team selections, particularly in rep games. Surely if you can play left centre, you are equally as capable at right centre.

I'm guessing that some players have a preference based on passing strength (good right to left passers are better at left centre).

Is the ability to step off one foot better than the other of any consequence (beat players inside instead of outside) ?

Do players have a preferred shoulder in defence and is that good shoulder better on the inside or outside ?

I can understand at club level where you might want consistency in positioning for attacking and defending combinations, but at rep level does it really matter if you play left or right for your club ?

 

[Dan]

They were talking about this on the roast the other day and that their best guess was that it had something to do with people passing right to left better and hence this is why Jennings is less effective on the right.

I dont know the specific reasons really

 

[inside pass]

i think in rep teams they pic the best two 3/4's (as i have always called them), so that said, no i don't think it matters to much to a class 3/4, however 85% of players faver passing to the left, and as you said they might step off the left or right better or defend better on the right, so i don't think there is a hard and fast rule to this.

ps my coach me as a kid that best position was left right out...  ;D he was wright

 

[DSM5]

I can't comment having stated in a long ago thread my preferred position for Lyon was outside centre, and being roasted for being old fashioned.  I like Lyon there, as he can school Big T in the ways of offensive and defensive play.  Similar to what Bell did with David Williams.   

 

[Dan]

I also think inside and outside centre are more of a Rugby union term, and aren't really relevant to the current configuration and playing areas of Rugby league, given centres are either on the left or right

 

[Duff]

As far as I see it, the idea is to keep options open. A half on either side, the lock & fullback play as the old 5/8 & backrowers play as inside centres.

The play comes a bit telegraphed if all your backs are on one side.

I honestly can't remember how we used to do it. It used to make sense but that was many beers ago.

 

[The Wheel]

Apart from what Dan alluded to in regards to the relative strength of players and their passing/running ability I believe it has a lot to do with marking up in defence - that is you have two quick blokes inside your wingers to marked up against the faster opposition players. 

In the old days when the centres played next to each other (inside/outside centre) both could/would get caught on one side of the field in defence potentially leaving the the forwards to mark a centre/fullback and being unable to defend laterally against them.

More of a risk mitigation strategy, but hey I am not coach and was an ordinary player should don't take my word for it I am just having an educated guess.

 

[Canteen Worker]

The change came in the early 90s. Terry Hill was the classic case of someone who could swerve one way and get outside his man on the right to set up his winger. Craig Innes did a similar thing on the other side and linked very effectively with Kosef and Lyon.

Sides use this formation to have the same three players defending on each side - wing, one centre and either of the half or five-eighth. (It means noone runs at two little guys.) It also avoids a centre changing sides once a couple of plays come towards him. It also necessitates a forward needing to fill in or a second man play in order to create an overlap. All pretty standard these days.

 

[Zep]

It was due to being able to attack both sides of the ruck easily without the Centres have to run behind the play. Created more options. You also now have the back rowers or fullback hanging in close to either centre we would add the extra man to the attack.

The forwards tend to attack the centre of the park, especially when coming out of there end, leading to a fair balance "blind/open" side, the half back simple chooses on the play before a backline play which way he wants the ball to go and adjusts accordingly.

 

[ManlyBacker]

The inside/outside centre combination is almost dead, as others have outlined. You do see it sometimes when the ball is near one sideline  where the forwards might have had a settling blow-up and an enterprising captain might direct the structure that way, but mostly the centre on that side will take a dart from dummy half. Defensively it gets too risky if there is a turnover. The fullback now would fill the inside centre role in those circumstances.

 

[The Gronk]

some can fend better to one side than another too