Cam Smith Lesson

[MK Eagle]

Smith is not as scary as Burgess or have Inglis athletic ability but is the best & most influential player in the NRL.
If Cam Smith was at Manly we would go through undefeated & yes, that includes with our current front rowers.
Plenty of recent threads on how to improve the attack, it starts here with the 9 - Smith skips out of dummy half playing direct ensuring his runners are going foward allowing only 1-2 players make the tackle. This leads to quick play the balls & momentum making the defence backpeddle with holes like swiss cheese for that set. Smith has both vision & a bit of pace to do what others cant & could fill in at any level as a halfback. Watch Widdops form become far more inneffective at Illawarra in 2014 with another 9.
Forget DCE & Foz not playing their best - they need a platform to set Snake/Lyon alight.
A.John/Thurston look ordinary behind a dominated pack.
Ballin imo is a workhorse & reliable but its not fair comparing him or any other hooker to Smith, only Steve Walters in the last 30 years comes close.
No team can boast a Cam Smith but the idea of having a quick explosive 9 after 25-30 mins each half is the closest to having this effect, changing the speed of the game & creating better attacking options.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Newsflash. He's been doing this for the last 10 years.

The importance of the dummy half position in attack has been evolving for some time. It's the reason players like Hasler, Toovey, and even Johns, were put there at times in the past.

What makes Smith exceptional is that he also plays 80 minutes and is rock solid in the middle defence. How does he do it, year after year? Beats me.

I still think Buhrer is our apprentice in this role, but maybe his development has been delayed by the presence of Ballin, and the consequent need to bulk up so he can perform a running forward role.

I'd like to see Buhrer get more time at dummy half. It would be nice if Ballin was at times put as a first receiver, just to get a bit more variety and flexibility into our formations. Whether he has the skills for that, I don't know. Certainly I doubt Toovey is oblivious to these issues, but solving them is another matter altogether.

Wanted: a durable robot in defence who also has skill and vision in attack. Oh yeah, also needs an exceptional kicking game and if he can pot a few goals that's a bonus.

 

[Utility Player]

No team can boast a Cam Smith

Well Melbourne can 😛

I get your point and I have posted before that 40 nil may not have happened if Smith had played.

We can boast our own Cam Smith but I think his playing days are behind him.

 

[simon64]

Yes but if we had Cam Smith, we would have Cam Smith.

No one ever stops to consider the downside.

 

[CAMBO]

No team can boast a Cam Smith

Well Melbourne can 😛

I get your point and I have posted before that 40 nil may not have happened if Smith had played.

We can boast our own Cam Smith but I think his playing days are behind him.

I think our cam smiths career may have finished in 1992 after a season of playing in The c team at Coombabah High sadly 🙂
He may have been extremely short on talent but at least he wasn't a grub like the storm captain

 

[MK Eagle]

Newsflash. He's been doing this for the last 10 years.

The importance of the dummy half position in attack has been evolving for some time. It's the reason players like Hasler, Toovey, and even Johns, were put there at times in the past.

What makes Smith exceptional is that he also plays 80 minutes and is rock solid in the middle defence. How does he do it, year after year? Beats me.

I still think Buhrer is our apprentice in this role, but maybe his development has been delayed by the presence of Ballin, and the consequent need to bulk up so he can perform a running forward role.

I'd like to see Buhrer get more time at dummy half. It would be nice if Ballin was at times put as a first receiver, just to get a bit more variety and flexibility into our formations. Whether he has the skills for that, I don't know. Certainly I doubt Toovey is oblivious to these issues, but solving them is another matter altogether.

Wanted: a durable robot in defence who also has skill and vision in attack. Oh yeah, also needs an exceptional kicking game and if he can pot a few goals that's a bonus.

Maybe he has, imo has become more effective & influential the last 5-6 years than he was in 2003.
The main points were the difference it makes having a 9 who continually presents his runners with 1-2 defenders by zipping out from the ruck most tackles instead of an early pass where the runner is hit by 4 tacklers who dominate & slow down the play the ball.
The only options are the dynamo off the interchange & also more scoots early in the set from Wolf, Taufua & Matai who is equal with Hodges as best dummy half runner in the game to give the set momentum.
Once the defence is backpeddling its very hard to change that shift - particularly in that set.
Haha Cambo - maybe you are the missing piece that can give us more punch through the middle. Maybe Tooves will give you the call up in time for the Eels clash mate....😉

 

[MadMarcus]

No team can boast a Cam Smith

Well Melbourne can 😛

Melbourne have 2 actually. Well, at least there are 2 contracts with the name Cam Smith on them.