BBC SPORT | BBC Pundits | Versatility is not the way forward



By Ray French BBC Sport rugby league commentator

"My kingdom for a half-back."

Great Britain coach David Waite might well recall Will Shakespeare's monarch Richard III and his cries for a horse when all was not going well on the battlefield.

The Lions boss may well put out such a cry for a winger, a centre or any midfield back with a smattering of attacking flair.

For the way he and many of our Super League coaches are employing our players is surely the reason why they pose such an insignificant threat to the world champions.

Gregory: GB can learn from mauling

How much longer must we hear of the need for the "multi-purpose player or versatile performer" in Super League?

How many times are we to be told that the that the modern game at club and international levels demands a player who can adapt to any position?

How much longer are we to programme a mediocre, robotic player to play in any position on the rugby league field?

In Sydney, Great Britain fielded:

a full-back - Paul Wellens - in the centre;

a centre - Paul Johnson - on the wing;

a centre/hooker/half-back - Karl Pratt - on the wing;

a loose forward - Paul Sculthorpe - at stand-off;

a loose forward - Kevin Sinfield - in both half-back positions;

and a centre - Martin Gleeson - on the wing.

Is it any wonder we have no midfield direction and no artistry behind the scrum and precious little attacking threat down the flanks.

Is it any wonder that, once the ball leaves the scrum, there is no threat of any concerted, sweeping, expansive play from a Great Britain side?

Gorden Tallis stretches the GB defence
Tallis has never played at half-back - and never will
Does Darren Lockyer play in any other position than full-back for the Brisbane Broncos or Australia?

Are Lote Tuqiri and Timana Tahu anything other than big, strong, fast wingers?

Is Andrew Johns not a prince among scrum-halves for club and country?

Is Trent Barrett not a seasoned performer at stand-off only?

And has Gorden Tallis ever started in the half-back positions?

Or course not.

Australia's players are taught to masters of their position and they perform accordingly.

In Britain, the hype surrounding the need for the all-action, all-purpose, all-powerful Super League star is nonsense.

Kevin Sinfield is tackled by the Australians
Sinfield is a loose forward and should stay in that position
We have created a squad of mediocrities, capable of filling any of half-a-dozen roles in a team.

And few - precious few - are able to dominate in their one position in a match.

We must return to basics and acknowledge that a Billy Boston starred as a winger, an Alex Murphy won honours as a scrum-half, and a Vince Karalius struck fear in Australia as a loose forward.

They did little else when switched elsewhere.

At the moment, Britain does not have the talent to tackle Australia on level terms.

But if we continue to full our jerseys with all-purpose artisans and not artists capable of playing out a key midfield role, we never will.


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