When the NRL preview rolls around, I always have a particular match, trend, team, or player in mind to focus on. This week, it’s the constantly evolving role of outside backs.
There was a time when people in rugby league would refer to wingers as “blokes that hang out with footy players.”
More recently, they’ve become a key part of the yardage battle and a significant feature of opposing teams’ planning processes. Closer to the line, they produce some of the most exciting plays in the game every week. They’re not limited to sticking to the paint these days, either.
Centre was once considered a predominantly defensive position with low-frills attack. There have been great individual centres, but the position overall has evolved. Joey Manu, among others, has well and truly changed that fairly one-dimensional narrative, and he continues to lead the way in how centres move around the field.
Manu has a license to roam. It’s not often we see a centre from the right side travel to the left in yardage for a tough carry. Not every centre is interested in that role, but it’s not uncommon for Manu to pop up for a dummy half run out of yardage when the Roosters are keeping it tight in an arm wrestle.
In good ball, Manu picks his spots. It’s important that he is in his right-side channel when the opportunity arises to attack that area. However, and it must be somewhat scripted, he floats to the left and adds a second or third layer to a long Sydney Roosters shift.
Tom Trbojevic has roamed around the field at State of Origin level. At his NRL club, Tolutau Koula is using his lightening quick speed to get across the field and into dangerous positions on the right edge.
Now, it’s Zac Lomax on the wing who is popping up in different spots on the field.
Before the NRL season kicked off, I looked into where he might feature in the St George Illawarra Dragons attack. I had Lomax starting in the centres and roaming in a Manu-like role. As it turns out, Shane Flanagan has put him on the wing—which Lomax is reportedly unhappy about—but that hasn’t stopped him from moving from the right wing to the left edge at times.
We saw him have a look in good ball against the Gold Coast Titans in Round 1. I think the important thing to note here is where Tyrell Sloan is on the shift.
The Dragons have all three spine players on the long side. They have no shape down the short side, and there isn’t much room for Lomax to slot in anywhere when he does go searching for the ball.
Against the North Queensland Cowboys in Round 3, however, Sloan is holding shape on the right. As teams start to look for Lomax sweeping, having Sloan down the short side keeps that edge honest.
I’m not even sure Ben Hunt is looking to roll this in for Lomax. Nonetheless, as Hunt takes the ball on the second layer of the shift, and unlike the Titans example, Lomax is in a position to impact the play. He chases through on the kick this time but can take a pass inside if the defence doesn’t fill up from the inside.
Lomax is somewhat unique as a winger given his ability and instincts as a fullback. It will be interesting to see how his role evolves in the Dragons attack and whether or not we see wingers float a bit more across the NRL.
One more thing on roaming wingers:
I never miss the opportunity to rewatch this Cory Oates try from the ANZAC Round in 2019.
Oates has been named to return to the NRL this week. With the Brisbane Broncos attack lacking the Reece Walsh spark, perhaps they did into their bag of tricks and reproduce this on on Friday night?