So given it's pretty obvious we're not going to see Jarryd at six anytime soon, I keep thinking about what Parramatta needs to do to accomodate a fullback, who plays like a five-eighth. My feel is we miss that traditional fullback, who plays primarily a support role. So I've created a new position - the Fock.
The Fock is a lock who plays more like a fullback. In attack, the Fock follows the ball. His role is to be looking for short offloads and to run into holes that get created on the inside. He's also a great target for a chip or grubber through the line. He also acts as a second dummy half whenever the first dummy half is unavailable, or when the side is looking for a quick scamper out of dummy half and he can also drop into first receiver to create more width for the attack, or if needed drop onto the other side of the ruck from the halfback.
The Fock would be a quicker, smaller guy and Luke Burt is the obvious candidate, but I could also see Daniel Mortimer playing this role. Had he still been in our side, Kris Keating would be the perfect Fock. You're looking for someone who is up-tempo and always around the ball. If we were back in the eighties, the great Paul Taylor would have make a great Fock.
In fact in Defence, I'm modelling the Fock on Taylor. He's a guy who's defensive goal is to stay right in the middle of the field, and just rack up tackles. If he looks like being first-man in, he tries to shoot out of the line a little and cut down the forward with a grass cutter, but mostly he's just cleaning up around the ruck, using his superior mobility and being second and third man into tackles to slow down the play the ball. It's a bit of a Hindmarsh, Alan Tongue-like role.
The rationale to having a Fock is, as long as you have some big outside backs who are generally taking the first 3 hitups anyway, there is no real need for that sixth forward. You don't need the traditional ball-playing lock, because in our side Jarryd Hayne provides that extra playmaker. Having a player omni-present sniffing around the ball for the inside pass, will also help to stop defences from sliding.
Mother Focker idea or what?
Replies
Fockin cool!
Anthony Watts? Would be perfect for that position. Tackles anything that moves, aggressive, great support player, and can play every position on the field. Played games at fullback for the cows too.
Tom Humble?
Morts is just a little focker
No worries, it got me off the keyboard to go and watch it!
As they were talking about Origin, I also realised that Kurt Gidley is absolutely the ideal Fock. Hands off the Fock Benny, this one is for Mooks.
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