They’re just an example. It’s just the way the modern game is headed. Melbourne are just always at the forefront of adapting. All the sides basically run their same “systems” now which is basically all “game management” is now, whoever has the best systems. We just happen to unfortunately have the worst which is exacerbated by players with very limited individual talent in the halves.
The Halfback Conundrum
- Thread starter HarVeeGee13
- Start date
They’re just an example. It’s just the way the modern game is headed. Melbourne are just always at the forefront of adapting. All the sides basically run their same “systems” now which is basically all “game management” is now, whoever has the best systems. We just happen to unfortunately have the worst which is exacerbated by players with very limited individual talent in the halves.
slotmachine
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
I don't think it's so simple, you still have halves that work the middle third of the field in good teams.
But more importantly if we are just trying to be Melbourne lite, they are just a lot better in their key positions.
Bellamy >>>>>>>> whoever is coaching us in 2026
Grant >>>> whoever we roll out in 2026
Hughes >> Brown
Munster >>> Sharpe
Paps < Ponga (in a vacuum, I think Paps is a better fit for the Storm)
But more importantly if we are just trying to be Melbourne lite, they are just a lot better in their key positions.
Bellamy >>>>>>>> whoever is coaching us in 2026
Grant >>>> whoever we roll out in 2026
Hughes >> Brown
Munster >>> Sharpe
Paps < Ponga (in a vacuum, I think Paps is a better fit for the Storm)
Defence wins games
Todd Bates
I can’t see any situation where Wishart ever ends up in Newcastle. Considering his options we are not even in sight of securing him. He is a winner and wants to continue being so.
Our best hope is Arthur and hopefully, if we can keep them, one of the Hoad twins.
We are a better chance of jagging one of the Bronco hooker cast offs atm.
KPGreatness
Ben Donaldson
That’s the thing, we shouldn’t try to be like anyone, what works at one club isn’t guaranteed to work at another.
it shows the coach as completely incompetent of making his own game style and just wants to plagiarise and act like he knows what he is doing.
You are right in them having players that can do the specific job better.
A good coach looks at his players and tries to figure out how to get the best out of them not copy and paste tactics that he knows we don’t have the players to do
KPGreatness
Ben Donaldson
I seriously hope we don’t go for Wishart, literally not needed, whilst we do need a hooker we can get a cheap alternative to take the sting out for Arthur who looks like a real gem, we need an actual halfback/young one with big potential and one aggressive prop, why the hell would Wishart fit in any of that for the price he would command to come here.
It’s stupid and wastes time, don’t get me wrong I do like Wishart just doesn’t make sense for what we need right now, with salary cap restrictions and so on.
It’s stupid and wastes time, don’t get me wrong I do like Wishart just doesn’t make sense for what we need right now, with salary cap restrictions and so on.
Tackleslikeagirl
Alex McKinnon
AOB worked for 11 years in the storm system. It’s not plagiarism when you’re a contributor.
slotmachine
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
The way the Storm played in 2016 looks like a different sport compared to how they play in 2025.
Not saying any of our players are better than their Storm counterparts. Was highlighting that for well coached sides, having a traditional 7 isn’t needed nowadays.
I don't think we are trying to be like anyone else, I think we are finally playing to our strengths.
For example
Ponga is a gun, we all know this. But like everyone else, he has strengths and weaknesses. One of his weaknesses is he is very ordinary at support play (knowing when, having the right timing etc). On the other hand, we have fletcher Sharpe playing 5/8, and one of his major strengths is support play. He just has that nack of knowing where and when to pop up, great instincts. So Obrien (or someone) has fletcher playing a supporting role in attack like a fullback, while ponga is playing more like a 5/8 in attack. Basically he is letting players play to there strengths, not being locked into what the number on there back traditionally does.
This is not copying anyone else, but acknowledging our strengths.
I think with the ponga / sharpe / brown experiment, all these guys can cover all the neccesary function (although basic game management and long kicking game are still a concern for me)
EddieC
Michael McKeirnan
With all the hooker talk, why are we not developing Arthur now? He was signed 13 months ago with the prospect of playing FG and he played more last year for the eels than he has here and he has not set the world on fire in cup. We offloaded Brailey, moved poor Crossy to yet another position and we keep falling short. In the meantime we have made no attempt to develop anyone else it seems. Hoad twins? I think you find ones a hooker/lock and the other is a centre. There’s Moore playing more hooker in flegg than the Hoads. Davis seems to have been left off the list for whatever reason and we shafted Riley Jones. We have plenty of halves to convert as that seems like what we prefer to do.
As much as everyone thinks otherwise I think we shot ourselves too quick with Brailey (understanding we had to offload funds to purchase Brown but let’s not get into that crock!). Arthur for me hasn’t developed to what was expected.
In respect to the other Arthur (Jake) geez it would have been good to have space for him though in hindsight - we sign some kid from Parra for top 30 27. Did we jump too quick again here? Good luck to Jake if he heads to ESL. He will kill it there.
As much as everyone thinks otherwise I think we shot ourselves too quick with Brailey (understanding we had to offload funds to purchase Brown but let’s not get into that crock!). Arthur for me hasn’t developed to what was expected.
In respect to the other Arthur (Jake) geez it would have been good to have space for him though in hindsight - we sign some kid from Parra for top 30 27. Did we jump too quick again here? Good luck to Jake if he heads to ESL. He will kill it there.
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Interesting that we were talking about whether Mason Teague could play hooker on here last week and he suddenly started the Cup game at hooker. He only got 31 minutes all game - all in one spell as starting hooker. Made 24 tackles at 100% efficency and passed the ball 33 times - only behind Mat Arthur.
bremsstrahlung
Dean Carney
Would be good to see what he can offer at hooker/lock in NRL. Would certainly be nice to have 2 Hooker/Lock options in Crossland and Teague. Certainly offers some flexibility.
I agree that I would’ve liked to see more from
Arthur by now. I get he’s young and developing. I just get the vibe he’s not where we hoped he would be - especially if we are going after a hooker now. I guess somebody like Smith who can play half and hooker is a better sell to give him the FG gig and have Arthur bench or develop in Cup some more. Then see where the Ponga, Sharpe, Smith dominos fall for 2027.
23K views · 143 reactions | Matty Johns revealed how his 1-2-3 plan he devised at Melbourne inspired Adam O'Brien's original plan for how he'd use Dylan Brown! Would this have worked? #NRL | SEN League
Matty Johns revealed how his 1-2-3 plan he devised at Melbourne inspired Adam O'Brien's original plan for how he'd use Dylan Brown! Would this have worked? #NRL
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krustykraz
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Sandon 123K views · 143 reactions | Matty Johns revealed how his 1-2-3 plan he devised at Melbourne inspired Adam O'Brien's original plan for how he'd use Dylan Brown! Would this have worked? #NRL | SEN League
Matty Johns revealed how his 1-2-3 plan he devised at Melbourne inspired Adam O'Brien's original plan for how he'd use Dylan Brown! Would this have worked? #NRL
Brown 2
Ponga 3
Sharpe 4 (from centre or wing)
Could work and be very dangerous
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Jesus Christ.23K views · 143 reactions | Matty Johns revealed how his 1-2-3 plan he devised at Melbourne inspired Adam O'Brien's original plan for how he'd use Dylan Brown! Would this have worked? #NRL | SEN League
Matty Johns revealed how his 1-2-3 plan he devised at Melbourne inspired Adam O'Brien's original plan for how he'd use Dylan Brown! Would this have worked? #NRL
Based on the way we started the season, the '1' in this theory was absolutely supposed to be... Ponga. We had an absolute crackpot coaching this team.
Does this maybe put paid to the idea that the issues with the attack can be attributed primarily to Blake Green?
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Don't think this lines up particularly well with the type of player Ponga is either. If anything he's a '2'.
Another really key thing to note here is that there is a difference between *Cooper Cronk* and most halfbacks. We're in a bit of trouble if we totally drop the burden of running the team on Sandon. There's a reason the answer to "can it work at Newcastle?" is laughter followed by "Can we bring Cooper out of retirement?"
Alex
Mark Hughes
AOB still thinking it's 201623K views · 143 reactions | Matty Johns revealed how his 1-2-3 plan he devised at Melbourne inspired Adam O'Brien's original plan for how he'd use Dylan Brown! Would this have worked? #NRL | SEN League
Matty Johns revealed how his 1-2-3 plan he devised at Melbourne inspired Adam O'Brien's original plan for how he'd use Dylan Brown! Would this have worked? #NRL
Junior
Rod Shoesmith
for me ponga is the 123K views · 143 reactions | Matty Johns revealed how his 1-2-3 plan he devised at Melbourne inspired Adam O'Brien's original plan for how he'd use Dylan Brown! Would this have worked? #NRL | SEN League
Matty Johns revealed how his 1-2-3 plan he devised at Melbourne inspired Adam O'Brien's original plan for how he'd use Dylan Brown! Would this have worked? #NRL
sharpe is the 2 following ponga everywhere being that extra option
then that leaves brown at 3 which suits well, ball running half, can create what he wants where he wants
and no. melbourne still use this formula, Hughes 1, Papi following him at 2 and munster doing as he pleases at 3… watch more closely, plus Grant being crafty from 9 keeping everyone always guessing… ours is sandon smith
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
It's not this totally out of date way of thinking, it'd probably be a pretty fair way of describing how the Dolphins play: Katoa the '1', Nikorima the '2', Fuller or Hammer the '3'. Just a fancy way of saying: on-ball halfback, second receiver, floating/ad-lib player.
They do that because it fits Katoa's skill set though. It doesn't fit the players we have. I feel like AOB spent too long at Melbourne and just concluded, elite players just figure it out. But Ponga isn't that kind of player.
He's a touch footy player. Rhythm within structures. He won the Dally M scoring or setting up small variations on the same try sweeping around the back of shape over and over and over again. Why on Earth do we keep going away from what works? I'm losing my mind.
The funny thing here is: no they don't. They absolutely play with a split field system and have since Cronk retired. Munster controls the left, Hughes controls the right. Jahrome is not an on-ball 7 & Munster has evolved as a 6, he's on the first layer of structure way more often than he used to be. The main principle of their attack now is executing simple structures at pace & working to specific spots (and then chipping the ball to their wingers over and over again lmao). The club allegedly wants a 'Melbourne' style attack, but what Matty describes above isn't really what Melbourne do now.