Rugby league shouldn’t forget that a strong forward pack will always top a creative half, writes Gorden Tallis

WHEN I was a kid, the best forward pack always won and they won by running hard and making the metres, not by going straight to the halves. And that should still be the case today, writes GORDEN TALLIS.

RUGBY League has given the biggest guys on the field an option not to put their bodies on the line.

There’s too much pressure on our sixes and sevens these days to create their own time and space. And you can throw No.1 in as well.

With the amount of training teams do, every player is highly skilled.

But when I was a young kid growing up, the best forward pack always won and they won by running hard and making the metres, not by going straight to the halves.

And that should still be the case today, no matter how much emphasis and attention is placed on those guys in the six and seven jerseys.

PETERO: Broncos can’t lose Haas

THURSTON: “We’re not done yet”

The Cowboys needed their pack firing on all cylinders. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

If the Cowboys’ return to form on Friday night doesn’t show that, I don’t know what does.

There are only two players in history that I believe could get a win when the forward pack was not dominating.

They were Andrew Johns and Wally Lewis.

They have played with forward packs that haven’t dominated the opposition.

They’re the exception to the rule but that doesn’t stop us from putting so much pressure on the halves.

The buzz words in commentary these days are “the halves didn’t create enough opportunities” or “the halves were great and dug into the line”.

Michael Morgan’s form was seen as crucial for the Cowboys. (Getty Images)

You hear it all the time. Even I’ve said it. But I’ve been fooled. The buzz words should be that the forwards have to dominate.

The Cowboys are a great example of this. Last year, they made it to the grand final without one of the greatest players we have seen in the last 15 years in Johnathan Thurston.

And while he wasn’t there, they made the premiership decider while Jason Taumalolo was making over 200m a game.

He made over 200m again on Friday night against the Panthers.

Running for 100m used to be a big game. Now he’s eating up double that.

There’s no surprise the Cowboys turned it around given how dominant their forward pack was.

Matt Scott is coming back into form. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Matt Scott also had his best game since coming back from an ACL injury. It took a bit longer than people hoped but he’s certainly looking like his old self.

Forwards are the creators.

These halfbacks can’t create enough without the time and space to do so.

Don’t get me wrong, they do come up with the odd play and break things open.

But the forwards should be the ones to set the platform.

They make those first three runs — hard and straight and hit the opposition.

That makes the next two runs easier for the halves.

These days, coaches are giving their forward packs options and I’ll be honest, if coaches had given me the option to pass instead of running hard and getting my body bruised, of course I would have done that. But take that option away. You’re a forward. You have to run forward.

It’s OK to get them to just beat the bloke in front of them and dig down and see how tough they are. You don’t run it sideways to link up with the halfback.

Coaches are part of the blame and we as commentators are part of the blame. There are not enough dinosaurs in the game.

Call me old, but the most successful teams I played with had a big pack who ran hard and worked to tire the guy right in front of him.

LIVE stream every game of every round of the 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership on FOX SPORTS. Get your free two-week Foxtel Now trial and start watching in minutes. SIGN UP NOW >

Originally published as Rugby league shouldn’t forget that a strong forward pack will always top a creative half, writes Gorden Tallis