Canterbury No.7 Lachlan Lewis setting the bar for NRL defence

First it was Kaufusi, cut down in a classic, then Asofa-Solomona, lopped down by a grasscutting effort. In the just two tackles, Canterbury No.7 Lachlan Lewis proved he’s ready for the NRL.

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There aren’t many things more terrifying for a halfback in the NRL right now than having to stop rampaging Melbourne giants Felise Kaufusi and Nelson Asofa-Solomona close to the line.

Stopping one is hard enough but to chop them both down in consecutive tackles is pretty impressive for anybody, let alone a No.7.

But for Canterbury’s Lachlan Lewis, cutting down 224kg of prime rugby league beef was no big deal.

Lewis has surprised with his hot start to the season. Image: Matt King/Getty Images

The moment came in the second half of the Bulldogs’ narrow loss to Melbourne last weekend when Craig Bellamy’s side trailed 12-6 and started to pepper Canterbury’s line.

First it was Kaufusi, who was cut down in a classic front-on tackle, before Asofa-Solomona was felled by a grasscutting effort from the 90kg halfback.

The kid can hit and he usually sticks.

According to Fox Sports Lab, Lewis is the best defender of any starting half that has made more than 65 tackles this year, having made 84 tackles and missing only six.

By comparison, Melbourne’s Cameron Munster has made 85 tackles but missed 12.

“My defence is definitely something I pride myself on … Kaufusi runs that line a lot and he targets defensive patterns by almost running overs closer to the tryline. So our coaches spotted that and made sure I was aware of it. We talked about it all week, that was the tackle I had to do,” Lewis said.

“It looks a lot harder than it is. I just throw my body at theirs and hold on to whatever I can.”

Lewis’s defence is only one part of the 22-year-old’s evolution into a complete player.

Fox League analyst and commentator Braith Anasta feared Lewis’s playing style would lead to his stagnation and he would suffer a case of second-year syndrome as a result.

But the growth Lewis has displayed in opening month of the season shows he could be the franchise player the Bulldogs need.

The new Lewis has set himself a high standard. Image: Tim Hunter.

“I thought back at the end of the last year, other teams are going to work this guy out during the pre-season and they kind of did. In round one, I thought he was going to struggle and it’s going to be a hard year for him,” Anasta said.

“He didn’t have too much variety in his game. His kicking was his biggest strength and he was great at it but he really needed to add a few more strings to his bow and not be so predictable.

“Then he comes up with the kind of performance he did against Melbourne, were he was sensational. He threw that beautiful pass for Holland to score. If he continues to grow like that and work on his passing game then they can build a team around him.”

LISTEN! Matty Johns is back with his latest podcast and with Paul Kent and James Hooper runs the rule over struggling team, takes a look at what makes a great halfback and has his say on the modern coaching problem. Plenty of laughs to be had as well.

The Capalaba Warrior junior spent the pre-season looking for an edge, honing his ball playing.

“With kicking it’s such a small, fine skill. Catch a ball, kick it and put it there. With attack it’s a different beast. Trying to read the play and then you have the skill of catch and pass, that’s what five-eighths get paid most to do, to try and create tries,” Lewis said.

“I’m constantly working hard on that. I can’t wait to get tested and try new things again.”

Originally published as Canterbury No.7 Lachlan Lewis setting the bar for NRL defence