Analysis: The key attribute separating Cody Walker from rival halves

South Sydney pivot Cody Walker is having a season to remember in 2019 having made an irresistible case for Origin selection and there’s one key attribute he shares with the league’s greatest playmakers.

• LATE MAIL: Rabbitohs playmaker in doubt

• CASUALTY WARD: Rapana, Johnston sidelined

South Sydney pivot Cody Walker is having a season to remember in 2019 having made an irresistible case for Origin selection.

Walker surged to the top of the competition’s try scoring tally with his 10th four pointer of the season at the inaugural Magic Weekend at Suncorp Stadium in Round 9.

Further to his try scoring feats, Walker has amassed an impressive 10 try assists, 13 line break assists and 34 tackles breaks.

Cody Walker has had a stunning 2019 season to date. (AAP Image/Darren England)

But there’s one key attribute the livewire playmaker possesses that he has in common with a number of rugby league’s greatest ever halves.

Walker’s ability to dig deep into the defensive line with ball in hand is what makes him the creative genius we’ve come to admire in season’s past.

His tendency to penetrate the opposition defence holds the key to the Rabbitohs’ lethal left edge, while he achieves the same result when shifting right.

Here’s a breakdown of what makes him one of the most potent attacking forces in the game.

Walker plays deep into the defensive line to attract defenders.

DIGGING INTO THE LINE

The notion of digging into the line can be measured in the direct distance between the ball player and the defenders at the point he makes an attacking decision to pass, kick or run.

Walker attacks further into the line than any other current playmaker in the NRL (special mentions to Cooper Cronk and Luke Keary).

Generally speaking, the decision of the defender heightens in difficulty the deeper the attacker plays into the line.

This isn’t to say an early ball to a strike player out wide isn’t effective in its own right.

However, the earlier the ball is passed equates to a far easier task to manage for the defender.

Roosters defenders keep their hips square to allow them to easily slide in defence.

THE DEFENSIVE PRINCIPLE

While there are variations to basic defensive principles, a unit will operate by moving upwards, then sliding outwards as a line.

Eventually, if all the men in the line do their job sufficiently, the attacking unit will spread the ball to the winger who will run out of space.

The key element in this principle for defenders is to keep their hips square to their opposing man.

The defender must stay square until their opposite man passes the ball, allowing the defender to turn his hips outwards and give chase.

The second they turn their hips inwards, space is created on their outside shoulder which is an immediate win for the attackers.

If a defender does turn their hips in having been committed by the attacker, their outside defenders must react and jam in to close off the gap.

Each defender down the line must then follow suit to ensure no gaps appear in the line which can easily be exploited by a hole runner.

So how does Walker exploit this defensive principle?

Walker plays so far into the defensive line he forces Parramatta defenders to turn their hips inwards, creating space for his outside backs.

WALKER’S CLASS

The attacking unit’s objective is to get the defenders to turn their hips in, then exploit it.

Walker plays so deep into the line that he forces his opposite defender to turn his hips in, which is followed by the outside defenders.

From here, Walker passes the ball as late as possible to his outside men, generally a sweeping Alex Johnston.

The outside backs look up to a dismantled defensive unit and they’re free to take advantage of it.

So why doesn’t every playmaker in the NRL play deep into the line?

TOUGHNESS

Basically, it comes down to toughness.

The game’s great playmakers seem to constantly be the culprits of late shots that hit the headlines and generate scrutiny.

Sure they’re targeted at times for their class alone, but the common denominator is that they all dig deep into the line and expose themselves to these shots.

Think Andrew Johns, Johnathan Thurston and of course Cronk.

This isn’t to suggest playmakers who give earlier ball are softer than their counterparts, or that there aren’t other factors enabling the likes of Walker to play late (go forward, dominant line runners).

It simply emphasises the fact that it takes a hard nut to put themselves in a position to be whacked late by opposing 100kg frames.

The NRL’s average playmaker might play half-a-metre earlier than the aforementioned names, but it’s the difference between a defender either turning their hips in or easily sliding out to make a tackle.

Originally published as Analysis: The key attribute separating Cody Walker from rival halves