NRL lacks depth, needs reserve comp

Holden Cup ... a learning curve according to Fox Sports expert Brett Kimmorley. Source: Brett Costello / News Limited

Former Australian halfback Brett Kimmorley has called for the introduction of a national reserve grade competition along with the Under 20?s to help bolster the quality of future NRL players.

Following an influx of English imports with more to arrive next season, many are concerned the Australian game is suffering from a lack of depth and the Canberra assistant coach says he has the solution.

“The Holden Cup is a great learning curve for clubs,” Kimmorley said on NRL360. 

“You get a two or three years apprenticeship scheme before you have to invest big money into some of these kids. On record two or three of your players make it through to NRL anyway.

“Elite players get fast tracked anyway… the elite player is always going to make it.

“I think there should be a national reserve grade competition but you should still have your under 20’s.” 

Kimmorley suggested that the ‘National reserve grade’ competition would mirror the NRL while the NSW Cup and Intrust Super Cup in Queensland continue to satisfy the needs of top-tier country rugby league. 

“We’re putting all these CEO’s and administration in place in the NRL to make sure the game gets better in five years we need to make sure the talent is better in five years for the product to get more money as well,” he said. 

“I think there is a massive drop from when they come out of the Under 20’s and go into the NSW Cup/reserve grade format and they go back to park football, there’s not a stepping stone to go through to the NRL.” 

The discussion was sparked by the announcement that a group of English players were poised to join the competition while NRL clubs target more as potential recruits for next season and beyond. 

In the past only a few English players have succeeded in Australia but more and more players are deciding to test themselves in the NRL. While Kimmorley does not detest the English players’ arrival he has questioned the Australian stock.

“The game is getting better over here,” Kimmorley said. 

“The dollar over there isn’t as great as it used to be… if you’re talking $1 million, that would be a carrot a decent pommy would be willing to come to Australia (for) and test yourself for a small period of time. 

“I think the depth and the structure need to be changed in the whole NRL.”

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Big man Jacobs needs more support

Isolated ... Adelaide Crows big man Sam Jacobs needs more help in the middle. Source: Sarah Reed / AAP

It's not Sam Jacobs' fault ... but Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson now seems compelled to revisit his reluctance to play two dedicated ruckmen.

The Crows' determination to keep its 2012 team structure - by simply replacing Kurt Tippett with Josh Jenkins as a key forward who backs up lead ruckman Jacobs - appears to be courting failure.

		P	W	D	L	%	Pts
1	Essendon	3	3	0	0	200.54	12
2	Port Adelaide	3	3	0	0	159.75	12
3	Sydney	3	3	0	0	145.64	12
4	Richmond	3	3	0	0	135.46	12
5	Geelong	3	3	0	0	109.09	12
6	Hawthorn	3	2	0	1	134.88	8
7	Fremantle	3	2	0	1	122.61	8
8	Collingwood	3	2	0	1	93.37	8
9	St Kilda	3	1	0	2	116.34	4
10	West Coast	3	1	0	2	104.72	4
11	Adelaide	3	1	0	2	91.99	4
12	Bulldogs	3	1	0	2	91.00	4
13	Gold Coast	3	1	0	2	89.47	4
14	Brisbane	3	1	0	2	73.02	4
15	Carlton	3	0	0	3	88.89	0
16	North Melbourne	3	0	0	3	82.95	0
17	Greater Western Sydney	3	0	0	3	58.42	0
18	Melbourne	3	0	0	3	35.02	0

Adelaide now seems better served to:

RECALL Shaun McKernan to support Jacobs.
KEEP 14-game Jenkins as a key forward.

The immediate benefits are:

PROTECTING Jacobs, who is being subjected - as highlighted by Port Adelaide in AFL Showdown XXXIV on Sunday - to more body clashes in ruck duels. This battering will make it impossible for Jacobs to be in peak condition later in the season.

GIVE Adelaide's attack a permanent, go-to tall forward - Jenkins - who can bring the Crows specialist small forwards into the contest.

SAVE key forward Taylor Walker from playing more time behind centre as the "transition" player linking Adelaide's defence and forwards.

Jacobs, an All-Australian contender last year, has been subjected to savage appraisals in the wake of the Showdown loss to the Power.

Even Sanderson declared post-match that "(Jacobs) is one of our players who needs to lift - and he knows that."

"We're not getting the dominance we're used to there, so he is one player who is going to have to find form very quickly," added Sanderson.

But Jacobs' numbers are far from disappointing when compared to last season. He is averaging 29 hit-outs compared to 31 last season. Hit-outs to advantage has slipped marginally from a 9.7 average to 7.7.

But - as a true indicator of Adelaide's problems in the midfield - Jacobs is having to win twice as many clearances as he did last year.

The critical number of change with Adelaide is how the Jacobs-Tippett tandem gave the Crows a +7.8 edge on hit-outs last season; the Jacobs-Jenkins combo is -7.7 against opposition ruckmen.

By accepting Tippett - who has defected to Sydney - cannot be replaced by one player, Sanderson is compelled to use McKernan as Jacobs' tandem partner and leave Jenkins at the goalfront.

Jenkins notes this "would make my job a little bit easier".

"And it would make things easier for our small forwards," said Jenkins on radio FIVEaa. "I do enjoy getting up in the (centre) ruck and boundary and getting involved in the game when it is quiet up forward.

"It would make my job a little bit easier when I'm trying to learn the craft of two positions.

"But when we are not defending well (as a team) we have to think would another big body help us defend and put pressure on the opposition. It is a double-edged sword.

"The coaches would look at bringing more size into the forward line, but we have to look at the defensive side too."

That double-edge sword was exposed when Adelaide last played three tall forwards - in Brisbane in round 21 last season. The Crows lost and Sanderson has appeared reluctant to revisit this model.

Sanderson noted loading his team with talls - Jacobs, Tippett, Walker and Jenkins - allowed the Lions to move the ball from their defence too easily.

Walker's need to spend more and more time behind centre - a sign the Adelaide midfield has lost potency and the traditional Crows rebound from defence is failing - is making him a less-threatening forward.

"He transitions up the ground - and he has to turn around and get inside-50," says Sanderson of Walker's role.
He disputes Walker is being dragged to deep behind centre.

"You work up the ground; you work back," said Sanderson. "He has to push up to defend and then he has to work back inside-50.

"It is the same as what Richard Douglas or Rory Sloane or Jared Petrenko or Graham Johncock. Those guys have to work to defence and work back to our goals as well."

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