Connor Watson fears for NRL’s utility players
Jasper Bruce |
Sydney Roosters’ Mr Fix-It Connor Watson fears there’s no longer a place for genuine utility players following the introduction of the NRL’s new six-man interchange bench.
Round one provided clubs with their first taste of the new rule, which allows coaches to name two extra players on the bench but still only activate four of the six.
Teams are still acclimatising.
Parramatta were unable to activate prop Sam Tuivaiti while Melbourne were dominating their forwards on Friday, as they’d already used four different bench players in the eventual 52-4 loss.
But a greater choice of bench players should mean less chance of teams being left high and dry by mid-game injuries.
Clubs rarely had space for an outside back on the bench under the previous four-man configuration, for example, but would often be severely disadvantaged if one went down.
But on the flip-side, the rule appears to place less value on carrying a player like Watson, Melbourne’s Tyran Wishart or Canterbury’s Kurt Mann, all of whom have made careers out of covering any position in a pinch.
Watson came on at hooker in the Roosters’ 42-18 round-one loss to the Warriors and expects his role will change this year.
“You’re not going to have guys that can play every position, really,” he said.
“That’s sort of going to be ruled out of the game, unfortunately, because that’s something that I’ve prided myself on throughout my career.
“You’ve just got to adapt and go with it.”
The Roosters carried comeback kid Cody Ramsey as cover for the outside backs and Toby Rodwell as a back-up half against the Warriors.
Watson is now likely to be preferred at hooker or as a lightweight middle forward, but wants Trent Robinson to know the coach can still deploy him in the outside backs if required.
“I haven’t (told him) but he knows he can,” he said.
AAP