The five that get my blood pumping
BENJI MARSHALL
August 15, 2010
There are plenty of exciting young players in the NRL, but this is my countdown to greatness. These are the guys I love watching the most . . .
5 JOSH DUGAN
Few people have the impact on a team that he has on the Canberra side. He's got all the skills a good fullback should have – he can catch a high ball, he's fast, he runs the ball back hard and he breaks the line a lot. You only had to watch him against the Panthers the other night to realise how good he is. Not only did he score a try and set one up, but he's got the ability to stop them as well. Many of the young players who burst onto the scene and are good with the ball in hand, but Josh is also outstanding in defence, which is rare for a player so young. When he brings the ball back on kick returns, he's one of the hardest guys to pin down. Josh seems to beat the first person every time. I'm not surprised he's up in the stats for most line breaks from kick returns. That's why I find him so exciting to watch. I know the fullback for NSW is Jarryd Hayne but I was surprised the selectors didn't give him a look-in somewhere this year. He proved himself in City-Country, when he was the best player on the field by a mile. You're just not as worried about Canberra when he's not in the side.
4 CHRIS LAWRENCE
Chris would have to be one of the smartest players in the game. He's only 21 but he's what I like to call "the ultimate professional". Off the park there is so much attention to detail. He's got such a mature head on his shoulders. When it comes to running out on the field, I don't think I've seen anyone as powerful and with as much speed. Chris tips the scales at about 98 kilograms and yet he's the fastest in our team. When he gets the ball one-on-one or in open space, he's so hard to stop. I've played alongside Chris on the left edge throughout his career at the Tigers and you can tell he's probably one of the hardest guys to tackle. And the way he's putting shots on when he hasn't got the ball is outstanding. He copped some criticism early in his career over his defence, but there's no way you'd want to run straight into him these days. The variety he's got in his game for someone so young – being able to slot in at five-eighth – is something few players have.
3 MICHAEL JENNINGS
I sit back and watch Michael Jennings and there are times when I just think: "My gosh, how does he do some of that stuff?". He's got amazing speed, footwork and strength. When he gets the ball, he just makes it look so easy. Jennings is just so good on his feet. He has a great ability to come off his left foot and beat players on the inside. But the key component with him is speed. He is just so fast. He's been carrying an injury at times this year but he still defies the odds, he's one of the toughest guys to tackle in the comp. We'll be facing him today and it's going to be a great challenge to keep him quiet.
2 SAM BURGESS
I can't think of a bad word to say about this bloke. He came over from England with plenty of hype, we'd heard all about this big front-rower who plays for the Poms. I've never seen a guy handle so much expectation with such class. The amount of respect he commands from other teams is amazing. Defensively, nobody wants to run his way. You only have to look at the hits – like the one he put on Mitchell Pearce – to know you should steer clear. In attack, he has some of the best footwork I've ever seen for a big guy. He's got the ability to get into holes off the back of his footwork and then produce that big right-arm offload. Whenever he's in that Souths team they find another gear. He does two hit-ups a set and still makes 40-odd tackles a game, and still finishes as strongly as he starts. But for everything that he produces on the field, I'm really impressed with how he conducts himself off it. Sam hasn't got caught up in the trappings of fame and he gets along with everyone. He might have a massive head, but it's not because of all the success he's had. Hopefully, more English players will follow his lead and test themselves in the NRL. Sam is a great player now but his potential is scary. You have to remember he's only 21 and has a long way to go. I predict that in two or three years, he'll be the best player in the comp.
1 JARRYD HAYNE
Where do you start? He can do everything. Some of the stuff he does . . . it's just a joke. I remember seeing a TV snippet of him at training, juggling the ball like a soccer player. Amazing. He can run the ball back strongly and is up there with the quickest players in the NRL. It all comes back to that speed and power combination. The footwork he has for a big guy, combined with the speed off the mark, makes him the complete package. Forget about the Hayne Train, it's the Hayne Plane . . . he really is flying! It's been hard for him this year, coming off the back of his first really big season. He's such a complete player and every other team has been targeting him, but I think he's handled it really well. I don't agree with a lot of the criticism that's come his way. There's so much expectation on him to win every game single-handedly, but there are 16 other guys in that Eels team. The pressure put on him by the fans and the media is unfair and I feel for him. As far as I'm concerned, some of the things he's been doing this year are as good as last season – sometimes better. Jarryd is probably the most talented player in my top five. When Jarryd wants to play, Jarryd plays. No team likes playing against him. The NRL is his oyster.
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BENJI MARSHALL
August 15, 2010
There are plenty of exciting young players in the NRL, but this is my countdown to greatness. These are the guys I love watching the most . . .
5 JOSH DUGAN
Few people have the impact on a team that he has on the Canberra side. He's got all the skills a good fullback should have – he can catch a high ball, he's fast, he runs the ball back hard and he breaks the line a lot. You only had to watch him against the Panthers the other night to realise how good he is. Not only did he score a try and set one up, but he's got the ability to stop them as well. Many of the young players who burst onto the scene and are good with the ball in hand, but Josh is also outstanding in defence, which is rare for a player so young. When he brings the ball back on kick returns, he's one of the hardest guys to pin down. Josh seems to beat the first person every time. I'm not surprised he's up in the stats for most line breaks from kick returns. That's why I find him so exciting to watch. I know the fullback for NSW is Jarryd Hayne but I was surprised the selectors didn't give him a look-in somewhere this year. He proved himself in City-Country, when he was the best player on the field by a mile. You're just not as worried about Canberra when he's not in the side.
4 CHRIS LAWRENCE
Chris would have to be one of the smartest players in the game. He's only 21 but he's what I like to call "the ultimate professional". Off the park there is so much attention to detail. He's got such a mature head on his shoulders. When it comes to running out on the field, I don't think I've seen anyone as powerful and with as much speed. Chris tips the scales at about 98 kilograms and yet he's the fastest in our team. When he gets the ball one-on-one or in open space, he's so hard to stop. I've played alongside Chris on the left edge throughout his career at the Tigers and you can tell he's probably one of the hardest guys to tackle. And the way he's putting shots on when he hasn't got the ball is outstanding. He copped some criticism early in his career over his defence, but there's no way you'd want to run straight into him these days. The variety he's got in his game for someone so young – being able to slot in at five-eighth – is something few players have.
3 MICHAEL JENNINGS
I sit back and watch Michael Jennings and there are times when I just think: "My gosh, how does he do some of that stuff?". He's got amazing speed, footwork and strength. When he gets the ball, he just makes it look so easy. Jennings is just so good on his feet. He has a great ability to come off his left foot and beat players on the inside. But the key component with him is speed. He is just so fast. He's been carrying an injury at times this year but he still defies the odds, he's one of the toughest guys to tackle in the comp. We'll be facing him today and it's going to be a great challenge to keep him quiet.
2 SAM BURGESS
I can't think of a bad word to say about this bloke. He came over from England with plenty of hype, we'd heard all about this big front-rower who plays for the Poms. I've never seen a guy handle so much expectation with such class. The amount of respect he commands from other teams is amazing. Defensively, nobody wants to run his way. You only have to look at the hits – like the one he put on Mitchell Pearce – to know you should steer clear. In attack, he has some of the best footwork I've ever seen for a big guy. He's got the ability to get into holes off the back of his footwork and then produce that big right-arm offload. Whenever he's in that Souths team they find another gear. He does two hit-ups a set and still makes 40-odd tackles a game, and still finishes as strongly as he starts. But for everything that he produces on the field, I'm really impressed with how he conducts himself off it. Sam hasn't got caught up in the trappings of fame and he gets along with everyone. He might have a massive head, but it's not because of all the success he's had. Hopefully, more English players will follow his lead and test themselves in the NRL. Sam is a great player now but his potential is scary. You have to remember he's only 21 and has a long way to go. I predict that in two or three years, he'll be the best player in the comp.
1 JARRYD HAYNE
Where do you start? He can do everything. Some of the stuff he does . . . it's just a joke. I remember seeing a TV snippet of him at training, juggling the ball like a soccer player. Amazing. He can run the ball back strongly and is up there with the quickest players in the NRL. It all comes back to that speed and power combination. The footwork he has for a big guy, combined with the speed off the mark, makes him the complete package. Forget about the Hayne Train, it's the Hayne Plane . . . he really is flying! It's been hard for him this year, coming off the back of his first really big season. He's such a complete player and every other team has been targeting him, but I think he's handled it really well. I don't agree with a lot of the criticism that's come his way. There's so much expectation on him to win every game single-handedly, but there are 16 other guys in that Eels team. The pressure put on him by the fans and the media is unfair and I feel for him. As far as I'm concerned, some of the things he's been doing this year are as good as last season – sometimes better. Jarryd is probably the most talented player in my top five. When Jarryd wants to play, Jarryd plays. No team likes playing against him. The NRL is his oyster.
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