Quote ChrisA="ChrisA"Please do... Please explain how it's different in the modern game, don't give me the obvious differences that were evident in games played 15- 20 years ago before the 10 yard rule.'"
For starters you say the 'modern game' as if every team plays the same, this is simply not true.
Wigan play with a half back split, one player controls and organises one side of the pitch while the other controls the other.
Different to this is the likes of Saints and Leeds play with 1st and second receiver often on the same side with the SO running second receiver off the 1st receiver (SH) after receiving the ball off the number 9 from dummy half.
Watch how Pryce and McGuire run off the second receiver from Long/Burrow creating another number to link up with the SR then C then W to create over laps (often using props as dummy runners).
To take it one step further, the 13 (Which can be described as a bigger harder tackling 6-why so many players play both 6 and 13 (Barrett/Lockers/Bird) stands at the other side to the SHf as a loose forward creating more options.
To take it further again, Aus nation team have a deep lying second receiver usually the FB Billy Slater as another option for the SH, the deep lying second reciever usually sands behind, slightly offset to where the SO is.
Systems likes this create more options in attack to trick the defense, but to work such movements you need a true 7 who can run the attack, dictate what play the team is going to run from his first receiver positioning, hence back to the original point why Wigan need a true scrum half cos it is a different position to SO.
With Wigan, you would see a different attack if they didn't play the split an had a true 7.
Occasionally I do see Sam running off Tom creating such movements.
