Auckland Nines: NRL teams will be learning on the run at inaugural tournament

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Jethro

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Some teams are toying with the idea of playing the Auckland Nines without a fullback in defence, others are contemplating whether one marker will be more effective than two.

Regardless, the bottom line is no team has any idea what to expect come kick-off on Saturday.

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Some teams are toying with the idea of playing the Auckland Nines without a fullback in defence, others are contemplating whether one marker will be more effective than two.

Regardless, the bottom
Aukland-9s.jpg
line is no team has any idea what to expect come kick-off on Saturday.

Few teams have had more than two training sessions in preparation for the tournament, willing to learn on the run in their pursuit of a large portion of the $2.25 million prizemoney.

The outside backs are considered by many as the players likely to inflict the most damage, but those who have previously played in the Super League Nines insist this is as much a forwards game as it is for the speedsters.

Andrew Johns, in Auckland for Sunday's charity touch football match as the curtain raiser to the Nines final, is unsure which game plan the coaches will adopt but has highlighted four players he believes will set the competition alight.

"I think Shaun Johnson will kill it," Johns said.

"Akuila Uate will be unstoppable. Ben Barba, with more space, is going to be phenomenal. Someone like Dave Taylor, imagine tackling him one on one?"

The Raiders and Bulldogs have named two of the weakest teams in the tournament, with respective coaches Ricky Stuart and Des Hasler opting to stay home and watch the matches on television.

However, most sides have picked star-studded teams. Johns believes there are three clear-cut favourites.

"I've had a look at the sides and I think the Warriors will be hard to beat and the Knights have named a good side as well," he said.

"But I reckon the smokey is the Titans. They've got a lot of speed in their team with David Mead and Kevin Gordon and Albert Kelly. I think the off-loads will be huge. If you can off-load that ball, like the Warriors do, how do you stop them? That controlled off-load is so hard to stop.

"I've been thinking about it and I don't know whether you'd fire the ball from sideline to sideline or what. Gorden [Tallis] said he played in Townsville in '97 and said New Zealand just blasted them through the middle. A bit of forward dominance through the middle is going to be huge."

Wests Tigers skipper Robbie Farah believes his side has been drawn in the pool of death.

"I think the group we're in is the toughest group in the tournament," Farah said.

"Newcastle have picked a great side, the Gold Coast Titans as well and the Cronulla Sharks."

Cronulla prop Andrew Fifita proved difficult to stop with 13 players on the field last year.

He has been picked in a Sharks team that also includes Paul Gallen, Wade Graham and Todd Carney.

The Cronulla skipper said Fifita didn't need any reminding of how devastating he could be with nine players in the opposition defensive line.

"Just ask him, he'll tell you," Gallen said.

"He's very confident at the moment, big Andrew. He's been telling us he wants to play halfback and centre. I think him and Sam Tagataese . . . bigger guys like that with a bit of skill, speed and footwork . . . I think they're going to be devastating at this sort of game."

The NRL has introduced several new rules for the tournament, including a five-point try zone behind the posts.

Gallen believes the initiative could determine the result of a match.

"I think it's good for defence too because I remember watching the Sevens 10 or 15 years ago and when someone made a break, the other team almost stopped chasing," he said.

"It will add an incentive to the defensive side to get back there and stop the player from getting inside that five-point zone. If it does go try for try, that one point could make a hell of a lot of a difference, especially with the scoring team kicking off."

One of the main attractions of day one will be Ben Barba's first game against the Bulldogs as a Broncos player.

Brisbane skipper Corey Parker tipped Barba to be one of the stars of the show.

"Every side here has got their talents but, myself included, everyone wants to see how Benny Barba goes."


Michael Chammas

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/auckland-nines-nrl-teams-will-be-learning-on-the-run-at-inaugural-tournament-20140214-32qzz.html
 
Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
4 3 1 28 6
3 2 1 10 6
4 2 2 39 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
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