Here's one for you I don't recall seeing for a while. But it's an alternative defensive line-up as opposed to an attacking one. When was the last time you saw somebody play with a sweeper i.e. a defender sweeping up between the main defensive line and the fullback. I think Halifax used this to some effect when they won the title under Chris Anderson and other teams certainly used it at the time (1980s).

Leeds playing without a hooker when Matt Diskin was injured in 2007 and naming an extra prop (Ian Kirke amongst others) in his place. We ended up with Burrow and Sinfield filling in at acting half.

Teams used to use the sweeper when the short chip kick in the middle of the field was in vogue. Even without a sweper the chip is a high-risk play (more often than not turning over possession), which is probably why you don't see it very often.

It was [url=http://leeds.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1148this game[/url and Lee Smith from full back took most of the dummy half role.

Forgot who it was, but on each side wing/centre/second row were virtually interchangeable.

We have an extra forward on the field with Joel Tomkins at centre and also an extra half back at full back with Sam Tomkins.

Apologies but this example is from wendyball. Way back I think in the 50's somebody renumbered all the all their players in a set of random numbers. This was when every team followed the same 1 to 11 convention where the right back (2) marked the left winger (11). Apparently is caused total confusion because the opposing team were searching for their usual man to mark. Again back in the 50's the Hungarians played in a different way with a Centre Forward who dropped into the hole rather than lead the line in a standard formation. Billy Wright was the Engalnd Centre Half and ended up following all over the pitch getting pulled completely out of position.

Third prop at hooker, and hooker replacing loose forward. This way, when the scrum is fed, it's like a big play-the-ball. Hooker can just dummy-half pass from the back of the scrum as standard.

The way things are going I think a lot of modern rugby league players can play various position. loose forwards like SBW and our own Joel Tomkins playing in the centre. Injuries are so common in the game with the collisions getting bigger. that means vitually every squad player must be capable of playing different postions.

Cheers for the link as I found [url=http://leeds.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=703this[/url game on there which was the one I was thinking of.

I wonder if a team will ever play with 2 fullbacks especially when in attack because having 2 people coming into the attacking line would be hard to defend IMO.

Saints used to put a prop (George Mann I think) in the stand off position for scrums when it was their head and feed.



It was one of Mike McClennan's tactics. Another one was when John Harrison headed the ball through instead of kicking it for someone to chase and score.