Just to try and be a bit more objective than saying "my teams 5/8 is best" I thought I'd put some evidence on the table to support some arguments!
I'm rating the 5/8's on this years form - and I'll admit, I haven't seen every game of footy this year, but I've seen more than enough games and plenty of games including all the teams! [I'm not rating Thurston here as he played more games at halfback this season]
1. Benji Marshall - outstanding running 5/8 - has made a phenomenal 20 linebreaks this season, and also set up 12 tries to boot! Always a danger with the ball in hand - but not much of a defensive presence (13 tackles + 3.5 misses!). Despite his creativity, comes up with less than an error per game!
2. Darren Lockyer - played well on a team that struggles for attacking options when the ball isn't in his hands! Laid on 21 tries, and made 15 linebreaks in only 21 games. Genuinely struggles in defense [4.3 misses a game], and his error count crept up towards the end of the season [2.2 per game] as he tried to force plays.
3. Trent Barrett - does a bit of everything well! Set up 12 tries, made 11 linebreaks, is reasonable in defense [15.7 tackles, 2.9 misses], and doesn't make too many errors [1 per game]. Good long kicking game, but could use some work on his short game! One would've thought he would set up more tries with classy centres like Gasnier and Cooper outside him.
4. John Morris - highly underrated as a playmaker. Second behind only Darren Lockyer in terms of setting up tries (for 5/8s) with 19 try assists for the season. Outstanding defensively - one of the best in the comp at this position [24.9 tackles, 2.4 misses], and doesn't overplay his hand [only 1.1 errors per game].
5. Jason Smith - playmaking genius - 14 try assists in only 19 games [with the Raiders outside backs!]. Keeps the ball alive well [1.2 offloads], and just reminds us how clever he was back in his younger days.
6. John Sutton - rising star with great size [102kgs]. Elusive running style and ability to throw long or short balls showed itself [11 linebreaks, 9 try assists], great size enables him to surge into the line and get a ball away [2.4 offloads], willing in defense [17.4 tackles], but needs to make sure of them [3.5 misses]. Seems to have the knack of not forcing the issues [1.1 errors per game] - surely a star of the future at either 5/8 or lock forward!
7. Preston Campbell - defense has always been a question mark, still is. 8 tackles and 3.3 misses makes him the worst defensive player in this category. Elusive when running the ball [15 linebreaks] and handy in constructing plays. Struggled early this season the adapt to the new centre pairing outside him [only 7 try assists this season].
8. Scott Hill - not a good year for Hill. Struggled to set up plays in his usual fashion [6 try assists], didn't run the ball well this year [2 linebreaks] but somehow still manages to look dangerous when he stops and looks at the line. As always, the question over Scott Hill is whether he will return injury free to start a new campaign!
9. Kurt Gidley - a willing worker who tackles himself to a standstill every game [31.1 tackles, 2.5 misses]. His strength is his fitness, which he uses to backup every play, and make himself available to cart the ball forward whenever necessary. Tends to force the issue, which can be good [2.6 offloads is first among 5/8s], but also leads to trouble [1.9 errors]. Not a geniune playmaker, nor a great kicker.
10. Adam Dykes - always a willing competitor, his defensive workload showed that he was putting the effort into his game [21.8 tackles, 3.2 misses]. Tends to create tries from short kicks [10 try asssists], and was less dangerous running the ball this year than he has been in years gone by [5 linebreaks].
11. Braith Anasta - good kicking game in general play, tends to find space and make the ball bounce. Big body, but awful defensively - makes 13.2 tackles a game, but misses 3.9 of them. Not a genuine playmaker, tends to throw long balls and hope his centres can use whatever room the defense has given them [only 5 try assists this year - last among 5/8s on a per game ratio - follows only 8 last year]. Not a genuine threat when running the ball either - only 7 linebreaks. 1 offload per game ranks around the average for a 5/8.
12. Michael Witt - can kick the ball a long way, but doesn't regularly find the ground. Good in defense [18.1 tackles, 2.8 misses]. But not a real playmaker, nor runner of the football [7 try assists, 6 linebreaks]. Tends to go missing for long stretches - particularly at the back end of matches.
Well that's it - not really fair to compare players like Faumuina, who played all over the paddock, nor Justin Smith, whos job was to play as a lock anyway, nor whoever got the pat on the back from Ricky to line up at 5/8 that week!
