Teams should have very, very few "settler" runs. They should rarely happen unless the team has lost its way for some reason and is just trying to get back to some sort of cohesion. Settler runs are for the average to low quality teams. Teams should always be looking to advance the ball with actual enterprise play. It is all about stretching the defense and making them as uncomfortable as possible before you deliver the killer blow. Settler runs achieve the opposite to that and do nothing other then give both the defensive and offensive teams a breather, while boring the crap out of the fans.
No they aren’t, all sides do “settlers”.
If you are attacking the tryline, it’s fairly difficult to just “stretch” the defence as they only normally only have to go back less then 10 metres.
Obviously if there is a play on, sides will normally attack - but if there is nothing on sides will mostly take a settler for a few reasons:
- sides normally like to attack from the middle of the field - it’s easier create an overlap on either side
- the settler is also trying to disrupt the defensive structure, by pulling in the wrong marker (that’s why they run sort of side wards) for the defending side (don’t just think sides use anyone at marker), thus creating an overlap to attack.
For example an edge forward may go into marker, leaving only 3 defending on the edge (winger, half, centre), and the defence may not be compressed enough, thus creating room to create an overlap.
Just don’t think all those “nothing” runs are just done for fun.