NRL: Golden age of the fullback

Billy Slater has scored 12 tries in 23 games, made 348 hit-ups and 148 tackles. Photo / Getty Images

The number ones are indeed numero uno. We are in the midst of a true golden generation of fullbacks in the NRL, with their role and influence seemingly more important than ever before.

There are stars everywhere you look in the No1 jersey. Often they are one of the most important attacking weapons, as well as being defensive bulwarks. Last night we saw Billy Slater up against Kevin Locke. On Friday, it was Gerard Beale versus Brett Stewart.

"Sometimes it starts with one player in particular who is so good, the rest follow," says Warriors coach and ex-fullback Ivan Cleary. "They rewrite the job description. In the early 90s, Gary Belcher really changed the way fullbacks played and a bunch of really good ones followed him like Brett Mullins, Tim Brasher and David Peachey."

In this era, Slater seems the scene shifter. Not only a courageous defender, expert at defusing bombs and a brilliant kick returner but he also has the passing game to set up his outsides, backs up forwards better than most, scores and sets up tries and is a dangerous dummy half runner.

"I think Slater can take credit for the bunch around at the moment," says Cleary. "He has transformed how important fullbacks are to each team. He can do it all, is always where he needs to be and does it every week. Guys like [Darius] Boyd, [Brett] Stewart and [Ben] Barba have taken the lead and now fullbacks are so important; if you have got a good one it helps the side so much."

As well as the awesome foursome on display on Friday and Saturday, in 2011 Boyd has starred for the Dragons, and Tim Molzen is a key cog for the Tigers.

At the Bulldogs, 21-year-old Barba has racked up 23 tries, while Matt Bowen remains the focal point (alongside Johnathan Thurston) of the Cowboys attack. Jarryd Hayne was shifted around this season by coach Steve Kearney but remains the key attacking weapon for the Eels. Canberra's Josh Dugan rose above the pack to make the NSW team while Nathan Gardner has shone for Cronulla during a difficult season. Veterans like Kurt Gidley (Knights), Anthony Minichiello (Roosters) and Preston Campbell (Titans) round out the smorgasbord of talent at the back.

Cleary played 186 NRL games for the Sea Eagles, Bears, Roosters and Warriors between 1992-2002, mostly at fullback.

"The work rate of today's fullback is incredible," says Cleary. "Since I was playing so much more attack comes through them; they are the link to how teams break down other sides. If your fullback is not in the right spot, often the play won't happen."

Former Kiwis fullback Richie Barnett says one of the biggest factors has been the rule change that sees defending teams 10m back at the play-the-ball, instead of the previous five.

"The game has evolved and there is a lot more space out there," says Barnett. "The movement of the ball has changed a lot and fullbacks have to be multi-skilled. They are injecting into the line from set moves as well as adding that extra player from second phase. They need to be link players, kickers and involved in first phase.

"The ball is constantly going east to west and the fullback needs to be inside it at all times. Then on attack they are backing up, hunting offloads, running set plays, hitting up and chasing kicks. There is limited down time - perhaps only sometimes on the first couple of tackles in each attacking set."

In a sport dominated by physical giants, this era has also seen shorter men at the back - with Slater (1.78m), Barba (1.74cm), Locke (1.75m), Bowen (1.75m) and Campbell (1.67m). "Fullback in the old days was someone who had to catch the high ball and make tackles on his own so it favoured the bigger guys like [former Manly star] Graham Eadie and [former Tigers stalwart] Garry Jack," says Cleary. "Again, Slater has changed the game in that area."