Converted back-rower Lewis Brown will line up out wide in Newcastle. Photo / Getty Images
As in many test matches in recent times, those Kiwis wearing numbers three and four today will be the centres of attention - precisely because they are not.
Following a trend that goes back many years, the New Zealand side that runs out to face Australia today will not contain a single specialist centre in their match day 17. Converted back-rower Lewis Brown and Broncos fullback Gerard Beale will line up out wide in Newcastle today and players such as Simon Mannering, Lance Hohaia, Kieran Foran and Bronson Harrison have filled that spot in recent times.
"Often it is just down to depth and injuries," says former Kiwis coach Frank Endacott. "I was in the same situation many times and had to use forwards in the backs. But also it is down to our style; in New Zealand, we play more football coming up through the grades and our forwards learn more ball skills. In Australia, their game is generally a lot more structured and they stick to specialists in the centres."
Warriors development manager and former Kiwi centre Dean Bell has noticed the trend of promising teenage centres being put into the back row, to get them closer to the action.
"Now I always encourage club coaches to leave players in the centres," says Bell. "It takes a long time to learn it; especially defensively, where you have so many options thrown at you."
In his time at the helm, Endacott had specialists such as Kevin Iro, Richie Blackmore and Nigel Vagana but would also fall back on converted forwards such as Jarrod McCracken, Ruben Wiki and Tony Tatupu.
"It is not always totally ideal," says Endacott. "It is like switching between a full tradesman to a high class apprentice - although edge-running back rowers these days can fulfil most of the role."
As Endacott points out, Australia tends to favour specialists; generally, looking for a forward in the Kangaroos backline is like trying to find a comedian in Germany. Steve Menzies was an occasional exception but usually Australia has plumped for men who earn their coin week in week out making breaks and setting up wingers - from Greg Inglis, Mark Gasnier and Matt Cooper to Justin Hodges, Michael Jennings and Chris Lawrence.
In contrast, Kearney's hand has been forced; Steve Matai, Shaun Kenny-Dowell and Jerome Ropati are all unavailable through injury, while Iosia Soliola and Setaimata Sa have drifted off the radar.
"It is one of the most specialised positions in the game," says Endacott. "It is the hardest place to defend on the field [faced with the most space and extreme pace] and they also need to be able to set up their wingers and score tries themselves. You can master it - but it takes time."
Gary Prohm was one of the first, if not the first, to make the switch from the pack to the back, as Kiwis coach Graham Lowe moved him from lock forward to centre in the early 1980s.
"I admit at the time, I thought it was a bit strange," says Prohm. "I had never played there and was a little bit dubious but looking back, I guess the trend started then. There were big guys like Mal Meninga but most centres were quick, nippy guys like James Leuluai, Steve Ella and Brett Kenny."
When the move was first mooted, Prohm recalls getting plenty of stick from hard nuts such as Mark Graham, Graeme West and Kurt Sorensen about his move to join the glory boys out wide.
"There were the usual comments you would expect," laughs Prohm, who played 24 tests for New Zealand at lock, centre and winger. "In the end, it was a good move. As a forward, you would always be a good defender and I had the pace to hold my own out there. Once I got used to it, I really enjoyed it. You would have more energy from not doing so much defence but the most important difference was the extra time you had; it was like you had more time to see the game, especially on attack."
"It was a little bit different," remembers team-mate Bell. "Prohmsie copped plenty from the forwards but his pace was always noted. People used to say he was playing in the forwards but looked as quick as a centre."
In those days, the formations were slightly different. Instead of the left and right centres of today, the team lined across the park in numbered sequence. Centres were often beside each other and played as inside and outside centre.
The deficit in the centres has also extended to the Warriors this season. With the loss of Brent Tate (Titans) and Ropati, the Auckland NRL side has used Brown, Mannering, Sean Berrigan and Elijah Taylor, and recruitment in that area remains an off-season priority for Bell and the Warriors recruitment staff.
By Michael Burgess
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