Five rounds into the regular season provides us with enough game footage to start picking up on the latest attacking trends in the NRL this year.
The double-lead shape dominated attacking systems in 2024 and while they’re here to stay in ’25, we’ve already seen a few tweaks to how the good teams are setting up in attack.
Targeting the two-man
Most commonly in the modern game we see attacking teams lay a block-shape (lead runner & jockey in an “X” formation) on either side of the three-man (three-in defender, usually the defending half).
Isolating two players onto a smaller defender is a good place to start for attacking teams. Depending on how that three-man reacts, the ball can go short to the lead runner or out the back and through the hands. At worst you’re generating a quick play-the-ball and at best you’re slicing into the backfield.
Here, Nathan Cleary bites on a convincing lead decoy which creates the overlap for Scott Drinkwater jockeying out the back:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DIBBIXWNVag/
More often to start this year however, we’re seeing attacking teams set up their block-shape to target the two-in defender; the centre.
Cronulla nailed the look early in NRL Round 5, isolating Matt Timoko with Billy Burns running at his inside shoulder and Mawene Hiroti to his outside:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DH-rpmKvHsq/
The slightest indecision by Timoko – and some mean footwork from Hiroti – is enough to ice the one-on-one Cronulla create for themselves here.
St George-Illawarra did something similar for Christian Tuipulotu’s try against Parramatta, adding in Tyrell Sloan as an extra number in their backline as they shifted across-field:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DIDU4a5MPiX/
It’s Valentine Holmes running the lead decoy inside Will Penisini here while Clint Gutherson (and Sloan) swing out the back.
With Tuipulotu holding his wing and two fullbacks coming at him, Zac Lomax is forced to backpedal while Penisini tries to recover on his inside… too late.
The better teams are playing to similar principles down that two-man corridor but adding some nice variation. The double-lead shape popped up a few times on Brisbane’s left edge as they picked apart the Wests Tigers on their own line:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DIDwVjiKkjs/
Starford To’a is stuck in the mud with two players running at either shoulder while Sunia Turuva stays high to help his centre or cover the passing lane to Jesse Arthars. The result is two high and flat-footed defenders; an invitation to roll one in behind.
Melbourne set up with the same shape on their right edge against Manly, giving Jarome Hughes three genuine pass options when he played at the line:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DIGLadrKoNa/
With Clayton Faulolo waiting back for the kick and Koula folding in on the Eli Katoa decoy, Hughes has Moses Leo or Grant Anderson in an acre of space on the edge to choose from.
Defending edges that like to jam know they can shut down a block shape if they get at the fullback quickly enough. Where the double-lead shape differs is that it threatens with the long-ball while also threatening to cut straight through your line with two different lead runners.
In an era where block-shapes have become the norm, a different look alone is often enough to dissuade a jamming defence, put a moment of indecision into the line and create an opportunity (see Hiroti’s try above).
The better teams though are those who adjust depending on what’s in front of them at the time.
If the opposing half is a strong defender who is quick off his line, do you shift a little wider and lay a block on the defending centre instead?
Or if you’re consistently getting jammed by aggressive edges, set up a double-lead shape to sit the centre and isolate the winger into a tough decision out wide.
It’s this constant game of cat-and-mouse on the field that keeps rugby league nerds like me in a job, and it’s why I also have to mention that Xavier Willison try from NRL Round 5.
Broncos ruck attack
Not for the first time this year, Corey Paix played a leading role in a very clever Broncos try last week.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DID6tIsTrxJ/
With Pat Carrigan and Xavier Willison demanding attention beside the ruck while the rest of Brisbane’s backline is fanned out behind them, Paix’s little fake to the left here is no accident.
Watch the movement of all six Tigers defenders around the posts; they all open their hips before correcting off the right foot as Paix heads back down the short side.
While Paix bamboozles Wests ruck, Latu Fainu (the Tigers three-in defender) is worrying about Reece Walsh on his outside. The threat of Walsh calling for the ball and waving his arms drags Fainu out of the line to create a yawning gap between the three- and four-in defenders.
All the while, Brendan Piakura times a wicked lead decoy at the inside of the four-in defender; poor Tony Sukkar.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DILNljXhYYR/
Sukkar (22) gets completely turned inside out here. He bites on Paix’s dummy, overchases on the Walsh decoy, stops to check Piakura coming at his inside before finally seeing the real problem: all 114kgs of Xavier Willison.
While Paix, Piakura and Walsh fan into shape in front of him, the big prop has bounced back behind the ruck to target the space created between the three- and four-in defenders. Sukkar does well to recover in the line but he’s no chance of stopping Willison one-on-one that close to the line.
Try time – and an early contender for Try of the Season.
It’s ominous signs for an Easts middle defence that has leaked points in all but every game to start the year…