An Immortal’s guide to field goals – get it right and Gus won’t talk to you

My ideal set-up spot was from a play-the-ball on the scrum line, which is 20 metres in from the sideline, and as a right-footer, you naturally prefer the ball to be coming from the left-hand side of the field.

Given I preferred to have a few steps as a run-up, the angle works best from that side.

The kick chasers usually come from either marker or as the first two defenders from the ruck. So if the pass is coming from that scrum line, it’s really hard for them to get to you, and then they’ll only be able to hit your inside leg if you’re a right-footer.

At Newcastle we had a play where I would scream, “Now, now, now. Field goal now.”

Whenever Danny Buderus heard “now”, he knew that was the dummy call. ‘Bedsy’ would dummy to me and take a run down the blind side, and turn a player underneath back towards the marker defenders, and that’s where you’re looking for a quick play-the-ball.

From that, then you set up your actual field goal attempt.

I imagine Harry Grant would have produced a similar call a few weeks ago when he scored against Penrith with the field goal set up out the back.

The key to all of this, and any good play in general, is communication.

Technically speaking: momentum and precious half-seconds

Then it’s up to the kicker to stay calm. Most importantly, don’t change your technique on the run.

You put in hours and hours of practice, so you have to back that when the pressure is on – know your style and stick to it.

Technically speaking, keeping your head and your eyes as still as possible is the key, along with concentrating on the ball drop and how the Steeden gets to your boot. If your ball drop is off, the kick probably is as well.

Again, back to the dummy-half combination, repetition and hours of practice is how you establish when and how you get the ball.

So if I had set up in my favourite position and the play was around that left-hand scrumline, I would want the ball half a metre in front of me.

That pass would get me moving forward and get me half a second into my kicking motion, because I’ve already started that run up and build of momentum.

On the other side of the ball, that kick coming half a second earlier takes two or three metres away from the kick-chaser as they rush forward.

Watch Mitch Kenny’s passes to Nathan Cleary when he nails his long-range field goals – they’re scud missiles to his halfback, and they’re perfect.

Blockers are an interesting prospect at the moment. I think we’re at a point in the game where the rules and referee’s view of them just make them too risky.

I wouldn’t take the chance, as we saw with Cleary having his extra-time field goal taken off him a few weeks ago.

Never a bad time for a field goal

As for timing, the earlier the better in my book. If I could kick a field goal before the final five minutes of a game (obviously golden point is a different beast) I tried to take it.

Defenders and kick-chasers switch on in the last five minutes, so it’s so much easier to kick a field goal before that switch is flicked.

And if I could turn a 12-point lead into 13 before half-time, I was in heaven. No matter what in that scenario, the opposition needs at least three scoring plays to reel your lead in.

But Phil Gould absolutely hated that. Never more than in 2003, Origin II.

I kicked a field goal on a whim before half-time and Gus stormed into the sheds before it was even through the posts.

You can see the steam coming out of his ears. That night he refused to look at me, let alone talk to me. We only won 27-4 I guess.

Billy, Reece and paying back the Broncos

Meanwhile, Melbourne get their big guns back on Thursday and I have no concerns at all about their big last-start loss to the Roosters given Jahrome Hughes and Grant were both out.

Nelson Asofa-Solomona did look rusty coming back into first grade though and gave away a couple of silly penalties, which Craig Bellamy is never too happy about.

For the Broncos, I’m loving the way Reece Walsh is playing right now. It’s the same as Sam Walker – all instinct and cavalier play. You can’t get upset when their plays don’t come off, you take the bad with the brilliant.

And I’d be telling Reece to keep backing himself. If you look at Billy Slater’s early career, his first three or four years of NRL had plenty of mistakes in them, too. But that’s how you learn as you get older, and Reece will work that out as well.

I think the Broncos clash is one Melbourne’s Queensland players over the years have taken personally.

All the way back to guys like Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk, every Queensland kid wants to play for the Broncos. When they don’t, there’s naturally a chip on their shoulder whenever they take on Brisbane. Cameron Munster and Grant certainly play like they’re thinking “payback time” whenever they’ve played the Broncos anyway.

Joey’s tip: Storm by six
First try-scorer: Xavier Coates
Man of the match: Cameron Munster

Murray, Mitchell and an age-old rivalry

Souths would love to spoil the Roosters’ top-eight run, but Latrell Mitchell is a huge out.

If he was playing I’d be tipping an upset. The fact Cameron Murray is pushing to get back and play against the Roosters says everything.

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If I was in his shoes there’s not a chance in the world I’d be returning from a six-month ankle injury for one game before a full break and pre-season to build back towards 2026.

But Cameron’s keen and ready to go, and that says everything about their mentality and this rivalry.

The Roosters have Walker coming back from a concussion lay-off and he’ll improve them from last Friday’s win over Melbourne with his short kicking game and his creativity.

He and Hugo Savala work so well together as a yin and yang halves combination and they’ll steer the Roosters into the finals.

Joey’s tip: Roosters by 14
First try-scorer: James Tedesco
Man of the match: James Tedesco

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