Quote: Phuzzy "Exactly this NK. He plays the organisation role very well but it shouldn't detract from other parts of his game. He can be a dangerous runner too.
Although I get what Jon and Stu are alluding to, I just don't get this "one size fits all" viewpoint. You're either and organizing half or a runner. It's almost as if you can't have more than one string to your bow! That's just not true. It depends to a large extent (as Jon points out to be fair) to the personnel around you. Edwards was as successful as an organizing half as he was a running 6. Burrow and Maguire were both runners but had Sinfield as the organiser. For s long time most teams played split halves. There are so many different variations on what a successful half back pairing looks like that I think to write off a pairing without even seeing them is just plain wrong.'"
Halves do tend to settle in to a first team role as one or the other but not always because their skillset is limited to just being an organiser or just being a runner, it's just that is what is asked of them by the coach. In the case of Harry Smith and this isn't being disrespectful because he's a fantastic scrum half but he couldn't be anything but an organiser because he's just not got that running threat. The same went with Kevin Sinfield as you point out. I would point to Sean Long as a halfback that could do a bit of everything and you could ask him to be a 6 or a 7, to just be an organiser or just be a runner or to do both. I look at Farrimond and see a bit of everything in there but it's very early days. I'm by no means saying he is in the class of Long or will ever reach those heights but I don't see a kid that just has to be an organiser, who will kick us around the field and rarely test the line himself.