There is one position that has become very underrated within the current crop of young players within our county yet not only is it probably the most important and beneficial position but it is also the biggest calling card for any player with County or International aspirations. This position is lead and to me I have always been of the opinion that it is not the skip that wins games but a lead who dominates and builds heads from the start of an end.
A look through the record books at the players who have achieved most in the sport and in most cases they will have all started as a lead and mastered the art of drawing to a bare jack and if any player can do this on a consistent basis then so many doors will open. Whether it be at County or International level you can guarantee that if you excel at lead you will be one of the first names on the team sheet and two recent local players who proved this at international level are firstly Marc O’Riordan from Hartlepool and currently Josh Minto from Northumberland who has just gained his first senior caps in the outdoor England squad at lead.
There have been so many promising players who could have potentially become a force in the sport but have wanted to become back end players before learning the basics and have generally not made the progress they could have. I would really like to see this thought process change in the future and I feel clubs have a responsibility to not only identify players with great leading potential but also to keep them in this position at all times. These players have also got to be selfish and ensure that that they always play in the lead position as consistency is lost when trying to mix leading with back end play.
I appreciate it can be hard to play in a position that can generally be a lonely one as once you have played your bowls you are left to watch the rest of the end and it is also very frustrating if you are generally lying shot but then have no control over the outcome of the end but ultimately it boils down to what the individual wants to gain from the sport and what their aspirations are. I would love to see more players look at the long term benefits of the lead position and make it their own as great leads are in very short supply.
