Hasler faces dogfight learning to win without brilliant Barba Set of Six Missing man: The NRL and the Bulldogs will miss Ben Barba. How much will the absence of Ben Barba affect the Bulldogs" attacking game? This will be one of the big talking points of the weekend. Last year, Canterbury coach Des Hasler introduced a new style of play, using his big forwards like playmakers, allowing his halves to play out on the fringes of the field. All this was designed to ignite Barba's talents at No.1, whose brilliant attacking play lifted the Bulldogs to the grand final. Melbourne's defence closed Barba down on the big stage and the Bulldogs managed only one try. It was a case of no Barba, no Dogs. Now he's missing indefinitely. Can the Bulldogs win without him? Lighten his load: The NRL should aide not hinder Russell Crowe. Pathways review a must for rugby league in this country. The appointment of Jim Doyle, former boss of the NZRL, to conduct a study of the development pathways and competitions in rugby league is vital to the future of our game. The shrinking profile of the old reserve-grade competition, which is now conducted as the NSW and QLD state cups, has adverse effects on both the development of the long-term athlete and the cost of developing young players through to NRL standard. Young players and player managers need to learn that the next step from the under-20s is not the NRL. They should all have to come through the state cups before playing in the top grade. Dave Smith has the smarts. Winners and losers: The Storm's Cam Smith. New NRL boss Dave Smith has not been recruited because of his knowledge of the game or the people who play it. He has been recruited because of his business smarts and ability to relate to corporate Australia and all levels of government. These attributes have been seriously lacking in the NRL since John Quayle left the game back in the 1990s. I suggest Dave Smith is just the man to give the NRL the giant shake-up it has needed for a long time. Forget the Benji/Benny slip of the tongue. Wait until our new leader really starts to talk. This bloke is right on the money. Eight winners, eight losers - but there's a long way to go Round one is now upon us and it's time for the players to show us how hard they've worked during the off-season. By next Tuesday morning, one thing is certain: we will have eight winning teams and eight losing teams - and the fan post-mortems will be on in earnest. Eight coaches will be breathing a sigh of relief. The eight losing coaches will have a week of sleepless nights hoping they don't have to wait too long to open their winning account. Remember though everyone, it's a long race. It's not where you start, but where you finish that counts. Let's get it on! Russell, please don't sell. I sincerely hope Russell Crowe never sells his stake in South Sydney. I think this international superstar is so good for rugby league and it would be such a shame if he was lost to our code, let alone the Rabbitohs. I don't think the NRL has used the profile of Russell Crowe anywhere near well enough. He adds so much value and stature to our game. I totally understand Russell probably has other priorities in his life right now, but the NRL should be helping to lighten the load for him to stay involved. Please don't go, Russell. The game needs you. Can Sonny Bill Williams handle rugby league after such a long absence? We all know SBW is quite the athlete. However, don't underestimate how difficult his assignment is going to be on Thursday night. If he comes back and dominates right from the start, then it will represent one of the greatest comebacks imaginable. My suspicion is that he will find the game much different to the one he left five years ago and he certainly won't get things all his own way. All eyes will be on SBW, including those of the South Sydney forward pack. They are not going to give him any latitude.