back line for 04

[Anonymous]

monty is a specialist hooker. i dont think he is capable of playing anywhere else (except the bench). he is a fantastic #9 when he gets his dander up

wtf?

Monty was a stand-off for the Junior Kiwis but has been a back-rower for most of his career at the top level, he only became a hooker in 2001 as a stop-gap measure. He's about as far from a specialist hooker as you can get.

Having said that, I do agree that he plays his best at hooker.

 

[Meth]

I think his options lie in the back row this year, but I don't think he would be the first pick if he wasn't captain.

Lauiti'iti, Guttenbiel, Faumuina....even Koopu

 

[BrentWebb'sno.1fan]

1. Webby
2. Henz
3. Vinnie
4. Toops
5. Francis
6. Joey*
7. Stace


*Joey is Lance Hohaia's nickname.

 

[BrentWebb'sno.1fan]

I think his options lie in the back row this year, but I don't think he would be the first pick if he wasn't captain.

Lauiti'iti, Guttenbiel, Faumuina....even Koopu

The back row is an area where there's alot of competition.

There's Montz, Alf, La, John-Boy and Y which u have already mentioned plus the likes of new recruit Danny Sullivan, Louie Anderson, Epalahame Lauaki, and Karl Temata all fighting for a spot in the top 17.

 

[ozbash]

monty is a specialist hooker. i dont think he is capable of playing anywhere else (except the bench). he is a fantastic #9 when he gets his dander up

wtf?

Monty was a stand-off for the Junior Kiwis but has been a back-rower for most of his career at the top level, he only became a hooker in 2001 as a stop-gap measure. He's about as far from a specialist hooker as you can get.

Having said that, I do agree that he plays his best at hooker.

makes no odds if he was the bloody orange boy pre-01.
ask ando what his preffered position is and/or garry freeman where the best position for monty is.

monty is a better hooker than pj ! 8)

 

[da mad maori]

My take on the Monty-PJ hooking position is this.But firstly I agree with both of your
analistic views as to who is better than who.
For me Monty has to be thankful that PJ got injured.I wonder if he would still be in the starting 13 had PJ not got injured.It is hard to think that he would have ousted
any other of the second rowers,even if he was the captain.However aside from that, Monty has the respect of all his team-mates and is and always has been defensively sound.But he does not offer other than a supporting role in attack.He is probably two or three seconds behind PJ at the quick-play- da-ball,which could hinder forward momentum.
PJ on the other hand,while really only a novice at the hooking position,has the attacking flair.Darting runs with the main object of making or creating a gap.He does have a kicking game,which relieves the pressure and,does have a defensive game adequate for his size.
So really its not who's better in that position,or what faults each other have,its all about thank god they both put their hands up when it was really needed.

 

[kiwi knights fan]

Monty a beter hooker then PJ ?
No f**king way PJ is twice as good at hooker. Monty passing isnt as good he is slower then PJand PJ has a lot beter speed of the the mark and a lot more deseptive. PJ has it all ova Monty. The way PJ was playing before his injury he would have been the 2nd best hooker i the world.

 

[da mad maori]

Maybe you dont read that good,K.K.F..All I am saying is that Monty was there when
PJ got injured and P.J. was there when Monty got injured.If one wants to get technical on the issue,then Monty is streets ahead as a hooker,but PJ is way out on his own as a dummy-half.And given the time and the chance,Latu could leave them both for 'dead.'
I'm not flying the white flag or anything,but I did say that I can see both sides of the coin,and you and whoever else makes some genuine points.

 

[ozbash]

i agree with DMM about monty being lucky pj got hurt.
monty only started playing last year v the broncos when he started giving a couple of them a clip round the ears. to me that was when monty woke up and started playing like he did late in 01 and some of 02 (till he got hurt).
monty has the courage that pj could only dream of, he intimidates where pj is just cheeky.
buderus would back off monty but have pj on.
monty is your old style hooker wheras pj is your fit,fast young new age player.
monty doesnt pass as much as pj, he runs the ball up,, pj is your supportive type player who hangs around the outskirts after he has got rid of the ball,, monty dont dont get rid of it unless he is certain something is on..
pj would be a massive bench man.

although pj can get aggressive, monty can back it up.

monty is only just coming to terms with the captaincy,, stacey was a heaps better captain than monty, i think leadership spoilt his natural aggression. opposition team members would rark him up and monty would smile,, he had to set an example,,,, until the broncs game

 

[ozbash]

Maybe you dont read that good,K.K.F..All I am saying is that Monty was there when
PJ got injured and P.J. was there when Monty got injured.If one wants to get technical on the issue,then Monty is streets ahead as a hooker,but PJ is way out on his own as a dummy-half.And given the time and the chance,Latu could leave them both for 'dead.'
I'm not flying the white flag or anything,but I did say that I can see both sides of the coin,and you and whoever else makes some genuine points.

thats what i was trying to get across, the diff between hooker and dummy half. its huge when you compare both players.

 

[Anonymous]

KKF I honestly don't know what you think makes a good passer of the football, because PJ Marsh is VERY ordinary in his distribution from dummy half, I'd say Monty is better and more accurate than PJ in this regard, although Latu is the best at the club.

I think a major thing we are forgetting is PJ's defense prior to his injury in 2003, because it was excellent, obviously something he had worked on between 2002 and 2003. He was really putting on some good hits.

I think in this day and age having a hooker who can run incisively from dummy-half is important, and obviously PJ is your man there. However, Monty was a real dynamo from dummy-half in 2001- his powerhouse charges were what got him in the team in the first place ahead of Jason Death, and what proved to Daniel Anderson that his best position was hooker (note to ozbash- this does NOT make him a "specialist hooker" ). Of course in 2002 he got injured, and last year he seemed to me to have lost much of his trademark leg drive and ball carrying power, perhaps as a result of his knee injury. If he can get some of that back he might give PJ a run for his money- especially if (God forbid) PJ is hampered by his own well-documented injury.