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Because their ability to manipulate the ruck and have a good running game has become much more important. Defending in the middle and routinely making the most tackles out of any other play in the team is extremely taxing and impacts their ability to do this effectively. Add to that following the ruck every play in attack. It's important to have two hookers given what a fresh dummy-half's impact can do to change a game. Just look at the ANZAC Day game this year to see how Liddle's impact completely changed the course of the game.
Yes when you think about it, a hooker defends in the middle and is often in the first line of defense with big forwards to tackle. In attack, a hooker needs to be at the play the ball every tackle to feed the ball out of the ruck.
Cameron Smith is the benchmark and the things most notable about him are
This is why I ask the question. I always believed Cameron Myth was generally over-hyped but he certainly played 'smart'. He was almost never the first-in in a tackle. Many hookers play a hyperactive style these days like some sort of demented kamikaze pilots. I've always considered hooker to be a thinking, tactical position first and foremost. Smooth and smart is more effective than fast and in the thick of it.
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Defensive overhaul - the players will now tackle for the whole game. Revolutionary, at least for the Dragon's for the last few years.
Since the advent of the 6 again rule it has been rarer and rarer to have an 80 minute hooker.
Thanks OT great analysis as usual. I do remember in Cameron's early days, he was much more likely to rush in and be first in the tackle, incredible technique and ridiculous strength for his size. But using his brain, and maybe on advice from Bellamy, he calmed this down a bit.
Benny Elias was the benchmark, of a halfback put into a hooking role, Cameron smith i think was a 5/8th, but really it's basically the same thing, guys like Peter Wallace, tough as nails moved from halves to hooker, pretty easily, its become a natural transiston for some... Kyle could be another, lets see how much traffic he gets in the middle
Excellent summation. Exactly this!
Plus Elias was also in an era where scrums were still a physical contest, unlike Smith’s era…chews up a fair bit of energy.
I dont think Flanno has made any outrageous promises, all of us and Flanno knew they had to get fit and defend better, I think they have improved their fitness no doubt, and Flanno will definitively have a defensive plan.
Cam Smith will probably be the next immortal and imo one of the best RL players ever, could read and control the game, defensively exceptional. When we were having our coaching dilemmas i was wishing that we could get him as AC with a view to take over in a couple of years, but I guess we will see him at the Storm or somewhere in QLD when he has had enough of earning millions with the media
