Hooker

[Pazza]

Ill add my opinion later

 

[Eels Dude]

To start with Riddell. We'll see where is PJ is suited to next yr.

 

[Pazza]

he did a pretty good job at the Warriors and for QLD at hooker.

 

[Avenger]

Do you really think we bought Riddell to play any position other then Hooker??

 

[nöyd]

Riddell of course

 

[Utey]

7 Marsh

9 Riddell

 

[Pazza]

Do you really think we bought Riddell to play any position other then Hooker??

i saw what riddell can do at second row/lock and what Marsh can do at hooker and said "hey, this might make a interesting discussion

 

[bartman]

No worries, but I don't think it would be wise to even stick PJs neck in a scrum until at least half-way through the season.

9. Riddell, 6. Morris, 14. Marsh. Marsh to play in backs and Morris to hooker whenever Riddell has a rest, for the first half of the season.

 

[ParraMatt]

Riddell for sure, You don't have Riddell on the bench, If marsh got his position what's the point in paying 300 odd thousand dollars to have him come off the bench.

 

[True EEL]

6. Morris
7. Marsh
9. Riddell

sorry Witty, your heart is definitely in it and i know you have been messed around royally by one BS, but mate especially after yesterday's game, you are just not cutting it at this stage......but i'm not writing him off completely, just his defence was ordinary to say the least among other facets that went missing from his game

and i don't think PJ was bought to play on the bench after playing Origin for Queensland or to stick a crook neck back in a scrum.......

 

[Twizzle]

Riddell, and Marsh will come off hte bench at the start of the year, mainly due to his match fitness.

 

[True EEL]

no i think PJ will be the starting halfback

you only have to read what DF and BS said in the statement about signing him....fitness won't be an issue for him, he will have a whole off-season and trials to sort that out

 

[Eels Dude]

Match fitness is another thing altogether. I don't think we should assume PJ will have recovered in time to play at the start of the season, he'll probably have to eased back into first grade later on.

 

[True EEL]

match fitness????

thats what trials are for........

and PJ said if he comes back it will only be at 100% play or not play were his own words and if he plays he wants to go at it at 100% not here and there or half-hearted

 

[Eels Dude]

By the time the trials start PJ won't have played a match for around 21 months. As I just said it would be doubtful that he will be ready to start by the beginning of the season. This means that the club will have to form a halves combination for the early part of the season. PJ may want to give 100% but I wouldn't be expecting him to be going hard at it in his first game back. Looking at it realistically he's had a very long layoff, and he's not going to be fit enough for first grade football straight from the word go.

 

[True EEL]

you may be dead right

but i just think PJ at 7 starightaway seems to be the plan....thats all????

 

[Eels Dude]

Well I think you're probably right there. Smith and Fitzgerald should have enough sense to realize that shouldn't be the case though. It's a big risk if that is the aim.

 

[True EEL]

yeah who knows.....

but the whole Daniel Anderson thing is also playing on my mind, he may be comming in and he may want PJ starting and playing halfback and Riddell will obviously be hooker.....

and playing him at halfback is less of a rsik INMHO than playing him at hooker or even off the bench at hooker and even if he played dummy-half but didn't pack into the scrums he is still going to have a bigger workload defensively at hooker/dummy-half than playing halfback.....especially if he has Morris at 5/8 to help out with a lot of the defensive work????

 

[Eels Dude]

Yeah I see what you're saying. I guess it all comes down to whether these Anderson rumours are true or not, we'll have to wait and see there. I didn't mean it's a risk to play him at halfback fitness wise, I mean it's a risk to rely on a player coming of a long spell on the sidelines to be first choice player for the most important position in the side. I'm sure he'll get there eventually, but i'm just hoping he can make a full recovery and get back onto the field by next yr.

 

[Pazza]

Lets not forget that PJ has played most of his first grade and rep games at hooker. Is he really a halfback?