Matt Keating / First Grade Hooker?

[Captain BF]

Do you guys think Matt Keating will be the rirst choice Hooker/Dummy half this season? Who, if not Keating will be the 9? We obviously have McGuire, Mitchell and also Robson who can fill the role should a better #7 come in.

I am assuming he will be the first choice with the others fighting it out for the bench spot.

Thoughts?

 

[The Colonel]

Keating IMO will start the season however Mitchell will be the starting hooker by the end of the season.

 

[Eels Dude]

I also think Keating to start with Mitchell to take over come end of year. I don't think Maguire will be starting hooker unless injuries occur. He's too old and been out of the game so long he will be used for depth only. Keating could probably play a bit of lock if benched.

 

[hindy111]

Id also start with MK.If he doesnt cut it by rnd 8 mitchel should step up(id have young ant off the bench) Mguire should have a month in wenty first IMO before he is considered.I still think MK can be a good hooker.Just needs some fine tuning-kick more often and run more

 

[DeanPay98]

I think it has to be decided on form and on performance at training and the trials. There is no point pick Keating at hooker if you expect to replace him in a few rounds. The round 1 team should be the combination judged at the time to be the one most likely to go the distance in the season. MK shouldn't be given a preference just because he has done the job before.

 

[Bigfella]

A really encouraging report from the single optic site was that the team was training with the dummy half playing as flat as possible and pushing this really hard.

I don't think what mk has shown to date is good enough in NRL but I don't think that the position has been attributed enough importance in the coaching of our teams for many years.

I would have no problem if he gets first crack in a different structure.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Keating was great in '09. People go on about Kingston but Keating was better, imo.

He'll be starting hooker in every game next season, and Mitchell will come off the bench for most of them.

 

[Eels Dude]

Keating was great in '09. People go on about Kingston but Keating was better, imo.

He'll be starting hooker in every game next season, and Mitchell will come off the bench for most of them.

I think the thing people forget about 2009 was that Matt Keating was used as a gritty hooker style. Tackled his arse off for 50 minutes, got the service away. And then Kingston came on when the defence were run ragged and provided the spark for the last 25 to 30 minutes. It was a perfect hooker combination. Yet Kingston gets all the praise because he was flashy, whereas Keating gets none despite doing so much more of the harder work.

 

[mrpwnd]

MKs only flaw is that he'll try and sell 5 dummys too many.
He'd be a lot better if not for that.

 

[Parra]

Keating is fine as a hooker and he has built up a lot of experience.

He is dependable and tough. Hooker is not a problem for us.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Yet Kingston gets all the praise because he was flashy, whereas Keating gets none despite doing so much more of the harder work.

It'll be the same this year - Mitchell will carve up for 30 minutes a week and get all the praise.

But people will just point at Matt Keating's box head and laugh like they always do.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

His only flaw I can see is his lack of confidence. In 08, a game against the Dragons, he kicked a 40/20 that was just beautiful. It screamed Cameron Smith to me. I think he has the most potential of any of our dummy half options at the club.

Whether or not he starts? Well I haven't seen him train. Ill decide after the trials.

 

[hindy111]

he does lack spark thou..i like zippy dummy halves..potenital yes but if he doesnt play good after 12 weeks i wouldnt re-sign him

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

he does lack spark thou..i like zippy dummy halves..potenital yes but if he doesnt play good after 12 weeks i wouldnt re-sign him

Cameron Smith doesn't have what I would call "spark". Just a very very solid, smart hooker.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Cameron Smith doesn't have what I would call "spark". Just a very very solid, smart hooker.

Exactly. He doesn't make many breaks but he's smart, tough and mistake-free.

On top of that he's a leader, he plays for 80 minutes and he kicks goals too.

Keating is the perfect kind of hooker to start matches (a la Priddis and Young at the Dragons, and Riddell at Parra a few years ago). Robson could also be an effective backup starter.

Mitchell is the kind of zippy dummy-half that's awesome off the bench against tiring defences. Other examples are Fien at the Dragons and PJ Marsh at Parra a few years ago.

I'd go as far as to say 9 and 14 are very different positions.

 

[hindy111]

I'd go as far as to say 9 and 14 are very different positions.[/QUOTE]


yes they are.one starts and one doesnt.:sarcasm:
Bit of a stretch comparing cam cmith with MK thou.:roll::roll::roll:I agree 2008 Mk looked a good prospect 2009 he took a step forward but in 2010 he went 2 steps back.Sometimes he looks to me like he prefers to take the easy option rather than take the initative.I realy thought 2010 was going to be a big year for him-its make or break...
Dean shifilitti was my favourtie hooker : )

 

[jk13]

like robson, this his is last year to impress. the giant head is auditing the joint this year

 

[Poupou Escobar]

yes they are.one starts and one doesnt.

You reckon that's all it is do you?

Bit of a stretch comparing cam cmith with MK thou.

Should we have compared him with Robbie Farah or Isaac Luke?

Just because a player isn't as good as another doesn't mean you can't compare them - players fall into certain 'types' (collections of skills) and so you can say a young player resembles an established first grader or that a solid first grader resembles an international in his playing style.

I think you're just being a smartarse because you've got nothing else.

I agree 2008 Mk looked a good prospect 2009 he took a step forward but in 2010 he went 2 steps back.

Yeah well so did most of the team. That means it's unlikely they all got worse together, and if they did you have to wonder whose fault that is.

Sometimes he looks to me like he prefers to take the easy option rather than take the initative.I realy thought 2010 was going to be a big year for him-its make or break...
Dean shifilitti was my favourtie hooker : )

Yeah I dug Schifilliti. Another one that wasn't explosive, but was very smart around the ruck.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

like robson, this his is last year to impress. the giant head is auditing the joint this year

I reckon we need a broom through the place.

And Easter Island is the man to do it.

 

[caylo]

Exactly. He doesn't make many breaks but he's smart, tough and mistake-free.

On top of that he's a leader, he plays for 80 minutes and he kicks goals too.

Keating is the perfect kind of hooker to start matches (a la Priddis and Young at the Dragons, and Riddell at Parra a few years ago). Robson could also be an effective backup starter.

Mitchell is the kind of zippy dummy-half that's awesome off the bench against tiring defences. Other examples are Fien at the Dragons and PJ Marsh at Parra a few years ago.

I'd go as far as to say 9 and 14 are very different positions.

I think MK has all the skills but he has lacked the brains to be a good solid hooker. There have been periods where he has performed but so far he has invariably fallen back to bad habits. Over time you hope he could fix this part of his game but i dont think anyone here doubts his ability.

I think with more responsibility he would probably stand up, he defiantly should do a lot more long kicks.