Rumours and Stuff

[Poupou Escobar]

How many top flight hookers regularly run for 100m? Why does 100m matter? These aren't props. Two clever 10m scoots from your hooker can be infinitely more valuable than 100m from a prop.

It's not about making big metres. It's about having the string to your bow. Peats wasn't a big runner, but he was very good at picking his moment and taking a good run, which helped get forward momentum. He was also very good at capitalising on forward momentum with his service from the base of the ruck. The issue at the moment is that our hooker can't do that. It's nothing to do with making 100m.

He can run. It's just been lack of opportunity so far. He made a great break in the trial and scored that try on the weekend. He might not make good decisions yet but his running game is one of his strengths.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

I've never seen Cook play a bad game

You mustn't watch Parra games then. One of his first few games was against us, he was absolutely woeful.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

How many top flight hookers regularly run for 100m? Why does 100m matter? These aren't props. Two clever 10m scoots from your hooker can be infinitely more valuable than 100m from a prop.

It's not about making big metres. It's about having the string to your bow. Peats wasn't a big runner, but he was very good at picking his moment and taking a good run, which helped get forward momentum. He was also very good at capitalising on forward momentum with his service from the base of the ruck. The issue at the moment is that our hooker can't do that. It's nothing to do with making 100m.

Fair enough, it doesn't have to be 100m.

So do you mean choosing the right time to run ? Like Pritchard did on Saturday where he scored a try ?

I agree Pritchard hasn't been running as much, but he does have a running game, a very good one. He has shown it a few times but not so much this year. It will come with time. He has gone from playing 30 or so mins to 70 plus mins.

Let's not forget he is still a rookie not a 100 game NRL veteran, he hasn't even played a full year of NRL at dummy half.

He has only played 28 nrl games, Peats had already played 54 games before come to us from Souths.

I say at this point of time of his career and experience he is doing a pretty good job and will get a lot better.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

If true about the cap only being 8.3m Greenberg and Grant should go ASAP. The clubs had led to believe it was going to be much higher. Ridiculous situations to be putting clubs in. This should of been sorted out well before this season started.

I remember gould saying on twitter that most clubs were operating under the assumption that the 2018 salary cap would be 9-9.5 mill.

So by him saying that you'd have to assume at least the panthers will be over the cap for next season. We could pick up a few players with other clubs paying foe their contracts.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

We were also short a player, with Scott apparently down in back play.

That would make sense, as I couldn't work out how come there was such a big gap between Pritchard and his other players, considering we play pretty compressed in the middle.

 

[Chipmunk]

since BA has been coach, has an eels hooker ever ran for more the 100m ?

With out going back and double checking my memory, I would say it would be pretty rare and probably hasnt even occurred (happy to corrected).

After almost 3 seasons, and plenty of time to buy someone (and additionally Peats stating on record), I think this may just indicate BA has no desire for an "attacking" hooker. And is happy for a hooker with reasonable service but a leader of our defence.

And in my opinion Pritchard is doing this role fine.

Could someone do it better though?

That's the problem with this club, we have virtually an entire team of players that can perform a role fine, but if someone can do it better then aren't we better off?

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Could someone do it better though?

That's the problem with this club, we have virtually an entire team of players that can perform a role fine, but if someone can do it better then aren't we better off?

Of course there are players that can do it better but as I have posted I don't think it's BA priority to have a better "attacking" hooker.

He would rather spend his cap somewhere else.

 

[Bazal]

Of course there are players that can do it better but as I have posted I don't think it's BA priority to have a better "attacking" hooker.

He would rather spend his cap somewhere else.

Then he will fail as an NRL coach. Simple.

Personally I give him a bit more credit than that at this stage. I hope I'm not wrong.

 

[Chipmunk]

Of course there are players that can do it better but as I have posted I don't think it's BA priority to have a better "attacking" hooker.

He would rather spend his cap somewhere else.

I never said anything about better attacking, I'm just saying better for the team. If the coach wants to run 4 forwards on the bench, Pritchard is not even close to ever being the best option for this team.

I'd say that Pritchard would be disgarded pretty quickly if a better option came along.

 

[Kornstar]

Then he will fail as an NRL coach. Simple.

Personally I give him a bit more credit than that at this stage. I hope I'm not wrong.

He had his team win 13 NRL games last year which was enough to get them into the finals if not for the shit that was out of his control.

It is his team and he can do what he likes. I'll take his view at the moment as opposed to know it alls on a footy forum.

 

[Bazal]

He had his team win 13 NRL games last year which was enough to get them into the finals if not for the shit that was out of his control.

It is his team and he can do what he likes. I'll take his view at the moment as opposed to know it alls on a footy forum.

IDG is a plodder, but he is better at the basics than Pritchard and that's a big factor in why we won so many games. We also had Keiran Foran in the halves with Norman for a bunch of those wins.

Once again, you've gone off the deep end mate. You need to chill out a bit, stop taking everything so much to heart. You'll find I rate BA very highly, and I think he will be fully aware that Pritchard is not the hooker this side needs. That's why Kaysa has never been picked as an 80 minute hooker, until this season when he had no choice thanks to injuries to IDG and King.

 

[The Engineers Room]

I like Pritchard. He needs to be the long term hooker option. I just think he needs some time to develop his game.

It is just unfortunate that in the spine we have three players with less than 50 games experience and one in Gutherson that is learning the position.

I would really of loved if we picked at a 5/8 during the offseason.

 

[hineyrulz]

Of course there are players that can do it better but as I have posted I don't think it's BA priority to have a better "attacking" hooker.

He would rather spend his cap somewhere else.

Ummm like in the halves???? Oh no that's right he stuck a centre/fullback in there........

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Ummm like in the halves???? Oh no that's right he stuck a centre/fullback in there........

Well it appears BA is looking at options in the halves, we have offered Bird a contract .....,

And rumours of being interested in Reynolds and the pommie half.

 

[Forty20]

One thing I think may be pertinent when it comes to hookers, Brad Arthur and our apparent disinterest in an 'attacking' hooker is just how starved the NRL is for well rounded hookers. You hear fans lamenting about the lack of quality halves in the game but that honestly applies every bit to the hooking role.

I don't know how many people know this but Michael Lichaa was one of the most highly (and I mean highly) regarded and decorated junior hookers to come through in a long, long time. He owned essentially every junior representative jersey there was to be had and he turned out to be trash. Ditto for Keiran Moseley from Penrith a few years back. Billed for massive things as a hooker, out of the NRL a couple of years later.

In retrospect I would have liked to have seen us take a flyer on Damien Cook but that ship has sailed. In the end what I am getting at is that while defence is obviously a huge part of what BA wants in a hooker I don't think we should be writing him off as not wanting a #9 that can contribute more in attack.

 

[Bazal]

Ummm like in the halves???? Oh no that's right he stuck a centre/fullback in there........

In his defence, there was f**k all available, and he did look at what was available and sign the QLD Cup player of the year. So he recognises that it's something we need to look at, he's just not going to fill it with whatever nuffy is on the market.

There are rather a few halves off contract this season and we're rumoured to be talking to a few of them so it's not like he's unaware.

 

[hineyrulz]

Well it appears BA is looking at options in the halves, we have offered Bird a contract .....,

And rumours of being interested in Reynolds and the pommie half.

Is Bird even being targeted as a half???

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Ummm like in the halves???? Oh no that's right he stuck a centre/fullback in there........

Additionally during the offseason, it appeared BA was interested in another half, we were linked to both Hunt and Reynolds.

 

[hineyrulz]

In his defence, there was f**k all available, and he did look at what was available and sign the QLD Cup player of the year. So he recognises that it's something we need to look at, he's just not going to fill it with whatever nuffy is on the market.

There are rather a few halves off contract this season and we're rumoured to be talking to a few of them so it's not like he's unaware.

True, that's the problem the lack of quality options available. We had one but he turned out to be a basket case.

 

[Bazal]

One thing I think may be pertinent when it comes to hookers, Brad Arthur and our apparent disinterest in an 'attacking' hooker is just how starved the NRL is for well rounded hookers. You hear fans lamenting about the lack of quality halves in the game but that honestly applies every bit to the hooking role.

I don't know how many people know this but Michael Lichaa was one of the most highly (and I mean highly) regarded and decorated junior hookers to come through in a long, long time. He owned essentially every junior representative jersey there was to be had and he turned out to be trash. Ditto for Keiran Moseley from Penrith a few years back. Billed for massive things as a hooker, out of the NRL a couple of years later.

In retrospect I would have liked to have seen us take a flyer on Damien Cook but that ship has sailed. In the end what I am getting at is that while defence is obviously a huge part of what BA wants in a hooker I don't think we should be writing him off as not wanting a #9 that can contribute more in attack.

This is why I'd personally be pretty happy if Peats came back. Yeah his injuries are a concern, but honestly he's as good as or better than what we're likely to get on the open market anyway. He's an astute player and a great defender, good service, knows when to run and gets his forwards over the ad line. Kaysa is fine as a back up to a player like Peats.

And the constant Peats rumours must be coming from somewhere, so potentially BA is well aware of this as well and is making moves.