How much better do we look now with a REAL dummyhalf

[Number6]

Agree you don't sign someone for 4 years if you are settling unless you are getting them dirt cheap. Macca is the type of player that Bennet loves. Honest toiler. Every team needs them but I would suggest not as spearhead of your spine if you want to win premierships.

Look at premiership hookers (at time of grand final) last few years.

2012 - Ennis
2013 - Friend
2014 - Luke
2015 - Granville
2016 - Ennis

Take any of the above (Luke at warriors excluded) over Macca any day of week.

As for ranking lean time for quality hookers (and Smith makes rest look average). But wouldn't say top 5. And service speed is bottom 5.

A full season for Hunt and he would be more than likely next Australian hooker if he held is nerve under pressure.

 

[ZTop]

Agree you don't sign someone for 4 years if you are settling unless you are getting them dirt cheap. Macca is the type of player that Bennet loves. Honest toiler. Every team needs them but I would suggest not as spearhead of your spine if you want to win premierships.

Look at premiership hookers (at time of grand final) last few years.

2012 - Ennis
2013 - Friend
2014 - Luke
2015 - Granville
2016 - Ennis

Take any of the above (Luke at warriors excluded) over Macca any day of week.

As for ranking lean time for quality hookers (and Smith makes rest look average). But wouldn't say top 5. And service speed is bottom 5.

A full season for Hunt and he would be more than likely next Australian hooker if he held is nerve under pressure.

At the time Luke was one of the premier hookers

 

[winslow_wong]

We definitely need some depth in the hooking role even if it's just to keep Macca on his toes. He needs that competition to keep him motivated.

 

[tommy]

2012 - Ennis

?

 

[Mister Wright]

I don't get the love for Granville. The McCullough haters must watch his game through rose-tinted glasses like they do Jake Friend. When we played the Cowboys they looked a much better side when Granville was on the bench and again against the Sharks the Cowboys scored more points with Granville off the field. Hampton has a much better pass and better vision. Much like Buderus rode on the back of Andrew Johns Granville is doing the same off Thurston & Morgan.

 

[Waynesaurus]

I think teams have just worked Granville out and we were probably the ones who just about started it. Send plenty of traffic his way, make him work hard in defense and it blunts his efforts in attack.

 

[Sproj]

The Cows have looked a totally different side when Granville has been in this season, he is a gun.

 

[Mr Fourex]

We definitely need some depth in the hooking role even if it's just to keep Macca on his toes. He needs that competition to keep him motivated.

Which is a serious flaw in his professionalism and desire to be what we need him to be.

 

[Mister Wright]

Which is a serious flaw in his professionalism and desire to be what we need him to be.

This is a seriously short-sighted comment. You can doubt his ability all you like, but are you really in a place to doubt his professionalism? You don't know what drives players. I'd argue that McCullough is one of the most professional players in the league. When do you hear about him being caught up in off-field dramas? When has he been suspended from games for missing training? Apart from the last two seasons he has barely missed a game through injury, that means he looks after himself physically and the major missed stretches are due to knee injuries which has nothing to do with professionalism and is more luck.

Also, just because another poster on here reckons he needs competition to keep him motivated doesn't make it true. That person is guessing, just like you are. If you want to question his on field professionalism (which you do quite regularly) at least judge it on facts. Just because he doesn't live up to your Cameron Smith like expectations doesn't mean he isn't improving his game. Just like Nathan Lyon (and a host of other spinners) following the best in their position he will be judged harshly, most often unfairly. If you can't see that Mccullough has made improvements in his attacking game than you are not a good judge of footballers. They may not be the improvements that you want, but they are there.

 

[Battler]

Ben Hunt ..... :lostit:

The bed was already made. Losing Granville and Parcell made it impossible not to sign A.Mc. Signing him for 4 yrs though....wtf?

So you'd be happy matching the Dragons offer? 1.2mil/ season for some bloke who could be good at hooker long term, is OK at HB, and has choked big time in past and cost us games > a guy we've had for years who hasn't tried to put the club to ransom with his salary demands (if Peat is on big dollars I can guarantee Macca would get offers from other clubs) and who is a great on field leader for probably half the price.

 

[mitch222]

The Cows have looked a totally different side when Granville has been in this season, he is a gun.

Still cant play 80 and I don't think he ever will be able to

 

[winslow_wong]

Still cant play 80 and I don't think he ever will be able to

That mop hair weighs him down and the drag on it must be exhausting

 

[Sproj]

So you'd be happy matching the Dragons offer? 1.2mil/ season for some bloke who could be good at hooker long term, is OK at HB, and has choked big time in past and cost us games > a guy we've had for years who hasn't tried to put the club to ransom with his salary demands (if Peat is on big dollars I can guarantee Macca would get offers from other clubs) and who is a great on field leader for probably half the price.

I agree with this BUT you could certainly argue Macca cost us just as much as Hunt by not passing to Parker who was in untouched under the posts.

 

[Alec]

Still cant play 80 and I don't think he ever will be able to

Does he really need to play 80?

 

[mitch222]

Does he really need to play 80?

Well with the interchanges reducing every year, the need for an 80 minute hooker is starting to get to be a necessary. If it drops to 6 then the 80 minute hooker is going to be a huge factor for teams

 

[Super Freak]

Well with the interchanges reducing every year, the need for an 80 minute hooker is starting to get to be a necessary. If it drops to 6 then the 80 minute hooker is going to be a huge factor for teams

I think there would still be room for a bench hooker.

Most backrowers these days can play 80 minutes, it's the props that need the rest. That's two interchanges right there, and most teams will interchange one prop once and the other prop twice. So there would still be room for a bench hooker.

 

[Sproj]

Plus the strategic HIA means it will never truly be 6 interchanges.

 

[Morkel]

Plus the strategic HIA means it will never truly be 6 interchanges.

Yeah you beat me to it. Both starting front rowers get a HIA at the 20th and 25th minute respectively, one gets cleared to return with 5 minutes to go in the half, the other during half time, and they all come out fresh as a daisy in the second half with 6 interchanges still to be used. There's plenty of interchanges to even allow Cam Smi... I mean for any nameless hooker who normally plays 80 minutes to take a breather as they start to slow down with age.