Hunt's kick returns

[dukey]

I was flicking through a recent RLW recently and there was an article about ACL tears and the like, how Locky and Benji managed to injure themselves simply through their own agility. It made me think about how Hunt no longer uses the big kangaroo hop on kick returns, preferring to run it back hard and save the tricky stuff for when he's in a better attacking position. Maybe he does it to avoid a season-ending and permanent injury to his knees?

 

[mick]

Could well be the case, but I'd say it's a lot of reasons. One really being that defenders, after about half a season, started to predict it and he'd just get drilled.

He probably learned pretty quickly that, by putting his head down and charging, he could generally gain a few more metres for the team. You'll notice he uses the step every now and again, but only when he can see an opportunity.

 

[Coxy]

Yeah, what Mick said. Though I think now players are working out they can set themselves and smash him. If he introduced even a slight late swerve or step, he'd put a few defenders off. If he had his winger in support, that could even create an opportunity.

 

[Aeetee]

Notice how there are more of these injuries now than in the past, why i hear you ask, well IMO its because they bulk there legs up so much that the acl and all the other snap crackle pop bits in your knee can't handle that much muscle. You can't make meniscus and ligaments bigger. They are made to handle your natural body size, making legs bigger puts a strain on them and eventually they go TWANG!!!

Look at Mark Geyer, devastating runner with chicken legs.....

 

[Coxy]

More specifically it's related to an imbalance in leg muscle strength. eg, if quads and hamstrings aren't in proportion of strength then you can cause problems, because one set of muscles is moving the joint harder one direction than the other.

That's the theory anyway.

 

[wally]

I think it's not long before someone hits him right and down he goes, out cold. That's my biggest fear at the moment as he seems to get hammered nearly every time, or perhaps some sort of rib injury. I don't think it can be good getting rattled to the crapper and back eerytime you run the ball back, will probly come and haunt him in the future.

Last time he put a decent step on was in the Titans match, got hit and had a tear in the meniscus and had to sit out a couple matches....Would hate to see his legs bulk up, they barely fit in his shorts now [icon_lol1.

Agree with needling a late swerve or some sort of variation to throw in there to skrew them up.

 

[renouf]

Hunt is going to have back problems I reckon, bit like Minichello... he runs it back way to hard. He'll also start waking up the morning after the game feeling pretty sore. Wish he would stop running it back so hard...

 

[Jeba]

I think it's not long before someone hits him right and down he goes, out cold. That's my biggest fear at the moment as he seems to get hammered nearly every time, or perhaps some sort of rib injury.

He's been knocked out cold by Frank Pritchard The Wank. I think that night it was a case of the stupidity of the New Zealand side for targeting Karmichael Hunt just because he pledged his allegience to Australia. Ultimately they wanted to hurt him and they did, and NRL sides are coached smarter and they don't target Karmichael Hunt. Sure they like to rattle him when bringing the ball back but for the hundreds of kick returns he has done in his career, he has been injured in only 1 of them. No problem with his technique whatsoever.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I hope he keeps doing it. I bet his team mates love it. He will eventually move into the forwards and have to do hit ups all the time anyways.

 

[spoonbled]

Normally the 1st thing your taught in under 7's is that the harder you run the ball you wont get as hurt.

sounds weird but it does work. If you take it up half speed and get hammered your injuries could be much worse.

 

[rnabokov]

More specifically it's related to an imbalance in leg muscle strength. eg, if quads and hamstrings aren't in proportion of strength then you can cause problems, because one set of muscles is moving the joint harder one direction than the other.

That's the theory anyway.

There was a very good, separate thread on ACL's where the issue of muscle balance - as Coxy points out so well, was well described in the issue of ACL injuries.

As for Hunt, I could have sworn I saw him do his 'roo hop last game a few times.

Maybe it would be nice for Mani and Kemp to be back with him so he can draw and pass, then get back into position for an offload, instead of getting smashed so often.

 

[Beachy]

I hope he keeps doing it. I bet his team mates love it.

So they should ... he makes more metres doing what he does that what he would if he only dawdled back towards the defensive line.

 

[Dexter]

I think with time, hopefully soon, he will change his tactic. He is heading for a serious injury if he doesn't. I admire his courage but sometimes you have to play smart not tough.
He will shorten his career by years if he continues the same way.

 

[The Brizz]

It is admirable what he does but long term I can see him running into some injury worries because of it. I love the way he does it but I think as time goes by he needs to change it up as suggested more. I love watching Kidley and Slater bring the ball back they are amazing the way they seem to not only find non-existent holes but to fly through them time and time again.

 

[Hamm.0]

Hunt has nothing on kick returns compard to the Martin Lang.

Wow, remember that guy's hit ups?!!!

 

[Professor47]

More than anything, I just thing slight variety is needed, as mentioned, if he does it 10 out of 10 times, teams will just line him up and go for a hit, or know he's not going to do anything else.
I say use it as the bread and butter move, but pull off something spicy now and then, just to keep them guessing.

 

[Burg]

I get nervous everytime he runs a kick return, great to watch, but I also worry for his health.

 

[Dexter]

Hunt has nothing on kick returns compard to the Martin Lang.

Wow, remember that guy's hit ups?!!!

Yep. People called him stupid, but he'd make 15 hit ups a game and they'd all average 10 metres.

He got knocked out quite a few times though.

I think pll were right. Scott Sattler told a story on fox about Lang.

At Penriff they had a community kitchen for the players, one morning he went past and M Lang was trying to dislodge a piece of toast from the toaster with a knife.

Sattler asked him if nobody had ever told him of the dangers of using a knife in a toaster and Lang said no and thanked him then went to the drawer and got out a spoon instead.
[eusa_doh