RUMOUR McCullough to the Sea Eagles

In comparison to others, I believe Michael Ennis and Jake Friend have shown more with their kicking games than Andrew at this stage.

Right now, I'd describe his kicking game as inconsistent.

Can place a few good kicks but then he'll have a few that relieve all the pressure close to the line or even kick out on the full which doesn't help anyone.
 
Anonymous person said:
He has, without doubt, the worst service/pass out of dummy half of any hooker in first grade. He *still* cant pick up and pass in one motion! He is not and never will be anything more than average.
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That, as well as his obsessive need to catch the markers offside, are the two things that annoy me the most. Your point is correct - if he focused on crisp passing off the ground our forwards would get a roll-on a lot better and our halves would have more time and space to create opportunities. Imagine if Milford and Hunt had service from Farah, Luke or Smith. We'd be racking up 40 points a game.

Watch any NRL game - dummy halves pick and choose their time to goose the markers and get a penalty. Macca seems to do it constantly. It very rarely, if ever, works and those two or three steps he takes before passing puts our forwards under pressure or our halves end up getting the ball with the defense in their face. Milford and Hunt are two of the most exciting players in the game. Hunt, in particular, has great vision. If McCullough could just deliver a bullet-like pass to him on a regular basis we would look so much more dangerous.
 
I think the Broncos should make an offer for Ballin, even if the article in question was rubbish. He's a Queenslander. I could be wrong, but wasn't he in our system as a youngster?

Hindsight is wonderful but I would have also made a play for Michael Ennis last year too. He's better than McCullough, imo and has played under WB before.
 
ningnangnong said:
https://broncoshq.com/brisbane-bron...llough-great-enigma.html?highlight=McCullough

The thread I've just linked to is nearly two years old. Many of the concerns put forward in this thread were being expressed then. How long are we meant to wait?

Also, look at this little nugget of gold - https://broncoshq.com/brisbane-broncos-talk/17624-mccullough-v-hunt.html#post2303499
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Sobering reading, ningnangnong. I've only been here 2 years and I'm sick of the debate. You posters that have been arguing the case since 2010, I take my hat off to you. I can't say you're not committed.
 
CaptainHook said:
Sobering reading, ningnangnong. I've only been here 2 years and I'm sick of the debate. You posters that have been arguing the case since 2010, I take my hat off to you. I can't say you're not committed.
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Lol, reading through that I've just realised I've been calling for him to go for 5 years now. Does that make me a hater? Maybe it does, I just don't think he's ever going to get better.
 
Unbreakable said:
Meh.

I really don't think McCullough is very good, nor is he ever going to be a superstar.. but we can't just let him walk next season without having someone better lined up.

Notable Hookers off contract for 2016 (None of which I rate above McCullough):

Matt Ballin
Beau Falloon
Nathan Friend
Cameron King
Matt McIlwrick
Kaysa Pritchard

So yeah, unless Parcell or Jikorima become insanely good within the next 12 months, I don't think we can let McCullough go.
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McIlwrick had a great game on Saturday night and might be worth a punt if he continues to deliver. He would be stuck behind Friend and on peanuts at the Roosters.
 
macca has not gone to the next level in his years at the broncos. the media certainly talked him up as the heir to cam smith which is way way off. let him go
 
Anonymous person said:
Smith/farah/luke have regularly posted 50+ tackles while still playing 80 minutes.
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Not nearly every week like Macca does far more often. They may have done it when they were a bit younger. I know Friend does a heap of tackling. But a lot of teams with two hookers don't even make that between them. We have a pretty small pack and we never get advantage in the ruck so we can't afford to have Macca not be in there most of the time.
 
I think one thing is forgotten when comparing McCullough to players like Luke, Ennis, Smith & Farrah. They are the senior players in their side and are either captain or have been captain at some point in time. In Luke's & Smith's case they have an established spine to work with and have formed that combination for years. McCullough has had to work with several different combinations over the last few years. It could be argued he played his best with an established halves pairing in Wallace & Lokyer or even Hunt and Norman who he had experience with in the U20s. It looks like Bennett will stick with Milford & Hunt so I definitely can see McCullough's game going to another level once that combination develops.

Also the aforementioned dummy halves don't have to content with Justin Hodges taking your role once or twice a set.
 
Allo said:
Not nearly every week like Macca does far more often. They may have done it when they were a bit younger. I know Friend does a heap of tackling. But a lot of teams with two hookers don't even make that between them. We have a pretty small pack and we never get advantage in the ruck so we can't afford to have Macca not be in there most of the time.
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What he said isn't even true though. Luke doesn't get close to that amount of tackles, obviously AP has no response to this seeing I already said this hours ago
 
broncospwn said:
Lol, reading through that I've just realised I've been calling for him to go for 5 years now. Does that make me a hater? Maybe it does, I just don't think he's ever going to get better.
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I think after 7 years in first grade it's clear that he'll never be "the next cam smith", or anything significantly more than he is right now.
 
While Macca is good defensively, defence is not the most important asset of a hooker. If it was we may as well just play a back rower in the position.

The main job of a hooker is to give good speedy service out of dummy half. Giving their team time to act without the defence being on top of them as soon as they catch the ball. It is in this area that Macca really falls short of being a top level hooker.
 
Foordy said:
While Macca is good defensively, defence is not the most important asset of a hooker. If it was we may as well just play a back rower in the position.

The main job of a hooker is to give good speedy service out of dummy half. Giving their team time to act without the defence being on top of them as soon as they catch the ball. It is in this area that Macca really falls short of being a top level hooker.
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Well said.

Simple question, which player gets his hands on the ball more than any other? The hooker.

A team's whole attacking structure relies upon quality service from dummy half. The position is the most important attacking position on the field. If your hooker sucks, your attack will be strangled.

McCullough does not provide quality service from dummy half.

For that reason Brisbane should look elsewhere.
 
I don't think he should get a new contract, as per my thread 2 years ago.

150 games into his career and he has the same deficiencies he did when he came onto the scene, except now he doesn't have the crutch of being young and inexperienced to soften the criticism.
 
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