Nikorima > Granville

[Foordy]

Luke doesn't play 80. He has always had Peats. Until this year at least

 

[Foordy]

Very few hookers play 80 these days.

 

[Coxy]

I'd be very comfortable with Nikorima at 6 to start the year, and have Granville on the bench. If Macca's fitness does warrant him playing 80 minutes, then swap Granville out for another pig.

To start the year it doesn't hurt having a bench hooker to give Macca a spell.

But most certainly don't waste someone with the passing game, running game and vision of Nikorima by making him play dummy half for 20 minutes a week.

 

[Old Mate]

Macca can't play 80 and we shouldnt want him to, a hooker off the bench can change a team's momentum and gets the best of the starting hooker who doesnt have to preserve his energy, 80 mintues hurts his game more than it gains. No young hooker plays 80. Of the 16 teams only 6 have 80 minute hookers with Luke being the youngest and only two teams in the whole comp dont have a back up in their team every game.

cowboys- thompson & mitchell/king
Titans- Srama & Falloon
Knights- Gidley & clysdale/hilder
Dragons- Rein & Carvey
Sharks- Morris & De Gois
Manly- Ballin & Buhrer
Paramatta- Peats & ? (Peats cant play 80 though)
Penrith-Kingston & Segeyaro
Tigers- Farah & Fulton
Souths- Luke
Roosters- Friend & Mortimer
Bulldogs- Ennis
Raiders- Mccrone & Butriss/baptiste
Storm-Smith & hinchcliffe
Warriors- Friend (had taylor until his move to Penrith)


Granville has a place on the bench already.

Macca can and should play 80.

 

[Painin the Haas]

McCullough is 24 years old with 125 NRL games under his belt.

Let me know when he's not a "young hooker".

Well since 5/6 of those 80min Hookers are in their 30's with 200-250+ games I think there is a comparable difference there if you can't tell

 

[Painin the Haas]

Luke doesn't play 80. He has always had Peats. Until this year at least

True, however this year i thought he might because Peats is gone and they dont have a player who can cover hooker and back row like Peats

 

[kingpest]

Definitely Molo. I'm off Hala the big teddy bear but whoever is performing I guess

 

[Rabbir]

Well since 5/6 of those 80min Hookers are in their 30's with 200-250+ games I think there is a comparable difference there if you can't tell

Those 80 minute hookers didn't start playing full games yesterday.

 

[Kimlo]

Granville is a hooker, Nikorima is a 6. After Hunt playing9 for a few years I don't want the same thing again for Nikorima.

 

[Cult]

Like I said if Hala has improved his fitness over the off season then he could be a real weapon off the bench.

Who would you rather.....? Hala, Stag or Lowrie...? I cant see anyone else being picked ahead of those guys.

He hasn't. He looks slower and some of our new props are miles ahead of him. Molo is the same build but smarter, fitter, faster and stronger. Also having Granville come on for the last 10 minutes of each half will give us a ridiculous advantage. His ability to catch markers offside and find gaps is ridiculous. Everyone's judging him on his 9s games but he is a lot better than that.

 

[Painin the Haas]

Those 80 minute hookers didn't start playing full games yesterday.

Nor were they 24 and playing 80 minutes consitantly. Macca can do the 80, all hookers could but they burn out.

Hookers usually start playing 80mins coming into the back end of the season. look at Luke, had Peats coming on for him last year until the back end and now he is set to play 80 for the full season.

 

[broncos4life]

He hasn't. He looks slower and some of our new props are miles ahead of him. Molo is the same build but smarter, fitter, faster and stronger. Also having Granville come on for the last 10 minutes of each half will give us a ridiculous advantage. His ability to catch markers offside and find gaps is ridiculous. Everyone's judging him on his 9s games but he is a lot better than that.

Granville is very predictable but I see huge benefit to him coming of the bench in the last 10 minutes because he is predictable, but fast. Granville as a fulltime hooker would never work in the NRL IMHO because coaches would figure him out too quick. But, bring him on when the forwards are tired - Yes they will know what he's going to do, but would be too fucked to stop him doing it.

 

[Rabbir]

Nor were they 24 and playing 80 minutes consitantly. Macca can do the 80, all hookers could but they burn out.

Hookers usually start playing 80mins coming into the back end of the season. look at Luke, had Peats coming on for him last year until the back end and now he is set to play 80 for the full season.

I would say Smith and Farah definitely were at 24.

Or maybe McGuire pulled a "Hodges" with Peats. You just don't know. I wouldn't make statements based on a coaches team lineups or interchange tactics. I also wouldn't say Peats can't play 80 when you just don't know.

 

[Painin the Haas]

Well since he is young and never played 80 minutes as a fulltime hooker its a safe guess i should think.

So your comparing Macca to the greatest Hooker of all time and the hooker who would of been the best of his generation if he wasnt stuck behind the greatest hooker of all time?

Yeah they probably could play 80 back then but i bet they also had the option of a back up. Even now Storm have Hinchcliffe who would be a starting hooker but chose to stay at Storm, and Tigers who have fulton and halatau as options. We dont have the luxury of a hooker/backrower looks some clubs have.

 

[Rabbir]

Al I'm trying to say is that there is natural progression from reserve hooker to starting hooker to 80 minute hooker.

Just because a player hasn't doesn't mean they can't.

 

[domm]

I like Granville, he is quick, his service is good and I think he provides spontaneity.
I'm not sure about him being predictable but I think if he is, that will improve with experience.
Keep him on the bench and bring him on when the opposition is getting a bit tired I reckon.

I've always been a big critic of McCullough to be honest. I think he backs himself way too much and I think he thinks he's better than he actually is. I'll admit I was really impressed with him over the weekend but there were still a few times where he took a really poor/selfish option - sometimes it worked but a lot of times last year, he took similar options and it backfired. I'm all for him playing 80 minutes if he plays like he did on the weekend for a full 80, but otherwise, have Granville there to change things up.

 

[Painin the Haas]

Appreciated and fair enough Macca could play 80 but there is the risk of him burning out, if he must play 80 it should be coming into the back end of the season at first. plus a bench hooker is a great strike weapon, granvilles speed can really screw with the oppositions ruck and we would get more out of macca if he didnt have to preserve his energy.

He was impressive at the nines really excelled, was the best hooker there and he didnt have to worry about energy, msot of his good runs were proceeded by granville coming onto the field.


In a year or two I'd say Macca could be going the full 80 1-26, but we need a hooker/backrower option. Really hoping Brandan Lee in the u20's becomes that player for us

 

[noisetheory]

macca does get visibly tired at times. i'd love him to become an 80 minute player but he does ALOT of work on the field. 40-45 tackles in 60 mins or so. hopefully he gets there