Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Mon May 02, 2022 10:12 am  

Clearwing wrote:

Partly agree. I see his limitations; equally the idea that the players around him have posed much of an attacking threat is pretty fanciful. Should we play to the expected level of a top team then Dwyer doesn't get a look in. Play like a basement dweller and he can be an essential ingredient at times.

How will your halves and edge players ever look anything like if the first receiver is catching the ball behind their head? Your 9 is always the first link in any attack.

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Mon May 02, 2022 10:24 am  

100% this. There have been top teams where the hooker can't run much. There's never been a top team where the hooker cannot pass and play a set of six smoothly, and never will be.

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Mon May 02, 2022 10:36 am  

Dwyer wouldn’t be a problem if he was 20 minutes change of pace off the bench. Think how saints use lussick or kr use Litten.

The issue is with injuries that hasn’t always been the case.

For what it’s worth though as much as I like Leeming, for me the jury is still out on his passing too.

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Mon May 02, 2022 10:38 am  

Its a game wide issue though. The standard of 9s coming thru simply isnt there. Its, to me, the most important role in the team. They make more decisions, touch ball most often and need to defend in the middle of the field with plenty coming at them.

I do wonder if in junior rugby uf a team has a small fast kid they get put at 9 now?

Corey Johnson has the potential but physically and defensively hes got to improve. Hes capable of it but needs to show it.

I honestly can see Dwyer staying beyond this year.

Leemings contact is weak. His game has been poor all year for me. I wonder if captaincy is weighing him down a bit too.

Our 9s are rubbish but so are most teams 9s.

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Mon May 02, 2022 11:14 am  

We have struggled with Hooker for years.

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Mon May 02, 2022 11:45 am  

Left field but I’d rather replace Leeming with a hooker that can pass and retain Dwyer for 20 minute impact, where he can be unplayable……

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Mon May 02, 2022 1:09 pm  

Marty Grrrrrrrrrr! wrote:

Its a game wide issue though. The standard of 9s coming thru simply isnt there. Its, to me, the most important role in the team. They make more decisions, touch ball most often and need to defend in the middle of the field with plenty coming at them.

I do wonder if in junior rugby uf a team has a small fast kid they get put at 9 now?

Corey Johnson has the potential but physically and defensively hes got to improve. Hes capable of it but needs to show it.

I honestly can see Dwyer staying beyond this year.

Leemings contact is weak. His game has been poor all year for me. I wonder if captaincy is weighing him down a bit too.

Our 9s are rubbish but so are most teams 9s.

Not a coincidence that Saints by a distance the best team in the league over last 5 years and Roby still the benchmark for distribution from acting half. The props and halves atr quality at Saints but Roby is the oil that fuels the machine!

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Mon May 02, 2022 3:53 pm  

Briscoe has served us well but there’s Tindall, Simpson and Edwards knocking on the door now.

[/quote]

From what I saw Friday Tindall has not just knocked....he smashed Tom's door to bits and should be well ahead on the team sheet now

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Mon May 02, 2022 4:27 pm  

The last top hooker we had was Buderus.

These things seem to come in cycles for some reason. 15-20 years ago the game over here was awash with quality hookers, Newton, Cunningham, Roby, back a touch further Lowes, Alker and to a lesser extent Diskin. The game over here went through an era where it brought through loads. Now, not so much.

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Mon May 02, 2022 4:41 pm  

FlexWheeler wrote:

The last top hooker we had was Buderus.

These things seem to come in cycles for some reason. 15-20 years ago the game over here was awash with quality hookers, Newton, Cunningham, Roby, back a touch further Lowes, Alker and to a lesser extent Diskin. The game over here went through an era where it brought through loads. Now, not so much.

Segayaro and Parcell were class too, but agree not in the Buderusleague…….. but who is!