cpwigan wrote:Moreover, I think what Nobby wants is the hooker to jump out and initially go forward which is what Terry Newton or Cameron Smith do so well.
I have my doubts about this. Higham is often taking the ball from the PTB and passing more or less right away. He is making far fewer of his trademark scoots and given this is not his natural game I'd say this is what Nobby has told him to do.
Dave
Your misreading what I posted Dave. Jumping out differs from scooting. When you scoot you go hell for leather to make the break yourself. Jumping out is more move sideways a yard go forward a yard or two draw the A defender to you and pass the ball. Thats what a Newton does, a Cameron Smith. The other option is the sideways crab who shows the ball, shows the ball and hits a runner like Cunningham.
Re Fielden. He cannot time his runs. The guy is a robot with no natural feel for the game.
The fact that higham was used as the 2nd hooker at saints was to utilize is pace and quality of scooting, running at a tired defence and hopefully catching them offside, or hitting somebody into a gap.
nathan_rugby wrote:The fact that higham was used as the 2nd hooker at saints was to utilize is pace and quality of scooting, running at a tired defence and hopefully catching them offside, or hitting somebody into a gap.
Exactly Nathan. Roby was far less effective when he hasd to play from the start this season when Cunningham was injured.
I think there is still a role for this type of hooker. Indeed, the NRL has many. Interestingly, Michael Sullivan who hardly set Warrington alight albeit at scrum half is doing very well as a scooting hooker for Canterbury Bulldogs.
Not sure Nobby believes in that type of hooker though.
I don't claim to be an expert, but the most obvious problem is this:
Lets be honest, as much as it hurts me to say this, the 3 most dangerous teams this year look to be Leeds, Saints and Warrington thus far! What these teams share in common is quite simply they play a very, very quick and tight game around the play the ball for the first 4 tackles. Put another way, they opearte in narrow channels either side of the play the ball with forwards running hard, straight and from deep, with the hooker sometimes able to simply place the ball into them from the play the ball! Notice how Leeds use Peacock, how saints use Graham, and how Warrington use Morley and Rahihi in this manor! Very, very simple rugby, put played at such a speed that the defending team is always struggling to make the 10.
We on the other hand have forwards stood 20+ yards from the play the ball flat footed! By the time we play the ball (which is very slow in my opinion) pass some 20 yards to a forward stood flat, other teams are hitting us hard!
Does anybody else like the connection between the poster Woodentop and our style of play. Too true I'm afraid.
Regarder une fille en bikini, c'est comme avoir un revolver chargé sur sa table:
Il n'y a rien de mal a ça mais il est difficile de penser à autre chose.