Lulu at hooker

[ian.birchall]

Thought that Thomas yesterday looked very good at hooker and time and again scared the pants of the Lions defence. Perhaps we should not have gone to Oz for another hooker if we had Mclorum and Lulu and Smithy??

[shawcross da warrior]

looked good i agree..

there number 14 looks a class act for the future..

[Martin Taylor]

Thought that Thomas yesterday looked very good at hooker and time and again scared the pants of the Lions defence. Perhaps we should not have gone to Oz for another hooker if we had Mclorum and Lulu and Smithy??

Have to agree about Tommy at Hooker, but Ridell offers a lot of size in the middle and that's something we have been lacking since Newton.

[tom g]

Isaac Luke

[wall_of_voodoo]

Isaac Luke

Correct. For many new zealanders, this was tommy's "last chance saloon", he played the opening 20-25 minutes, then didn't reappear until around the 70 minutes mark. His only "real" contribution being the try scoring pass for his replacement at scrum half, the rest was of around shane millard standard!

[slimshady]

Isaac Luke

Correct. For many new zealanders, this was tommy's "last chance saloon", he played the opening 20-25 minutes, then didn't reappear until around the 70 minutes mark. His only "real" contribution being the try scoring pass for his replacement at scrum half, the rest was of around shane millard standard!

Iam sorry to say Big Yead is not that good and I think Wigan need a scrum half who can direct us around the park and he wont!

[Mike]

I've been a bit of a Tommy believer for a while now. I've been giving him a chance to develop into the player that he looks like he might do. However, I've been looking at him through new, neutral eyes in the world cup and I've been very disapointed. He hasn't imposed himself in any NZ match so far, in fact he's been anonymous in every one.

At hooker he's merely doing a good job out of position. He doesn't seem a specialist and doesn't bring you anything sepcial in that position.

It seems to me that unless he shows some further development next season, we should be looking at off-loading him after this year and replacing with a scrum half with more organising and creativfe ability.

[ancientnloyal]

Seems a good option but we have Piggy and Micky Mc

[thomo]

I am prepared to get fully slatted for this and let the abuse flow but...
What about Lockers for the second hookers role - Piggy will play 60 minutes minimum so only needs one change - is this worth having a second hooker on the bench for a short spell and waste a sub.
We could then go with Four props and two second/back rowers - bailey can cover the centres for injuries.
Lockers could cover at hooker - he has some pace round the ruck, hopefully can pass a ball and maybe kick.
This was you could fit Tomkins, Hock, Hansen, Bailey and Lockers into a 17 plus four props

It is just a though?

[josie andrews]

Thought that Thomas yesterday looked very good at hooker and time and again scared the pants of the Lions defence. Perhaps we should not have gone to Oz for another hooker if we had Mclorum and Lulu and Smithy??

Coach Praises Leuluai

New Zealand face Australia next Saturday in the World Cup Final. Whilst RL fans in the northern hemisphere will be disappointed it's not England in the Final, Wigan fans can at least cheer on Thomas Leuluai as he is set to named again in the Kiwi line-up after an inspiring performance at hooker against Tony Smith's men in the Semi-Final.

Kiwi Coach Stephen Kearney was quick to praise the Warriors number 7,

"Tommy had a big game.

"Despite what some people think, we were always confident in what he could do. That is why he has been starting throughout the tournament. It took a bit to see how he was best suited for the group, but that was a real pleasing performance from Tommy and the team.

"There were quite a few good performances out there."

On the game itself Kearney added,

"I never felt the game was won from the first minute to the last. They showed what wonderful resolve they have by coming back at us three times to get within a converted try of us. England played hard, but we won well in the end."

http://www.wiganwarriors.com/news_full.asp?newsid=4345