Reds 2017

[Serge]

In my view the best hookers are those who you are confident will ensure you win your own set piece ball, are strong in defence and are very useful assets in attack. The All Blacks have such an individual in Dane Coles who is easily by some margin the best #2 in the world today. I am not a Ready supporter as he does not provide enough in all facets of the game, nor from the little I have seen of him does Mafi. Both of them lack mobility and the necessary added value in attack to be considered good hookers in the way the game is played today by the best attacking teams. I think we should be looking at some of the other hookers currently getting around in Premier grade to develop guys who have good mobility and can contribute strongly in attack, whilst also being capable enough at set piece to give confidence that we will win our own ball.

 

[Scrubber2050]

anyone in mind ?????

 

[TOCC]

Australian Rugby is too quick to discard anyone over 30, with modern training techniques and improved S&C players can easily play into their 30's. England, South Africa and New Zealand all won RWC's with a fair share of 'dads army' amongst them, in the NRL you have plenty of players in their 30's.. Moore is easily the best hooker in Australia on current form and has a good 2 years left in him, it will only benefit the Reds

 

[Scrubber2050]

Australian Rugby is too quick to discard anyone over 30, with modern training techniques and improved S&C players can easily play into their 30's. England, South Africa and New Zealand all won RWC's with a fair share of 'dads army' amongst them, in the NRL you have plenty of players in their 30's.. Moore is easily the best hooker in Australia on current form and has a good 2 years left in him, it will only benefit the Reds

TPN had better form than Moore prior to injury.

Hansen hasn't even had a chance to shine.

Two good years, presumably being 2017 and 2018 - we shall certainly see.

If so, expect Reday to sign elsewhere and that would be a real shame.

 

[amirite]

I think the best thing Moore could do is sign in Japan and play fuck all non-test rugby each year for a good penny.

It's difficult for an old bloke to maintain 'the rage' and his health for such a high volume of games.

 

[Jets]

I'm happy Moore is heading back to Ballymore. He's getting back into form and was really good for the Brumbies at the start of the year. He needs to get back from Europe in good shape and then have a good rest before joining training mid to late Jan. I think he'd be best used off the bench for the start of the season and play a horses for course approach. I've also heard he will only travel to interstate games and NZ so plenty of chance to use other guys if this is the case.

 

[Scrubber2050]

I'm happy Moore is heading back to Ballymore. He's getting back into form and was really good for the Brumbies at the start of the year. He needs to get back from Europe in good shape and then have a good rest before joining training mid to late Jan. I think he'd be best used off the bench for the start of the season and play a horses for course approach. I've also heard he will only travel to interstate games and NZ so plenty of chance to use other guys if this is the case.

If he's going to be a part time player what is the use.

Hopefully the Reds only pay him a part time wage.

He;s just taking up a spot that a young hopeful should have.

 

[Jets]

Who's the young hopeful that should have his spot? Like others have said Alex Mafi looks off Super Rugby pace and he's the other hooker in the squad outside of Moore and Ready.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Who's the young hopeful that should have his spot? Like others have said Alex Mafi looks off Super Rugby pace and he's the other hooker in the squad outside of Moore and Ready.

Mafi will only get better with experience. Dunno, there may be others ?

The Reds look to have the best forward pack going around and being an inexperienced hooker amongst that lot makes the transition so much easier. Case in point was Ready this year. Gone from a nobody into Wallaby liklihood.

 

[Jets]

Ready has been targeted as a player of the future for quite a while. Who were the hookers in the 20's last year? Also a few of these young guys could do with some time in Premier rugby playing against men before being thrown in against some of the best front rows in the world.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Ready has been targeted as a player of the future for quite a while. Who were the hookers in the 20's last year? Also a few of these young guys could do with some time in Premier rugby playing against men before being thrown in against some of the best front rows in the world.

Ready might have been "identified" as so many are. Whether they make it or not depends on many factors.

But it was only when he got his chance that he took it with both hands.

Being with a dominant forward pack made the job a lot easier

 

[Serge]

Who's the young hopeful that should have his spot? Like others have said Alex Mafi looks off Super Rugby pace and he's the other hooker in the squad outside of Moore and Ready.

I liked the look of the GPS hooker on the couple of times we played them. I think he was given the man of the match award on at least one of those occasions - which don't often go to players in the front row.

 

[amirite]

I liked the look of the GPS hooker on the couple of times we played them. I think he was given the man of the match award on at least one of those occasions - which don't often go to players in the front row.

Good player.

 

[TOCC]

He;s just taking up a spot that a young hopeful should have.

There are no young hopefuls better then Moore.. this isn't the Wallabies with a focus on the RWC and a four year development cycle.. Reds need to be competitive and winning Super Rugby in 2017 and 2018, not just 2019.. the QRU can't afford(literally) to sit around waiting for 'young hopefuls' to potentially develop into quality players.

Young and old aren't mutually exclusive, the development of younger players can be done concurrently to capitalising on the experience and leadership of elder players.. it's actually something New Zealand does quite well and more frequently then Australia.

Tupou is one of the brightest prop prospects Australia has had for years, who is likely to benefit him more, playing alongside Moore, Mafi or Ready. Same goes with Luckhan Tui, partnering with a Wallabies Hooker at lineout is surely more beneficial then Ready or Mafi.

 

[liquor box]

If he's going to be a part time player what is the use.

Hopefully the Reds only pay him a part time wage.

He;s just taking up a spot that a young hopeful should have.

It is a nice sentiment but what the Reds need more than anything is to win.

I am happy to go without blooding young players if we have three or four "part time" players who come on the field with 20 minutes to go to secure us a grand final victory.

I actually think players like Moore and Smith will be getting 60 minutes to start the season and then be only getting 20 minutes at the end of games by the end of the year with the younger players hopefully stepping up.

 

[Scoey]

A championship in 2017 will do far more for player attraction and retention then having a few good young players with an extra year of experience in a team that came in the bottom half of the ladder.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Well a lot of posters are very supportive of the Moore signing,

Great I genuinely hope he plays the house down and we win the title.

 

[Scoey]

Whilst plenty are supportive I think the majority are mostly just optimistic. The level of justification or delusion in their optimism remains to be seen.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Whilst plenty are supportive I think the majority are mostly just optimistic. The level of justification or delusion in their optimism remains to be seen.

Shit Scoey - I was just trying to be conciliatory

 

[Tip]

Ready has been targeted as a player of the future for quite a while. Who were the hookers in the 20's last year? Also a few of these young guys could do with some time in Premier rugby playing against men before being thrown in against some of the best front rows in the world.

Jets, we shouldn't be asking who were the Hookers in 20's last year, that is the problem.

We should be asking who the best QPR Hookers were.