Round 16 team vs Warriors *Official*

Jolls said:
Sorry TL but Brooks to Hooker is a Fail unless he has a full offseason to start learning the job. He can't drive the team around the park as a half so he doesn't have a chance of understanding how to do it as a hooker.
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He has already been playing there. His service has been poor at times but to be fair to him he is probably fatigued when he goes in there.
 
Jolls said:
My apologies up front for the length of this post. It is something I am passionate about.

Hookers - now we are talking something I know a little bit about. I played hooker for 36 years. A bit before A and B defenders were known as such but the role and art of being a hooker has changes little over that time. I wish I was good enough to have played at the elite level but I played with and against some of the best and could hold my own.

In my opinion a hooker either gets it or they don't. There isn't an in between. Always taking a step to pass the ball is a problem with many of today's players and today's "academy" coaching techniques. Templating how to play hooker should not be done - the key to developing hookers is to give them all of the tools to play the game and let them play on instinct. The key to being a good hooker (take away winning the ball back from the oppositions second row like us old timers were fond of) is to play with your eyes up; i.e. the ability to play what's in front of you.

Sure you can train an OK hooker but they will always be processing things - hooking is very much in the "even I don't know what I am about to do" playbook. As a result a lot of modern hookers play to patterns and as such take the step more times than not to engage the marker.

The key to success is to select the right attacking hooker tool based on an assessment of the speed of the play the ball, how set the markers are, the position of the A and B defender and finally what your team mates are wanting.

The aim is to make the markers and A defenders think all the time, and to make a defensive decision.

If you are playing close for a 1 up hit your runner wants to hit the back of the play the ball. One of the markers will be active and taking a step ties him up and generally allows the ball runner to hit the ad line and make some easy yards. A well drilled side will fill that space, but they usually get tired later in games so it is something that can be exploited. The forward pack, and wingers on the short side must always be pushing up so that this can be exploited.

If you get a quick play the ball the markers are not usually set so taking a few steps engages the A defender. This has the effect of pulling players in to force defensive decisions that create gaps or an overlap or alternatively allows you to turn the ball back into the void created behind the ruck. This is the classic Smith to Slater - Friend to Tedesco play. (Not something we see from our hookers and Laurie unfortunately). The key is knowing when to and which A defender to target and for the support play to be constantly pushing up.

If you are a student of Smith (now Grant), Cook, and Api you will see that when their respective teams are ready to throw "shape" out the back they always pass off the floor because they are targeting a different group of defenders.

A good hooker gets the team 50% of the way to bending or breaking the line, creating an overlap or gap by engaging the A defender or sets up "shape" though quick service. The big thing about being a hooker is that its very rarely about creating opportunities for yourself, its about observing the defenders and creating opportunities for others.

The rubbish about the halves having so much influence on the game is bullshit. It is sprouted by all of the halves that have become commentators. The hooker has their hands on the ball more than any other player and makes decisions on who to and when to pass off the ruck. They have the biggest bearing on the direction and pace of the team. That is why Smith could control a game so well and Brooks to hooker (without some intense training) is a joke.

Apart from the technical bits above, even in today's game, a good hooker is one of, if not the, most important player on the paddock. In addition to the attacking skill set outlined above they must be capable of playing the full game, unless you can afford to have a second hooker on the bench (luxury), they must be able to tackle everything that moves and they should have the ability to referee (ala Smith) as they are always in the referees back pocket.

Cheers n Beers
Jolls
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Thank you Jolls. Great post mate.
 
Earl said:
He has already been playing there. His service has been poor at times but to be fair to him he is probably fatigued when he goes in there.
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Hi Earl

It is true that they have used him there before; however, in my opinion that experiment has been a complete failure. Hooker is not a position most can just do. Brooksy has already shown through his performances there that he is not up to speed. Does he have some of the attributes to play there? Sure, he is quick enough and can kick; BUT, his ball service is shit and he doesn't know when or how to set the play. He may have been told how to do it at training but he hasn't once, that I have seen, executed it effectively on the paddock

If fatigue is an excuse for his poor ball service then he shouldn't be there at all - hookers have to be going forward and delivering the ball on a platter for 80 minutes. It is a critical link in the delivery of effective attack.

If you want your hit up players bending/breaking the line to allow for second phase play the ball needs to be served to them on a platter at the ad line and the marker needs to be taken out of the play. Anything less than that and they are not fully committed because they can't trust the service they are getting or they are focussed on getting through the ruck area. A good hooker takes you to or past the ad line and lets the big body do the rest. One he has delivered the ball he is set for any late ad lib second phase play. Throwing "shape", which we do poorly by the way, requires off the ground service to enable the point of attack; Brooks has shown that he doesn't deliver that.

Our first string hookers are not good at engaging the A defenders to create tension on the defensive line - how do we expect Brooks to do that? He hasn't had an off season learning from a quality hooking coach when and how to engage.

If you read my earlier post you will understand what we are trying to get from someone playing hooker. Brooks just doesn't deliver much of it at all. I would rate what he has done there as being at U9s to 11 level. You should be getting your forwards into the ruck void, engaging the A defenders and delivering quality ball off the ground by the time you are 12. Brooks isn't there yet.

If what you are really after is someone quick to exploit tired forwards late in the game then switch him to 13 and play him in tandem with a hooker that can do 50% of the close work. Getting Brooks into the ruck void to exploit his skills or getting the big men to and through the line so Brooks can come into second phase play with his speed.

We lack, across the park, players doing the work off the ball. Seriously when was the last time you saw the fullback and wingers pushing up as support players around the middle? I'm not talking about them getting us out of the red zone or taking hit ups. I'm talking about lurking in behind the forward looking to exploit advantage? Putting Brooks in there isn't going to magic this into happening

I'm sorry mate - just because it has been done before doesn't make it right.
 
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Jolls said:
I'm sorry mate - just because it has been done before doesn't make it right.
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I'm not stating it makes it right. I'll add that I've seen so many posters over the years state to play him at 9. I was skeptical but he has had a couple of decent touches there. The club are trying it now as well.

I don't think it has worked but he could keep working on it.

I just want to see AD to 6. I don't think Brooks is the answer in the halves and our season is over.
 
Earl said:
I'm not stating it makes it right. I'll add that I've seen so many posters over the years state to play him at 9. I was skeptical but he has had a couple of decent touches there. The club are trying it now as well.

I don't think it has worked but he could keep working on it.

I just want to see AD to 6. I don't think Brooks is the answer in the halves and our season is over.
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Hi Earl

I agree with you. I have thought for a while that he could possibly transition to 9; however, the time to do it was over an off season in the role full time with a good coach focused on developing him into that player. He has to have intuition to be the next Ben Hunt or similar. You can't manufacture a good hooker, they have to have that innate ability to read the field and envision how a play is about to unfold. You can get someone to do the job, but that is not the same.

100% agree that Brooks is not the answer in the halves either- we need to experiment. If we didn't have Api coming, given the season is lost, experimenting with Brooks would be tolerable.

Right now we should be looking at the next crop of hookers. If there is a serious plan for him to transition send him back to reggies and put him in the role to learn. Who knows it could be a master stroke - but a part time role in FG? It hasn't worked to date and if anything will destroy what little confidence he has left.

Make Brooks a 14 and train him to deliver impact as a third half or do something else that is useful.
 
Cobarcats said:
If you want to put Brooks to hooker, how many hookers will we have next year?
Brown
Api
Simpkins
Liddle
Brooks
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Cobarcats said:
Have I missed any? 😁
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So our updated hooker list for next year unless some are released are:
Brown
Koroisau
Simpkins
Liddle
Brooks
Ngatikaura
Tannous
Plus pathways 🤔
Have we got one sorted out yet for the warriors game? 🤣
 
Jolls said:
The rubbish about the halves having so much influence on the game is bullshit. It is sprouted by all of the halves that have become commentators. The hooker has their hands on the ball more than any other player and makes decisions on who to and when to pass off the ruck. They have the biggest bearing on the direction and pace of the team. That is why Smith could control a game so well and Brooks to hooker (without some intense training) is a joke.
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I agree wholeheartedly. The hooker sets the tempo. A good one can control the ruck speed through targeted runners, scoots and kicks. They are always scheming and looking for opportunities. They should not be structured. It’s the reason so many consider Smith to be superior to Johns in the argument for GOAT.

Our failure to replace Scott Prince has been matched by the failure to replace Robbie Farah. The best replacement we have had for Robbie was himself. Api will make a huge difference next year in these respects.
 
💯

Easier the better for this bunch....
Hopefully not another routinely expected kick out on the full by the 9 year veteran.
 
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