What happens if Mahoney gets injured or suspended next season. With McIllwrick retiring surely we need to sign a replacement. I know some people believe that Stone can play the hooker role but im not confident he would do a good enough job for us if we want to contend for a Top 4 spot. Preferably i'd like to get an experienced Hooker to help mentor Reed. So making a play for Issac Luke would be worthwhile. Sure he didn't have a good season this year but he had a good season in 2018 & maybe a change of scenery can help elevate his performance. He's the most experienced Hooker on the market & arguably the best. Other options include Levi, Lichaa, Brittain, Griffin, Baptiste. Maybe even making a play for Peats to come back since he lost his starting positiom to Rein at Titans.
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Still have will Smith don't we
You idiot.
Nu brown sign him back up half n hooker
Doc, when he was at Manly he played primarilly as hooker, has been let go by the knights and worth signing as back up 9. That would allow as I have said before time for Schneider to get conditioned and hopefully a season without injury.
Shane, Levi would be looking at the starting 9's spot not back up.
Sign Jamie Buhrer to backup Reed Mahoney for injuries??? Buhrer spends more time on the bench injured than anyone I know.
He had one bad year in 2014 where late in the year he tore his anterior ligament, but played on the following year. He suffered a fractured foot at training in his first year at the knights missing 8 weeks, In 9 years of NRL games he played a total of 174 first grade games, his lowest year was this year with only 9 games played in the NRL.
With all the talk that Schneider is our future #9, he has had a degree of injury problems, hopefully he will be over that in the coming season but he is young and I doubt really ready to play at the reserves level as yet, that may depend on his recovery from injury.
Buhrer could fit the spot in the reserves team without a lot of worries, although I believe Stone will be the primary person to fill the role when Mahoney is rested in the top team. Until we see how Schneider develops and how long he stays injury free, that will determine the benefits or not of who to sign as back up hooker.
Part of the upside with Stone is his ability to play in the forwards after Reed comes back on
I would love to get Danny Levi from the Knights. Throw them Salmon for him!
Reed was great for us last season but he was clearly getting worn down in the later half which is expected from a young kid who lead the league in tackles from memory.
Peats would be great as he can hold up defence pretty well, not sure we’d get the value though as he would be quite expensive.
Lichaa could be an option?? Was he really that bad? I’m not sure if it was him or if Dessie just destroyed his natural game at the dogs. What was his defence like? The only Dogs games I watch are the one’s against us.
It comes down to what bench the Eels carry.
If it's 4 forwards then you are signing a back up 9 that has to be content to play reggies.
That straight away may limit who is keen to sign. I honestly believe if McIllwrick had of played some 1st grade this year he wouldn't have retired.
So if you sign an Isaac Luke he works expect at worst to be in the 17...