It appears that Isaac De Gois isn't a hooker who is going to be comfortable playing 80 minutes. He's seldom done it at Cronulla and Brad Arthur mentioned that it wasn't the plan for him to do it in his first game at Parra. It seems unlikely then that as the intensity of matches builds towards the end of the year, he'll be comfortable to slot into an eighty minute hooker role.
At the moment, it appears that Luke Kelly has the inside running on the 14 jumper, where he'll probably do a bit of interchanging with Chris Sandow in the dummy half role.
However, I can't help but think what Zach Dockay-Clay might bring to the dynamics of the side, playing a very short 10-15 minute stint mid-way through the second half.
Indeed, it had me thinking back to 2000 and the sudden emergence of PJ Marsh, who dynamic dummy half running in the back-end of the match almost catapulted the baby Eels through to a grand final that year.
There's no question ZDC needs time, and indeed there still remains some question as to whether he has the size to succeed in the NRL - but this situation might just be cherry-made for him. He'd totally change the tempo of a game, and timed with say the re-introduction of Junior Paulo back onto the field, it would put a turbo-charge under that phase of the game for us.
It's unlikely to happen while Kelly is fit, but if he or Sandow goes down, I think it would be an option that BA would do well to consider and I wonder if it might make sense to give him some time playing for Wenty and perhaps swap with Ryan Matterson to give him some experience against older players so as it is a more viable option.
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How far away is Pritchard from injury?
ZDC will not be going anywhere fast.
HIS own words were - I'm just happy to continue playing in the 20's. I've got a while yet before I think I'm ready for first grade, though I wouldn't say no to a run there, I'm in no rush"
THOSE WERE HIS WORDS, especially with the emphasis on I'M IN NO RUSH.
The way things are going with Parra, not only on the field, but the way they ALL are off field, and by that I mean the way all three grades seem to get on, I really don't think ZDC will be moving anywhere soon ....
but that's just my opinion, I'm not his manager, just reporting on what he has said!
2001 was almost touch football with how quick the ruck was. That is why PJ did so well. In fact if you watch games from that season our whole game plan was based around running from dummy half. It would not work today
I note that ZDC and Kaysa are both listed in the Under 20's squad. Would promoting them this season from the second tier place undue pressure on our salary cap?
Total waste of an interchange player just to unnecessarily play for 15 min. Reminds me of Buhrer & Reynolds 1st game of SOO.
De Gois can play 80 min & did it regularly for Knights prior to Bennett. If he does need a rest Sefo can jump into dummy half. The fact is the Eels have gotten where they are by having a four forward bench rotation.
Why? Because the wrestle has slowed the game down since 2001. Even taking into account the slightly faster speed of the ruck this year it is still infintely slower than 2001. There are only a handful of teams playing with 2 hookers. Marker defence and defence around the ruck has also improved. The days of a 15min hooker are numbered
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