HOOKER ON THE BENCH? YES OR NO?

One of the comintators tonight brought up the hooker on the bench in 2016 topic and made some really good points about it. With the interchange in 2016 down to 8, carrying a bench specialist hooker may be very difficult. Carrying a specialist hooker on the bench would usually result in 2 interchanges, 1 when your starting #9 comes off and another when he returns. Maybe what coaches in 2016 and beyond will be looking for is the bench hooker being able to fill more than one position, maybe someone that could come on at dummy half and still have the ability to play in the backrow later in the game. In the past, your ideal bench hooker was someone with lightning speed that could make an impact against tired defence, but surely that will change now.A player like Mark 'piggy' Riddell would make a perfect bench hooker in 2016 as he had the size to play backrow also, where as someone like P J Marsh wouldn't be suited. I'm not sure where that leaves players like Isacc De Gois or Cameron King as both are specialist hookers and I don't think either could fill in another position. Maybe this is the exact reason behind the increase in muscle and body size for Kaysa? Maybe the coaching staf have Kaysa pencilled in as the bench hooker and moving either himself or Peats into the backrow for the last quarter of games? Both Peats and Kaysa can handle the physical work load required to play a middle backrow role.I haven't really thought about the lowered interchange affecting bench hookers but as stated above, it will have huge affects.Do you think BA will have a bench hooker in round1?

It has to be discussed dosnt it. Now that Zac can't play NRL for the next 2 years, unless the Eels are compensated, I'd like to move on and discuss the elephant in the room.By all accounts the Eels have tried just about everything in the last 2…

Replies

Braeden Kelly February 13, 2016 at 11:52pm

The man you are looking for is called Cody Nelson
- Big Dave > Braeden Kelly February 14, 2016 at 1:16am
  
  Would be good in that utility role but as he is not top 25 he is restricted to how many games he can play up in the NRL.
Snakey - Sack Dylan Brown February 13, 2016 at 11:59pm

Very good question Slippery, 80 minute hookers are going to become very valuable, but yes id guess that BA will start with one off the bench in rd 1.
Big Dave February 14, 2016 at 1:14am

I think BA will go with a second hooker for round 1 as Peats is coming off an operation and will have limited pre-season match fitness. But as the season drags on and Peats improves on his fitness we might use someone like Edwards as a back up hooker, lock or secondrower.
Mo February 14, 2016 at 4:32am

Any bench hooker should be versatile it's a no brainer.
fishbulb February 14, 2016 at 7:29am

I think having a hooker on the bench could be distracting for the boys.... except maybe for Timmy.
- GRUNTA - Death of a Salesman > fishbulb February 14, 2016 at 7:38am
  
  Haha!
Yobz February 14, 2016 at 8:09am

You don't HAVE to bring your starting hooker back on.
- Yobz > Yobz February 14, 2016 at 6:00pm
  
  Exactly Paul. I seem to remember some hooker playing 60mins while the other came on for the last 20.
Mitchy February 14, 2016 at 12:06pm

Fish bulb I agree and saw the heading of this post and got a little excited. Hooker on the bench wouldn't go down well with the intergrity unit.