Hodgson and Sims, one signed the other we are chasing. The common response is why them? and rightfully so. But something i have been thinking about, as mentioned in my Hodgson blog, is leadership. The one thing i feel this team is lacking is leadership and experience, particularly in big games. Sims has played Origin, Hodgson played for England in a World Cup and in a GF. Those are big games and constant big games. Not like Matterson who played in one GF or Moses who played one dead rubber origin, these two have played a few big games. Sims played in origin when it mattered, Hodgson being involved in Canberra's 2019 GF run, it is what we are lacking that composure and experience in consistent big games.
Granted Sims and Hodgson are in their 30's and may not play for much longer, though i feel we are trying to somewhat do what the Roosters did with Cronk and invent a culture that is primed for big games and understands the pressure and how to sustain it. Not saying Hodgson and Sims can offer what Cronk, of course they cant, but they can add something different to what we are used to. I actually would bring Sims and Hodgson in this year, having that morale in the team and having voices other than Moses and Gutherson is exactly what this team needs.
I mentioned it when we were after Woods, i explained the reason for Woods was leadership in the forwards, a leader that can settle things down when Gutherson and Moses are becoming to erratic due to the pressure of the game at hand. Hodgson and Sims can take care of the forwards, have calming influence and have us stick to the game plan that BA and the team sets.
I feel we are trying to head towards a goal in the right direction, might not be the perfect players for it but it is heading in the right way. We as a fan base have demanded different voices in this squad, we have got it in coaching with Ennis, McGregor and Woolford, now the team itself will with a hooker that will talk. Not knocking Reed as he was my favourite player and im not one to knock and say he is rubbish all along just cause he is leaving, but i will say Mahoney was not a talker in this team, in the huddles you would not see much of Reed talking. He could have been groomed into a captain but did not seem to have a voice. Hodgson will not care and speak regardless as he is a leader and Sims will do the same with his experience.
Replies
I'm trying to look at the bigger picture here as well.
In 2022 we have lost Ferguson, Lussick, Smith, Hipgrave.
We have picked up Rein, Hands and Simonsson (which I think is a good purchase), the Moretti dude from the Roosters, potentially Ogden. So I think we have almost squared the ledger. Premiership window still open.
2023 is when the pain potentially starts. If we can limit the losses to Mahoney, Niukore, Papali'i & Stone, then whilst it might be difficult to square the ledger, there's no reason why we can't minimse the damage. Important to resign Paulo. Dylan Brown resigning on appropriate money would also be ideal, IMO.
Hodgson would not be my first choice replacement for Mahoney (and I think we have rushed into finding a replacement hooker), but I'm no recruitment expert (I thought Watmough was a fantastic buy at the time, so there you go). There's lots of water to go under the bridge between now & 2023. Sims could play a leading role for a year (if we sign him for 2 years I'd like to see year 2 a club option, same with Hodgson to be honest) It's been a roller coaster ride being an Eels supporter since our last premiership in '86. I can't see that roller coaster ride changing anytime soon.
With Watmough, though the 4 years lenght was a joke, the idea of Watmough was to help bring Foran over. Watmough was a pawn in towards not 100% using him for on field byt more so wanting his leadership off the field.
Foran fell apart and we had to start again, it was unfortunate but we had the right idea. Now i feel we are trying to do something similar with some older heads with big games under their belt.
Who is Hands?
A young hooker from Penrith with decent wraps who appears to be training with us, according to reports. I'm not sure of his contractual status.
Thanks.
The roller coaster seems as sturdy as ever LB,
I like the sims signing if we manage to get it done but the hodgson signing has me scratching my head, he will be 33 in 2023 and I don't care who you are but that is too old to be signing a new recruit to a 2 year deal unless it's a back up player on minimum wage.
To me the hodgson signing only makes sense if it's for the 22 and 23 seasons.