[Resurrected] Api or Parcell? That is the question...

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Freagle

Bencher
I think after our first season with the new-look hooking options at the club, the jury is still out on who should be starting hooker for us. I have seen in another thread that it is guaranteed to be Api, but there is a lot of support on here for Parcell as well. It is hard, after having such a stable and reliable hooker for nearly a decade, to look at new options and do anything other than compare them to the great Matt Ballin. But he ain't coming back, and the club needs to settle on an option that can take us forward, and gel with our spine.

Api - very tough, throws himself into tackles and often cleans up guys twice his size. Enthusiastic and energetic - runs all over the place all day long, tries his hand at things, takes on the line. However, his organisational skills and vision seem to be lacking, and his passing out of dummy half is poor.

Parcell - very fast, good backing up. Energetic in defence, but I have not seen him do much more than jump on someone that is already falling. Better passing game than Api? Did not see him in space last season, which is a shame. But then we seldom broke the line, so nothing much to back up on I guess. Very fit, but quite slight - doesn't look like he has bulked up at all in the off-season either.

Interested to hear eveyone's thinking on this. We gave up an exceptional defensive player with a very sharp passing game, but one that offered little when moving out of dummy half or around the field. Did we add anything to the team with either hooker last year, and do they have the potential to grow into the role for us?
 
I like them both but I'm not 100 per cent sold on either at the moment. Api isn't really a hooker but he has a positive impact on the team as a whole. Parcell is a better distributor but needs to show more durability. Guess we'll have to wait and see who Blue Steel and the rest of the brains trust pick.
 
Parcell for mine. Still has a way to go of course at his age, but i think he is the most solid in the position and will only get better with more time. That said not having two genuine halves majority of last year, I think Api overplayed the position and tried to be a half / hooker at the same time which led to silly errors. With two halves now, they are both hopefully spending the off season focusing specifically on the role. Then I guess come Round 1 whoever has done the best will get first shot. I'm just not sure Api can eliminate some of those silly things. Needs to really know when to use that great spark he has, and when not to. I think Parcell has more focus, better distribution and the receivers can read him better than being in two minds wondering what Api will do. You need your opposition in two minds, not your frist receiver.
 
Parcell for mine. Still has a way to go of course at his age, but i think he is the most solid in the position and will only get better with more time. That said not having two genuine halves majority of last year, I think Api overplayed the position and tried to be a half / hooker at the same time which led to silly errors. With two halves now, they are both hopefully spending the off season focusing specifically on the role. Then I guess come Round 1 whoever has done the best will get first shot. I'm just not sure Api can eliminate some of those silly things. Needs to really know when to use that great spark he has, and when not to. I think Parcell has more focus, better distribution and the receivers can read him better than being in two minds wondering what Api will do. You need your opposition in two minds, not your frist receiver.
Api brings a lot of energy to the team..his enthusiasm is contagious and he makes things happen. I really like the guy and definitely want him in the 17 every week somewhere - hed be great off the bench when opposition forwards are tiring.. Parcell is a calmer influence who should probably start games but he needs to utilize his speed better. We bought him to dart from dummy half and I don't think he did enough of that in 2016. And we cant blame the forwards because I keep hearing our boys up front got high metres gained. Might be a confidence thing too but if Parcell plays like he can then we have 2 potent attacking options in the squad.
 
I like them both but I'm not 100 per cent sold on either at the moment. Api isn't really a hooker but he has a positive impact on the team as a whole. Parcell is a better distributor but needs to show more durability. Guess we'll have to wait and see who Blue Steel and the rest of the brains trust pick.
I tend to agree here. Arguably, the 9 is the most important position on the field these days. The way Cam Smith controls a footy game is unbelievable. Sadly, I dont think either of them are top 5 material. Api def is not going to be in the top 5 hookers in the comp. He has a go which is awesome but he just lacks the vision and class IMO. Therefore make the decision to give Parcel a crack at it and if he doesnt come along as well as we need him to, punt them both and find someone else. I'm not worried about him being small. Look at C smith. So durable and can make 70+ tackles in a game.
 
I wouldv'e thought Parcell for sure ,but after seeing Api's mug thrown around for team promotional stuff , Im now not so sure.
 
When we bought him I thought Parcell, having seen him I'm not sure he has the wile needed at hooker ..... so many times this season he looked lost ... it may also reflect the lack of on field leadership & organization last season ..... give me an Ennis type hooker any day ....
I agree that Api's passing was not good enough last season but Parcell really gave us nothing, nothing that inspired confidence in me that he will be the promised star.....
they both need to improve or the brainstrust are likely to give the spot to Lewis Poo
 
If you want quality passing, solid defence and a calming influence you go Parcell. If you want vision, kicking, strong defence and aggression you go with Koroisau. There is so many of these comparison threads between these 2 players and this topic has been done to the death. IMO we go Koroisau because he showed attack and fight and manly spirit something Parcell didn't. Parcell was a passenger last year to the team and was barley noticed but did deliver good passing but Koroisau only threw 2 or 3 bad passes more. Koroisau also showed his great kicking game off a couple of times leading to tries and also showed his great ball playing ability out of dummy half. If you think Parcell was better than Koroisau last year you must have been smoking something. Parcell has plenty of potentional but none what so ever has been seen in first grade.
 

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