The secret to happiness is to be easily pleased, i guess you are closer to that than me.
Long way to go in my books especially attitude wise.
I would take Api and his flaws/weaknesses over Fainu any day of the week, seeing Fainu walk to dummy half in the attacking zone tells me a lot.
Classy player with plenty of upside but i really do fear he might be happy being a 20-30min spark interchange type who has endless potential but never really lives up to it consistently.
Long way to go lol. Sherlock Holmes is amongst us!! He a twenty year old who basically went straight to first grade from twenties to play against behemoths every week!
It’s totally opposite mate. You are too hard to please.It’s about expectations. You judging a bloke on twenty games in his position is totally ridiculous.
Damien Cook is the current Australian hooker , is destroying sides and is the best hooker I’ve seen since Smith and Buderus.He played THREE seasons of reserve grade for Saints and Canterbury. 3 seasons!!Lucky you weren’t judging him.Jake Friend was in and out of the Roosters side early on.Matt Ballin played a heap of reserve grade at half and second row early on. Danny Buderus was a half utility like Fainu who took quite a while to adapt to hooker.
Just as some homework can you name a young hooker since Smith who just jumped straight into stardom? . It’s a tough gig. Takes time, especially with the massive size of players today.Farah in the early 000s is probably the closest and look at the **** he cops on here.In my book Fainu has looked as good as any young hooker in terms of potential I’ve seen for a long time. Some of his stuff is sublime and can’t be taught. He’ll make errors and have slack periods but blind Freddy can see the talent. And blokes with no desire don’t play like he did Thursday spouting blood like a fountain.
As for API after half a dozen seasons he still can’t pass and has no kicking game.You are happy to cut a six year veteran a break for his many flaws but not a kid with a few games under his belt. Sounds really logical. He is tough as nails and I love him as team man like all of us but he can’t get a side around the park properly and never will. Not sure if youve noticed the last four years but we are a rabble in the red zone, and a lot of it stems from his lack of class as a creative rake.Anyone who wants another four seasons of that has rocks in their head. If it ain’t Fainu then it needs to be someone else .Des has already showed his hand about who he thinks is best via minutes played and the points scored when Fainus on the field back him up totally. I’d love to know the actual points.He is learning and making mistakes but that’s how it works in first grade.
As for walking to dummy half , give me that any day over a bloke charging around like an eveready bunny with no idea.Whats the big deal about running there? Api races there and other than the odd dart what do we get.? Loopy passes and zero kicks with great defence and great attitude as a saving grace. Unfortunately that doesn’t get you to top four. Look at the top 4 now. Smith Cook Hodgson Friend ( when he returns ). All have great running passing and kicking games, not blokes who dart and tackle well and that’s it.And all don’t rush. All look like players with time.We need to find one so I’d be hoping Fainu develops or we buy one quickly.
So if walking tells you a lot then I suggest you take a good look at the greatest hooker of all time in Cam Smith. He walks everywhere summing up the situation. NEVER gets out of a jog trot and could play in a dinner suit . Good players make it look like they have plenty of time and use that time to think. Not race like a madman to dummy half,pick the ball up , stand for a second then pass - like our current nine. What we have with the two sharing is working ok now and APIs toughness is useful while the kid develops.In 2020 we need Fainu as the main man with API preferably relieving off the bench if we have the cap space.
Twenty games and you have a young bloke with a lot of talent( and showing it ) pegged as being no good in a position history shows as needing plenty of development time.We are not talking about centres and wingers here who can shine immediately and the real good ones usually do. This position is as tough as it comes physically and requires playmaker skills. Who knows. He may fail.But twenty games doesn’t tell you that.Damien Cook says hi.
