You’ve got to look harder at these stats! They are just numbers!!
Defensively, Api has tackled more guys with big hair than Fainu, so statistically, his worth to Hair Dressers can_not be understated!! Fainu’s stats point to him preferring to tackle short haired guys more often, which means that smart coaches like Belyache will eventually cotton on to the fact that they can nullify his defensive efforts later in the season with a simple haircut ban
150 runs v 82, and roughly double the meters?? Means nothing unless you take windspeed, direction, relative altitude, humidity and the psi level of the balls used!!
NOTHING I SAY!!!
I mean.. if he’s running with the a plus 2m/s wind, with a ball with 2psi extra in it, on a humid day, downhill with the sun over his left shoulder.. he’s always gunna make more yards. It’s simple statistics one would think!!
People here seem to think i rate Api more highly than i actually do, Api has his limitations that are obvious, the point i am making is Fainu is not as good as people are making out (at the moment and might not ever reach the heights people expect here) and getting ahead of themselves.
In a wet game like Friday where the Warriors slowed down the play the ball and read all our plays really well Fainu would make little difference in the opening 20-25 mins as he rarely does much creative work out of dummy half in this period. (like most hookers but in varying degrees), if anything a fit Api with his crazy ducking under tacklers arms that sometimes works and sometimes is worthy of a hit to the head probably offered more chance of an opportunity under such conditions and he showed a glimpse in that game.
Both hookers passing from dummy half is not all that creative or crisp at all and not something that really opens up(meaning defences just can't expect short simple passes to the obvious short spaced leading runner) or second guesses defensive lines like a Cam Smith, Ballin, Buderus type.(referring to the quality and variety of passing they offer from dummy half as examples)
Des obviously feels the same way that Fainu is more dangerous after the opening exchanges and wants to save the more attacking hooker option for when it can shine more. On top of that Api's high work rate will ease the workload in defence of others in the middle along with staying switched on and closing up gaps.
The way fans here are giving "too much praise" for a hooker that really only excels in one department and is adequate to poor in defence is what i am addressing. If you think his weakness in defence and work rate are a myth you can have this view and i will have mine but you really don't back up your views other than showing stats at face value and not looking into them.
Api does more tackles per minute of game time than Fainu, and does so at greater intensity, even taking into account the faster opening exchanges offering an opportunity to pad up stats a little more compared to later in the game if Manly are dominating more in attack.
Looking at stats like tackle efficiency or missed tackles even tackles made and taking them on face value is really asking for trouble in the way you view a players qualities.
No point making 40 tackles a game of third man ins, not moving forward to chop down a player, no line speed to lead the defensive line, no sprinting out to put pressure on the hooker, not proactive on the inside and switching off, etc etc on top of forwards having to work harder in either supporting a weak defender or making more tackles in general.
You might create double the assists per season and nullify those gains with not being up to par in defence.
Take it this way i would take a lower assist/ low attacking output hooker with crisp ball delivery from dummy half that has variety with great defensive workload qualities and intensity over a high assist, high attacking output hooker with adequate to poor defence any day of the week.(even though speed around marker is required more these days than the not too distant past)
Now if the NRL (and i hope they don't go down this path) go down to six interchanges and focus on speeding up the play the ball then a hooker who can take advantage of touch football play the balls with adequate defence(more fatigue in forwards throughout the game will not expose weak defenders as often with lower impact tackles made) and a good motor to not put pressure on the interchange is required.
