Was Fainu a walk up starter?

[globaleagle]

The answer is a pineapple ....

While everybody is mentioning that Croker and Cust are halves .... so were Api. and Fainu, and Tooves, and Monners, and even Dessie played hooker ....

Rugby League is a simple game ... not rocket surgery .... and I am 100% certain that both Croker and Cust can do a creditable job of bending over and passing the football ......and picking when to run ocassionally .... defense will be the measure by which we will judge them methinks .... and we won't know the result of that until we try it ......

We may not get a 9/10 hooker to begin the season with .... but I am confident we will have a 7/10 ... but it is still a team game, ... and with the quality of the other 16 players in the team .... that should be enough to win more than we lose ....

We live in interesting times ......

As I said earlier... Hooker...pssssh, easiest position on the field. Pick up a ball, throw it, become C Smith.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Would fainu be a walk up starter if cleared mid year?

Good luck getting a mid-year trial date. DeBelin was charged over a year ago and hasn't had his trial yet.

 

[Woodsie]

As I said earlier... Hooker...pssssh, easiest position on the field. Pick up a ball, throw it, become C Smith.

My only reponse to your unbriddled sarcasm ... is to remind you that this years Grandfinal was won by neither team that boasted a ScamSmith or Cooke ... but was won by a team with a 13 year old work experience boy at hooker ......

 

[globaleagle]

My only reponse to your unbriddled sarcasm ... is to remind you that this years Grandfinal was won by neither team that boasted a ScamSmith or Cooke ... but was won by a team with a 13 year old work experience boy at hooker ......

Your sarcasm detector is broken if you think I was directing any your way.

 

[Woodsie]

Your sarcasm detector is broken if you think I was directing any your way.

Apologies ... I was not upset ... my response was tongue in cheek .... perhaps I have been hoisted on my own petard .....

 

[globaleagle]

Apologies ... I was not upset ... my response was tongue in cheek .... perhaps I have been hoisted on my own petard .....

Ouch, they have a cream for that. Yup, I was more in line with your 13 yo work exp kid comment. Hooker is easy, poor backs especially -cough- fullbacks is where all the work is done!



Disc: - hooker is prob not easy...but c'mon....!!!!

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

perhaps I have been hoisted on my own petard .....

I think that's what happened to Denis too

 

[Briza]

ZDC seems to be the forgotten man in most discussions, isn't he the only legitimate rake in our top 30?

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Possibly, can't read too much into the double barrelled surname

 

[The better Robbo]

ZDC seems to be the forgotten man in most discussions, isn't he the only legitimate rake in our top 30?

Although training with us he is not actually in our 30 yet but yes he seems a very quality hooker from what ive seen. Des is obviously training and trialing all the boys before a decision is made on our final make up of the top 30. Im sure ZDC is considered a real option. Des might be strategically waiting for NRL to give some compensation to us for Fainu and possibly use that to sign ZDC or Eddie basically for free... if we sign them now and then get compensation then the compensation would have to be wasted on "another" hooker.

 

[Bring back the.... Biff?]

Id still go Levi but id take Granville if Levi isnt an option.

He would be pretty cheap id imagine.. maybe the squires would even pay to take him. Or is he off contract? Ps its the most putrid day in Sydney

 

[Briza]

Although training with us he is not actually in our 30 yet but yes he seems a very quality hooker from what ive seen. Des is obviously training and trialing all the boys before a decision is made on our final make up of the top 30. Im sure ZDC is considered a real option. Des might be strategically waiting for NRL to give some compensation to us for Fainu and possibly use that to sign ZDC or Eddie basically for free... if we sign them now and then get compensation then the compensation would have to be wasted on "another" hooker.

He has the experience at least having played the position in Q cup and SL.

 

[double hoops]

I will be surprised if ZDC doesn't end up in the 30.

I see Croker starting and finding his spot. He's always been pretty good defensively. Ballin didn't run. The Bulldogs hooker didn't run. If passes find there mark, and the middle doesn't leak its Bingo.

 

[maxta]

Croker, Cust, Eddie and ZDC so maybe Des thinks thats enough then hopefully Fainu is cleared mid year and happy days. Let's rephrase my question. Would fainu be a walk up starter if cleared mid year? I dont think so. He'd come back in via the bench and play a similar role to last year.

1 thing Robbo - competition will definitely make them give the best they have..

 

[Fibro Eagle]

Fainu I believe would have been a starter for the full 80 mins
But there is a bit of reservations there for me as a few times last season when called on for longer minutes you could see him tiring , But with a bit more coaching with game management and fitness he is more than capable of being a 80 min player , Only thing now is the charges against him may stop that from happening
So then up to the one mentioned to put there hand up and declare to Des there up for it if needed

 

[HoldenV8]

The answer is a pineapple ....

While everybody is mentioning that Croker and Cust are halves .... so were Api. and Fainu, and Tooves, and Monners, and even Dessie played hooker ....

Rugby League is a simple game ... not rocket surgery .... and I am 100% certain that both Croker and Cust can do a creditable job of bending over and passing the football ......and picking when to run ocassionally .... defense will be the measure by which we will judge them methinks .... and we won't know the result of that until we try it ......

We may not get a 9/10 hooker to begin the season with .... but I am confident we will have a 7/10 ... but it is still a team game, ... and with the quality of the other 16 players in the team .... that should be enough to win more than we lose ....

We live in interesting times ......

Mate, I do agree with you that both Croker and Cust (or whoever) can do a decent job at playing hooker, and I can honestly see Des using them in 2020 how he used Ballin and L'Estrange in 2008 ... however we are going to miss having a pure #9 next year.

Interesting fact. Manly have made it to Grand Finals using converted halves as hookers. Des in 1995, Monners in 2007. But both times it took the addition of an actual hooker the following years, Serdaris in 1996 and Ballin/L'Estrange in 2008, to win the premiership.

Sure we'd all love it if Manly made it to the 2020 NRL Grand Final. But we'd love it more if we actually won the bloody thing. In my lifetime since I've been a Manly fan we've lost GF's in 1983, 1995, 1997, 2007 and 2013. Its a feeling I'm sure none of us ever want to feel again. And for mine the worst was 1997....we had that damn thing won

 

[madmax]

Can’t believe some comments about having to let go players of the calibre
of Sironen or Suli to sign a hooker! With these guys we win a premiership....with Granville or Levi or whoever in their place we don’t!!!! Croker or Cust will do the job!

 

[Snake]

Yeah our cap position would be tight given upgrades. Total left field thought given Schuster ball skills is he worth a look there ?

Crazy idea. He is just a kid and has never played in that position before. He is also over 190cm and over 100k...he would have torrid time trying to cart that body through 50+ tackles.
You'd basically destroy the kid's career by giving him that sort of task.

 

[Snake]

Can’t believe some comments about having to let go players of the calibre
of Sironen or Suli to sign a hooker! With these guys we win a premiership....with Granville or Levi or whoever in their place we don’t!!!! Croker or Cust will do the job!

Siro and Suli will never be the difference between a premiership. They are just a small piece of the puzzle. Spines win premierships. However, you don't let good players go to sign bad players regardless of their position. Unless the upgrade is going to be worth the sacrifice, you're better off just working with what you have.

 

[madmax]

Siro and Suli will never be the difference between a premiership. They are just a small piece of the puzzle. Spines win premierships. However, you don't let good players go to sign bad players regardless of their position. Unless the upgrade is going to be worth the sacrifice, you're better off just working with what you have.

Sorry mate.....disagree. Sironen is in the Blues training squad & Suli showed towards the end of the year what he’s capable of. Suli was also one of the reasons we almost got thru to the GF....he is starting to show why so many clubs were after him!! I don’t think weakening our backs & hoping someone can fill the void is a good idea. Our spine is a pretty good one with with Croker or Cust. Yes much better with Fainu but I think either of the other two can still make our spine great!