Re: Props
We need 2.
And the most important thing, as well as big and metre making, is fitness record.
We can't afford to keep picking up injury prone players.
Holroyd is a big worry, but he's young and should be considered as 5th or 6th prop - not 4th.
Prior is a shadow of the player from 2 years ago, simply because we've flogged him to death.
He shouldn't be playing the minutes he played for us, with only 2 props in the 17, at 34/35 years old.
Tetevano has been a big disappointment, but I can't see him walking away, so he needs other props around him and hopefully Rohan can get the best out of him.
But bottom line is, we need to release Thompson and Mellor and get 2 more props in.

How will your halves and edge players ever look anything like if the first receiver is catching the ball behind their head? Your 9 is always the first link in any attack.

100% this. There have been top teams where the hooker can't run much. There's never been a top team where the hooker cannot pass and play a set of six smoothly, and never will be.

Dwyer wouldn’t be a problem if he was 20 minutes change of pace off the bench. Think how saints use lussick or kr use Litten.

The issue is with injuries that hasn’t always been the case.

For what it’s worth though as much as I like Leeming, for me the jury is still out on his passing too.

Its a game wide issue though. The standard of 9s coming thru simply isnt there. Its, to me, the most important role in the team. They make more decisions, touch ball most often and need to defend in the middle of the field with plenty coming at them.

I do wonder if in junior rugby uf a team has a small fast kid they get put at 9 now?

Corey Johnson has the potential but physically and defensively hes got to improve. Hes capable of it but needs to show it.

I honestly can see Dwyer staying beyond this year.

Leemings contact is weak. His game has been poor all year for me. I wonder if captaincy is weighing him down a bit too.

Our 9s are rubbish but so are most teams 9s.

We have struggled with Hooker for years.

Left field but I’d rather replace Leeming with a hooker that can pass and retain Dwyer for 20 minute impact, where he can be unplayable……

Not a coincidence that Saints by a distance the best team in the league over last 5 years and Roby still the benchmark for distribution from acting half. The props and halves atr quality at Saints but Roby is the oil that fuels the machine!

Briscoe has served us well but there’s Tindall, Simpson and Edwards knocking on the door now.

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The last top hooker we had was Buderus.

These things seem to come in cycles for some reason. 15-20 years ago the game over here was awash with quality hookers, Newton, Cunningham, Roby, back a touch further Lowes, Alker and to a lesser extent Diskin. The game over here went through an era where it brought through loads. Now, not so much.

Segayaro and Parcell were class too, but agree not in the Buderusleague…….. but who is!

How many Hookers have we had in last decade or so ?.

Buderus,Segayaro,Parcell, Burrow, Leeming, Dwyer, Henderson? , Lunt,Falloon?

Aiton...

Lunt was twice too. Johnson, Hood and Kaye also.

Did we have a Henderson?

Can't believe I forgot Paul Aiton