I'm sorry but Sinfield had one game where he played well at Hooker, then we accomodate the team around him. It was never going to work. Placing him back in that role 20 minutes into the second half is what cost us the game. all the plays went down the left and were ineffective, the ball never got to Eastmond who had caused the aussies so many problems. The Aussies know just to pack the defence on their right side. You can say a lot about Robes form but for me we looked the better side with him on the pitch.

I'm a bit bored of the whole [iprotecting Eastmond[/i thing that went though our domestic season as well as the international games. There's just no avoiding responsibilty when you play 7.

The experienced players should be [isupporting[/i him by taking pressure off him, but not [iprotecting[/i by taking responsibilty off him. For instance, if in the international games, when Sinfield was playing 13, Eastmond had taken up the first reciever spot in the centre and Sinfield has taken up the position on the right, we would of had our most dangerous and creative player getting the ball in his hands a lot more and Sinfield would've still been there to give options on one side at 2nd reciever and take the kicking responsibilities.

Roby will need to improve beyond belief to fill KC's boots and it shows how short we are in this position if we then play loose forward Sinfield at hooker. Roby is a great defender and that is about as much as I can compliment his game with.

1. There isn't a hooker in the league who can fill Cunningham's boots.
2. It'll be Scott Moore, not Roby, who'll take on the role of playmaker next season.

Roby's service was much quicker, crisper and more accurate than Sinfield's from dummy half in both the NZ match and the final (before this becomes another dreary Saints/Leeds thing, I am an admirer of Sinfield's game, and thought he was good in the series). This idea that he can't pass seems to be based on anything other than actually watching him play. Admittedly his running game has been less effective since the slowing of the play-the-ball, but it's by no means shabby.

Perhaps the fact he's a "scoot" based hooker means people convince themselves he can't be capable of a good passing game - a bit like the whole "Newlove's poor in defence" thing.