People forget that a hooker role is one of a forwards and must continually be able to tackle big forwards running at you down the middle.
Matty Russell does not meet that criteria.
Anyone who thinks he ought to be a hooker,I'm guessing means he is to dress up in drag and hang around street corners or they are dissolutioned.

When you say dissolutioned did you mean disillusioned, or was your post really a work of genius? Be honest.

I also agree with the points made by you and others that hooking isn't scooting and Russell isn't a part time hooker in any sense of the word

When you say "dissolutioned" did you mean disillusioned or is your post really a work of literary genius, be honest now?

I also agree with the views on this thread that there's more to hooking than scooting and I'm not convinced that Russell has much more to offer technically than scooting (you can't fault his effort) therefore isn't a hooker part time or otherwise

Either would be fitting had I not put 'ed'
on the end.

"but a Hooker doesn't just scoot does he? He spots weakness and exploits it. He calls what channel the set is played in and communicates the with the halves to launch an attack. he plays in the front row and his tackling has to be second to none. a half playing in a forwards body. he has to be switched on and alert at all times and pass a ball with pinpoint accuracy. The Hooker has the most complex role on the field and has to have unbelievable fitness."

Bloody hell ... you must have been a hooker or you are having a laugh. Yes you cannot be serious ... good joke.
Most hookers I know have been ... funny shaped aggressive little men not big enough to be a proper forward or fast enough to be a back. With a bit of skill at passing and a bit of pace off the mark. Most can tackle so long as someone runs straight at 'em but useless defensively out wide. We need to nip this worship of hookers in the bud.

Steady on Smiffy, I used to play hooker.

i was a hooker for 10 years and.. and.. and.. well yes, it sums me up perfectly.

that's a hooker from the 70's and 80's - Now they are as described a complete player and a very important cog. Cunningham changed the rules.

I rest my case! I thought there might be a few hookers on the forum. The one virtue most have is ... a sense of humour.
The thing is (if you played a few years back) one of your main jobs was actually hooking for the ball (and fighting in almost every scrum) ... but you had to re-invent yourselves. "Acting" Half-Back is a very apt term for you now.
So there is Offload, Deckchair & Biscuit ... any more???

If Matty Russell was on this forum he wouldn't be sticking his hand up either as one or a wannabe

I've been with a few hookers and played with a few !!

Does that count ?

I fed the ball to a few and the odd back rower(ahem)

I think the topic of "Wire Contract Extensions" may have drifted a shade ... ah well!

Welcome to the off-season.