I completely agree. I do want want, and indeed dread, a hooking combination of Leuluai and McIlorum at all. A new hooker should be a priority for next season.

Which hookers are off contract at the end of the year?

Very much so. It's been noticeable that since McIlorum got injured, Piggy has had an excellent first spell, but does nothing after that. He's really not fit enough to play more than half a game, at most.

Tommy's problem is he goes missing during games. Now although I'm not the greatest fan of him at 9 I do believe that with a full preseason under his belt preparing him to play 9 he'll do well. It'll force Tommy to become more involved within the game and we'll see a lot more of the great things he capable of because of it.

So he should be playing in the halfs !

A hooker is a forward and forwards have to be big blokes or you could just get pushed on the floor if a pack decides to challenge for the ball.

I'd be curious to see how Leuluai does at hooker with a full pre season of training in that position. He hasn't performed as well as some expected at hooker in the past but I do still think his best attributes mean he is very well suited to the role.

We certainly need a better 7 with the improved kicking game he would provide just as much as a good replacement for Riddell.

There are plenty of hookers that arent big blokes. Packs dont even push at scrums and if they do then I really dont see how a hooker is going to be pushed to the floor when they are supported by 2 props and 2 second rows.

I don't see peoples' problem with Tommy at hooker. I think he's better suited to that role, and certainly the NZ national side thought so also. He was widely regarded to have done well in that role in the last couple of international tournaments.

Riddell will be a massive miss for us next year as we look at it now.
I do wonder though, if Finch goes to 6 and Sam 7 then Tommy will be our 9.
McIlorum will be interchanged with TL.

I don't think we can judge TL at 9 currently as he's playing 80 mins every week.
If he goes to 9 with MicMac then he'll be coming off the bench and doing only maybe 40-50 mins every game.
TL could be explosive off the bench, equally so if started, spelled then brought back on. Tommy will also only be playing in one position whereas now he's playing 7 & 9 every week now MicMac is injured.

We do seem to be going with that scenario for 2011 and I'm not going to pre judge how it's going to turn out. It could be a lot better than we are thinking it will be.

I think if Finch is available and wants to sign, then that's the way i'd prefer to go. The top 10 hookers in the NRL are all pretty much 80 minute players, and assuming for a second we could get one of them, where does that leave McIlorum, and how do we improve our halves?

McIlorum could do 80 minutes, IMO, if necessary, and do it well. He's one of the fittest in the squad.

Which is why I wouldn't look for a hooker, unless I had decided that MM couldn't be the answer