why?

we lost today because we got steam rolled by their pack (as well as numerous brain farts). so i just cant understand why we go into the game with 2 hookers on the bench when we have the likes of pitts bibb frank etc, who should imo have been played instead to help give us some more size.
latu, irrespective of how well he performed and how he drives the ball in is not a back rower. Kear needs to take the difficult decision and drop one of either drew latu or obst.

for me drew can do an hour and still remain effective. latu can cover the pack if need be but also spell with drew when he goes off and so as harsh as it may be sam should lose out and be dropped next week.

we got knocked all over today at times and still could have won the game if we hadn't come up with extremely poor plays at crucial points, the korki knock on, the terrible kick chase from a brilliant brough kick on their line when they scored in the next set, the dropped ball on their line when the scored next set after snitch's superb cover tackle on jeffries and when blaymire failed to collect rooneys kick through (good support to be fair). the margins are slim and we were not helped by having too small a bench. i just dont understand the reasoning against a big dominant pack like bradfords

I don't understand having 3 hookers either, it's something JK has done since he took charge. It used to be Obst and the March twins.

Think i'd put Obst to 6 to be honest, have Drew starting with Latu sub.

id put obst in the stand start with latu and interchange with drew im of the opinion that obst is a tryer and i cant fault his effort but isnt worthy of an overseas place anymore

Three hookers complete madness.

Kear wants latu to be a loose forward which he is not. Keep it simple, one hooker and another forward on the bench would have helped us immensly today.

Latu is wasted as a loose and unfortunately Obst had a shocker today. Kear needs to make some strong decisions and without them we will not move forward

3 hookers and we still can't score enough

Obst to miss out for me, looking very exposed at the moment - and has done for a good few games in my opinion.

obst isnt playing well but who isnt exposed, grix, gleeson, jd at times the markers and the full back whos never near making a tackle

I have said this for 2 seasons

Jk must decide once and for all who he wants to play at hooker Drew,Obst,Latu only 2 can play and none are halfbacks so come on John make a bloody decision

Said it today at the game for me Obst is the one to drop, week in week out he's getting singled out by the big guys and they are steam rollering him. Can't knock his effort but he also comes up with some poor plays a big example today being an absolute nothing kick on their line on only the third or fourth tackle. I'd start with Drew as we look much more dangerous with him at dummy half then bring in Latu to take the line on from there as the game wears on. Why not give Grix a go at 6? He's wasted on the wing and played well for Ireland in that position at the world cup.
We really need to toughen up and get nasty with teams as well, a few times today Bulls players were on the floor and instead of dropping on them with some force we were just touching them, we also had Jeffries picked up in a tackle and instead of driving him in to the floor with the shoulder under his ribs we placed him down and let him play the ball! Its not touch and pass give em some stick!

But why is he in the middle of the field when defending with props running at him and no support around him?

I do think Obst should miss out but does Kear have the balls to drop him?

I agree, but the thing with Obst is that they are picking him out all the time. For months (last year, and early this) other teams forwards ran at Obst all day long and got no change at all from them - he leg tackling made them look stupid. I would go as far as to say he was our best defender for most of last season - I don't know what the problem is this last few weeks but he is simply not up to it lately. He doesn't offer enough with ball in hand to compensate for the poor defense, you can forgive Drew and even Latu to an extent because of the other dimension they give us, but take Obst's defense away from him and you have basically a NL1 player in my opinion.

for me its simple we lose Sam and sign an overseas specialist lose forward

Because he is our hooker, and as such part of his job description is to sure up the middle of the park. If he doesnt do this, the other aspects of his game need to compensate - but in my opinion they do not.

How many teams need their hooker to hide when defending?