Josh Wood. I think he’s our new hooker. Not sure though

Impressive. Can't wait to see him on the field.

I’m not shooting you down your just plain wrong and as DC has just pointed out we have a new hooker called Josh Wood.

If you’re still not happy that’s up to you but we simply are not any weaker at hooker than we were last year or the year before not on paper anyway.

I mean can you name a team that we have had with more than two specialist hookers? I can’t.

Truth is Alegend, we won’t really know whose right until the season is well under way, so why worry. Josh Wood could be a disaster or have the season of his life you just can’t tell.

I think though you must agree that for the budget we have the squad is borderline miraculous. Only five years ago we’d mhave been incredulous that we had managed to sign Westerman. Now we look at him and think that, well if it doesn’t work out we have options. That applies to most of the signing, they all add to the squad, but it doesn’t hang on them.

Cheer up, this is usually the best time for Trinity fans, reality usually catches up in the end but right now we can still believe it won’t

Err I’m sorry but I think he does! This is a forum not a notice board
It’s in the title.

You may be a mod but you don’t have the power to alter the meaning of the word forum.

You comment on here and people reply and you expect to reply back and the debate continues. You have the right not to carry on with the debate if you wish but if you want to win the point then you do ‘explain’ yourself.

This isn’t a junior school, not everyone gets a prize! So long as it’s good mannered what does it matter if people’s nosed occasionally get put out of joint, seriously I’m sure Alegend is a grown up

Getting back to the thread, if as the chairman said josh wood is quicker than tj, does that mean tj has lost his pace or wood is remarkably quick for a forward.

On the subject of another player - we have two specialist hookers, which is all most teams start the season with. Personally think we are starting the season with a squad that looks top 8 material, with added benefit of 2 spare overseas berths to pick a player up if required.


Already looking forward to Boxing Day

I gave my opinion and fishermans cap disagreed and gave a good account of why. I respected his view and commented as such. We didn't get into it and start a 10 post insult run. Because we shared our views like grown ups. Just saying.

i'd personally be amazed after the injury TJ had, that he'd be the fastest player in the 1st week of training. Josh Wood is nippy like a few hookers, but it's good to see him being so quick at this point, he's also beat other quick guys like Hampshire, Kershaw, Kyle Wood, Miller and maybe BJB if he's back training.

This is an interesting article as far as the pace of some SL players, especially seen as we're talking about Hookers.

rlhttps://www.thesportsman.com/features/the-super-league-player-faster-than-any-premier-league-footballerrl

Daryl Clark hit a speed quicker than any of the 554 players in the Premier League. Clark reached 35.82 kilometres per hour, roughly 9.97 metres per second, chasing down Craig Hall to stop a try in a match against Hull KR, which was faster that the top speeds reached by the likes of Manchester City’s Kyle Walker or Fulham’s Fosu-Mensah in the 2018-2019 campaign.

What makes it even more remarkable is that Clark, Warrington’s 26-year-old hooker, is a 91 kilogram forward and not a fleet-footed winger or centre. Also that he had already made 16 tackles and five carries of the ball at KCOM Craven Park before performing his lung-busting feat.

Clark’s top speed is not only quicker that any Premier League footballer, but also faster than NRL stars Damian Cook and Dane Gagai, and NFL running back Dalvin Cool and safety Devin McCourty.

I read the article about Clarke. Very interesting.
It shows speed isn't just about a 100 metres race.

Burst over 5-10 metres is important to some break away
Increasing speed when already in flight important get away from chasers
Maintaining speed over 100 metres so you are not caught over a long distance
Top speed after already working hard through game important for forwards.

Interesting, and makes the DC comment about Wood all the more encouraging.

I agree, two different skills really though, speed is distance covered in a period of time and acceleration is the rate of change of speed.

Rob Burrow had great acceleration, although not the fastest by any means over a distance, Wood sounds like he could be quite nippy out of dummy half, the same way Kyle Wood is which gives us good options off the bench either way, especially when defences are tiring.

I saw an article the other day on 80 minute hookers and how important it is to have one, that described the interchange hooker as a gimmick - I completely disagree with this, if you get the right balance, you can see the great impact a hooker of the bench can give a team, albeit at the loss of an interchange or 2.

Yeah what you talk about is sort of mentioned in that article. Where Daryl Clark has obviously got very good speed but funnily enough Sitaleki Akua’ola who weighs 106 kilograms has the fastest acceleration over 10 meters at Wire, which is obviously important for Props having that speed over that first 10 meters or so, still very impressive.

Thank god for that DC as much as I rate Jordan I thought for one second you were going to say Jordan

Dont get why people are saying we need another hooker how many front line hookers do teams have its normally 2 plus youth and players who can step in.we have that in the woods.i believe most on here are going to be pleasantly supprised how josh wiil go hes a good young player and coming with a point to prove.but then again not many want kyle.just hope josh is given a fair crack and not made a scapegoat. Personally i think another nautral winger/finisher would be a good addition but im no coach

I think the squad looks healthy and balanced.

There are a couple of areas where you start thinking "but what if such and such gets injured". But we don't have a crystal ball and we dont know what will transpire.

I think if we can bring someone in that will without doubt improve us then we should roll the dice. But if not stick as we are.

FWIW if we do get 1 more in I'd love to see a top winger to provide competition for TJ and BJB.