Hooker for 2025 and future years

[bayraider]

Looks like Toby Thornburn has been released to the Black hawks.
Moving forward I think the club is going all out with Owen Pattie and Xavier Cacciotti, who is still a little young and needsmoretimeto develop.
Can they fast track Owen Pattie?
I don't think Woodford will be any longer with us by June 30

[Finchy]

needsmoretimeto? Is this like NEEDMEMBERSCODE?

[greeneyed]

That's a shame about Toby Thorburn. Seems to have been in Townsville for a couple of weeks.

But there are too many hookers and he seemed to fall down the pecking order a bit towards the end of last season.

The other hooker coming through is Mitch Brophy, who is possibly the best prospect of them all. Ethan Alaia can player hooker too, though they've been running him in the halves. Shaun Packer in the ranks too.

[The Nickman]

Is this needsmoretimeto related to matthewtimoko by any chance?

[Dusty]

It'll be Levi

[NoMan]

Yeah, I suspect for 2025 it will be Levi and Starling again. I think the others are a few years off given none of them are playing cup yet and the two highest rated aren't playing up in Flegg. Hooker is also a slow position to mature and the form line from juniors hasn't been great for the Raiders in the past. I guess Trev could be an outside chance if Woolford moves on but he isn't really getting much of an opportunity in NSW cup otherwise.

With the market non-existent in Australia I think they should go back to the UK and find a better option for the next couple of years.

[Hong Kong Raider]

Wouldn't it be good if we even had a middling hooker like Jeremy Marshall-King who can engage the marker defence and make breaks from dummy half to capitalise on the good work of our forwards. And I don't even regard him as elite.

Levi did himself no favours when he was the most senior of our spine members in the second half v Broncos but had an error ridden game. He doesn't offer much running game or deception in the 20, while his defence is questionable at best.

We really need an upgrade on this position, perhaps from the U.K., even if that means letting Woolford go off contract or moving Starling on. But I'm not sure there will be takers.

[Mickey_Raider]

Our hooker stocks are dire and they make me sad.

Number one action item should be the banish Starling to cup. He offers nothing and our attack becomes even more cluttered and disorganised when he comes on.

Number two action item is to get Woolford in there. He is no world beater but he is the best of a very bad bunch. In terms of relative strengths his is his service and with our strong forward pack this probably suits our team the most.

Number 3 action item is to see if Trev has anything to offer. Give this year is almost certainly a transition/development year now, I think we have very little to lose by at least giving him Starlings minutes.

Number 4 action item is to hint around for external options. If we have to do the Strange/Stewart/Sanders thing and pluck the most promising 16 year old hooker in the country for overs, so be it.

Number 5 action item is to sell your stock on Levi island, whether or not you bought the stock ironically or not.
He was always going to regress to the mean and a couple of nice barge over tries was never going to change who he is, which is a 100-something game journeyman who has never found a long term home.

Look I will be happy if Levi to can continue to overperform his admittedly low expectations, but we are nuts if we aren’t continuing to try and find solutions, as per the above action items.

[RaiderSpark]

Kruise Leeming?

*expecting to get laughed at here lol (last time I mentioned a player from SL (Bevan French) I got steamrolled)

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[The Nickman]

Our hooker stocks are dire and they make me sad.

Number one action item should be the banish Starling to cup. He offers nothing and our attack becomes even more cluttered and disorganised when he comes on.

Number two action item is to get Woolford in there. He is no world beater but he is the best of a very bad bunch. In terms of relative strengths his is his service and with our strong forward pack this probably suits our team the most.

Number 3 action item is to see if Trev has anything to offer. Give this year is almost certainly a transition/development year now, I think we have very little to lose by at least giving him Starlings minutes.

Number 4 action item is to hint around for external options. If we have to do the Strange/Stewart/Sanders thing and pluck the most promising 16 year old hooker in the country for overs, so be it.

Number 5 action item is to sell your stock on Levi island, whether or not you bought the stock ironically or not.
He was always going to regress to the mean and a couple of nice barge over tries was never going to change who he is, which is a 100-something game journeyman who has never found a long term home.

Look I will be happy if Levi to can continue to overperform his admittedly low expectations, but we are nuts if we aren’t continuing to try and find solutions, as per the above action items.

I wholeheartedly agree with everything you say here and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

[dubby]

I think Starling has more versatility to his game than Woolford.

At least the coaches appear to think that way.

Starling can fill in at middle, can sub in the halves in a pinch, and is quick from dummy half.

Shame is, he's not particularly good at any of them.

I think this role should go to Puru.

[RaiderSpark]

Soni Luke?
Gordon Chan Kum Tong?
Tyson Smoothy?
Sam Verills?

No idea if these dudes are off contract though

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[Raiders_Pat]

Number 4 action item is to hint around for external options. If we have to do the Strange/Stewart/Sanders thing and pluck the most promising 16 year old hooker in the country for overs, so be it.

I think with our young spine we should be looking to prioritise bringing in a bloke with experience at hooker over emerging talent.

[greeneyed]

We’ve got the most promising junior hooker in the country on contract.

[Raiders_Pat]

Soni Luke?
Gordon Chan Kum Tong?
Tyson Smoothy?
Sam Verills?

No idea if these dudes are off contract though

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I think Chan Kum Tong only has this year left on his contract so he's currently able to negotiate. Luke and Smoothy have 2025 left (free to negotiate in November). Same with Marshall-King mentioned earlier in the thread.

If we could get Marshall-King here a year early then he's the pick of the bunch imo.

[-PJ-]

Tom Starling for sure.

And when he signs his next contract extension this place will explode in 10,9,8,7….

[The Nickman]

Tom Starling for sure.

And when he signs his next contract extension this place will explode in 10,9,8,7….

Here comes 6!

[RaiderSpark]

Got the perfect number 9 right here lol

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[NoMan]

Doesn't look weak gutted so Ricky will be a fan.

[Finchy]

We’ve got the most promising junior hooker in the country on contract.

Levi?

[Finchy]

Our hooker stocks are dire and they make me sad.

Number one action item should be the banish Starling to cup. He offers nothing and our attack becomes even more cluttered and disorganised when he comes on.

Number two action item is to get Woolford in there. He is no world beater but he is the best of a very bad bunch. In terms of relative strengths his is his service and with our strong forward pack this probably suits our team the most.

Number 3 action item is to see if Trev has anything to offer. Give this year is almost certainly a transition/development year now, I think we have very little to lose by at least giving him Starlings minutes.

Number 4 action item is to hint around for external options. If we have to do the Strange/Stewart/Sanders thing and pluck the most promising 16 year old hooker in the country for overs, so be it.

Number 5 action item is to sell your stock on Levi island, whether or not you bought the stock ironically or not.
He was always going to regress to the mean and a couple of nice barge over tries was never going to change who he is, which is a 100-something game journeyman who has never found a long term home.

Look I will be happy if Levi to can continue to overperform his admittedly low expectations, but we are nuts if we aren’t continuing to try and find solutions, as per the above action items.

He's right you know.

[Bluesbrother]

We’ve got the most promising junior hooker in the country on contract.

Who's that?

[The Nickman]

Our hooker stocks are dire and they make me sad.

Number one action item should be the banish Starling to cup. He offers nothing and our attack becomes even more cluttered and disorganised when he comes on.

Number two action item is to get Woolford in there. He is no world beater but he is the best of a very bad bunch. In terms of relative strengths his is his service and with our strong forward pack this probably suits our team the most.

Number 3 action item is to see if Trev has anything to offer. Give this year is almost certainly a transition/development year now, I think we have very little to lose by at least giving him Starlings minutes.

Number 4 action item is to hint around for external options. If we have to do the Strange/Stewart/Sanders thing and pluck the most promising 16 year old hooker in the country for overs, so be it.

Number 5 action item is to sell your stock on Levi island, whether or not you bought the stock ironically or not.
He was always going to regress to the mean and a couple of nice barge over tries was never going to change who he is, which is a 100-something game journeyman who has never found a long term home.

Look I will be happy if Levi to can continue to overperform his admittedly low expectations, but we are nuts if we aren’t continuing to try and find solutions, as per the above action items.

He's right you know.

About the hooker stocks?

[Bluesbrother]

Woolford sucks. So did his father - I can't believe he ever captained the club. Says a lot about how poor the club was being run through those dark days.

Honestly can't believe he is being thrown up as a suggestion to come in. Levi has been going well. We definitely need an upgrade though, I wholeheartedly agree. Youth is the best and most likely route we should/could take to have success in this area.

[-TW-]

We’ve got the most promising junior hooker in the country on contract.

Levi?

He's only 27, has another 300 games in him

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[Finchy]

Our hooker stocks are dire and they make me sad.

Number one action item should be the banish Starling to cup. He offers nothing and our attack becomes even more cluttered and disorganised when he comes on.

Number two action item is to get Woolford in there. He is no world beater but he is the best of a very bad bunch. In terms of relative strengths his is his service and with our strong forward pack this probably suits our team the most.

Number 3 action item is to see if Trev has anything to offer. Give this year is almost certainly a transition/development year now, I think we have very little to lose by at least giving him Starlings minutes.

Number 4 action item is to hint around for external options. If we have to do the Strange/Stewart/Sanders thing and pluck the most promising 16 year old hooker in the country for overs, so be it.

Number 5 action item is to sell your stock on Levi island, whether or not you bought the stock ironically or not.
He was always going to regress to the mean and a couple of nice barge over tries was never going to change who he is, which is a 100-something game journeyman who has never found a long term home.

Look I will be happy if Levi to can continue to overperform his admittedly low expectations, but we are nuts if we aren’t continuing to try and find solutions, as per the above action items.

He's right you know.

About the hooker stocks?

About everything, dammit!

[-PJ-]

We’ve got the most promising junior hooker in the country on contract.

Levi?

He's only 27, has another 300 games in him

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Fellas, Tom is only 25, has another 400 games in him.

[Roger Kenworthy]

I think Starling has more versatility to his game than Woolford.

At least the coaches appear to think that way.

Starling can fill in at middle, can sub in the halves in a pinch, and is quick from dummy half.

Shame is, he's not particularly good at any of them.

I think this role should go to Puru.

Agree. Starling has mastered running around in a circle and then flinging the ball to nobody in particular.

[-PJ-]

I think Starling has more versatility to his game than Woolford.

At least the coaches appear to think that way.

Starling can fill in at middle, can sub in the halves in a pinch, and is quick from dummy half.

Shame is, he's not particularly good at any of them.

I think this role should go to Puru.

Agree. Starling has mastered running around in a circle and then flinging the ball to nobody in particular.

He’s very very good.

[Finchy]

I think Starling has more versatility to his game than Woolford.

At least the coaches appear to think that way.

Starling can fill in at middle, can sub in the halves in a pinch, and is quick from dummy half.

Shame is, he's not particularly good at any of them.

I think this role should go to Puru.

Agree. Starling has mastered running around in a circle and then flinging the ball to nobody in particular.

He’s very very good.

Much like Levi, as Billy keeps telling us.

[greeneyed]

We’ve got the most promising junior hooker in the country on contract.

Who's that?

Xavier Cacciotti was the Australian Schoolboys hooker last year. And he’s not the only very good junior hooker on the books. I can’t remember a better crop of dummy halves coming through the club. If the Raiders cannot convert one of them into a top line line first grade hooker, it’d be disappointing.

[NoMan]

I think while ever Ricky is coach they will have a bench hooker and if you look at the timelines the junior hookers won't be ready to be a starter for very likely another three years at least. So getting in a good senior one for two or three years would make sense and give time to get that transition right. Maybe if the 6,7 and 9 were established you could gamble a bit more.

[The Green Hornet]

What has happened with Trev? He's not even spoken about anymore as first grade potential.
From what I saw, he was very good!

[bonehead]

What has happened with Trev? He's not even spoken about anymore as first grade potential.
From what I saw, he was very good!

barely playing 20mins a week in nsw cup, hardly getting a chance to earn a call up

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[Coastalraider]

Which was one of my main concerns with signing 3 middle of the road hookers above Trev - a complete block on development. It will take injury or suspension for him to play decent minutes.