Official Blayke Brailey

Proud Shark

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There aren't really that many good hookers in the comp.

Grant
Api
Cook
Robson
Mahoney
Smith?

So there are arguably 10 sides in a worse hooking situation, as I'd have Brailey over any other current starting 9. Outside of those you'd be looking to sign a young guy like Mozer or Luke on potential. Which can easily lead to getting 4 years down the track and discussing how you need more from your 9.
 
Sutty

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Proud Shark said:
There aren't really that many good hookers in the comp.

Grant
Api
Cook
Robson
Mahoney
Smith?

So there are arguably 10 sides in a worse hooking situation, as I'd have Brailey over any other current starting 9. Outside of those you'd be looking to sign a young guy like Mozer or Luke on potential. Which can easily lead to getting 4 years down the track and discussing how you need more from your 9.
Click to expand...
Hodgson, Verrills. So yeah basically every other top 8 team last season had a better hooker than us. Some even had 2. Nice trend.
 
A

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Sutty said:
Hodgson, Verrills. So yeah basically every other top 8 team last season had a better hooker than us. Some even had 2. Nice trend.
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Hodgson is way past it and hasn't been very good for a couple years. I rate verrils, but maybe just see how he goes at the Titans before you call for replacing Brailely with him
 
Proud Shark

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Sutty said:
Hodgson, Verrills. So yeah basically every other top 8 team last season had a better hooker than us. Some even had 2. Nice trend.
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Hodgson is cooked, and Verrills has barely strung 10 games together without an injury. At this stage neither is a must have over Blayke.
 
D

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djhabib said:
Nah I'm capable of my own thoughts. His game attackwise hasn't improved in 3 years. Maybe I expect too much much from him based off juniors and the hype behind him.
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The way he is playing for the Sharks is exactly how he played in juniors and for the Jets. He was rated because of this style of play, and developed to play that way.
 
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Sir Chadley

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I'm not sure on Blayke myself but it seems everyone is expecting him to do way more in attack like perhaps Damien Cook does. But did Cam Smith ever make many dashes from dummy half. My memory tells me no.
 
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Sir Chadley said:
I'm not sure on Blayke myself but it seems everyone is expecting him to do way more in attack like perhaps Damien Cook does. But did Cam Smith ever make many dashes from dummy half. My memory tells me no.
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Smith had about 41 metres in the GF and averaged around that mark if I recall correctly
 
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It seems pretty simple... Blayke has shown he's pretty adept at the run, pass, kick (excusing one restart...) and tackle. And that he's pretty sharp between the cauliflours, too. If he's not doing any of those things or a lot of something, it's because that's the gameplan. You'd be better off critisising Fitz if you think our side should include a kicking, running hooker, because he's proven he can do all of those things well. Bomber had him playing that way for a while and he looked great.
 
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Going by 2 trials McInnes won’t be spending much time at hooker.
 
bort

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I just don't really see where Blayke not running more is hurting us.

Club finished 6th for run meters and 2nd for line breaks (and first for tackle breaks). Potentially pinching a couple extra run meters by our hooker scooting two to three more times per game just doesn't seem to be something which would take us to another level.
Why not pass to the Dally M winning halfback or the guy who lead the league in try contributions instead?
Do you think because Api or Reed ran more they made the Grand Final... because those two blokes ran effectively the exact same amount.

I'd rather we work on no cheap penalties when defending team deep in their own half and getting off to better starts than trying to shoehorn a running game onto the guy who touched the ball the second most in the whole NRL last season (most per game) and also made the second most tackles in the NRL.

Storm 5th Grant/Smith
Cowboys 3rd Robson
Raiders 8th
Bulldogs 12th
Roosters 6th
Dragons 10th
Tigers 16th
Panthers 1st Api
Broncos 9th
Warriors 15th
Rabbitohs 7th Cook
Knights 14th
Eels 4th Mahoney
Sea Eagles 11th
Titans 13th
Sharks 2nd

From the ladder you would maybe say there is a very loose correlation between finishing top 8 and having a hooker that runs a lot.
Probably doesn't hurt their hooker that top 8 teams probably win more forward battles...

When you throw in the distribution of "best" hookers vs runs it spreads it out even more.
 
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I think to a degree some people just like to have something to complain about too. We had a successful season last year despite our finals exit and the club is in the best place it's been since 2016, leaving very little to complain about. Some of the chat about our 6, 9 and 11 would have you thinking we're running out Flanno, Lichaa and Roqica, instead of 3 guys that at the very least are performing in the top half of players in their position.

I guess it's just easier to say someone has no talent, rather than recognise their actually pretty good, but have elements you'd like them to improve on.
 
Wiz

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bort said:
I just don't really see where Blayke not running more is hurting us.

Club finished 6th for run meters and 2nd for line breaks (and first for tackle breaks). Potentially pinching a couple extra run meters by our hooker scooting two to three more times per game just doesn't seem to be something which would take us to another level.
Why not pass to the Dally M winning halfback or the guy who lead the league in try contributions instead?
Do you think because Api or Reed ran more they made the Grand Final... because those two blokes ran effectively the exact same amount.

I'd rather we work on no cheap penalties when defending team deep in their own half and getting off to better starts than trying to shoehorn a running game onto the guy who touched the ball the second most in the whole NRL last season (most per game) and also made the second most tackles in the NRL.

Storm 5th Grant/Smith
Cowboys 3rd Robson
Raiders 8th
Bulldogs 12th
Roosters 6th
Dragons 10th
Tigers 16th
Panthers 1st Api
Broncos 9th
Warriors 15th
Rabbitohs 7th Cook
Knights 14th
Eels 4th Mahoney
Sea Eagles 11th
Titans 13th
Sharks 2nd

From the ladder you would maybe say there is a very loose correlation between finishing top 8 and having a hooker that runs a lot.
Probably doesn't hurt their hooker that top 8 teams probably win more forward battles...

When you throw in the distribution of "best" hookers vs runs it spreads it out even more.
Click to expand...
It’s got nothing to do with running, more so what is he bringing outside of that ? other top 9’s are bringing more to their team outside of running but yet even then they are still running more then Brailey.

So the question is if you aren’t even taking runs then what are you doing ? is he just there to tackle and pass ?
 
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