News Bulldogs may not need to sign a hooker after all

[GoTheDoggies]

Sign a top class hooker, JMK is a utility at best.

A top class hooker and damaging forward will rejuvenate our attack.

 

[2ndphase]

Canterbury have been chasing an elite No.9 for quite some time, with the club linked to Brandon Smith quite frequently in the past six months or so.
But if Monday's performance from Jeremy Marshall-King is anything to go by, Trent Barrett may not need to go to market for a dummy half.
In his first game back from a lengthy injury layoff, the 25-year-old was arguably the best player on the field as the Bulldogs upset the Dragons at Stadium Australia.
Marshall-King crossed for a try, made a linebreak, ran for 85 metres and made 37 tackles without a miss in an 80-minute display.
While he may not be on the level of Damien Cook or Harry Grant, the Canterbury rake has shown plenty of potential during his career - he just needs to find some consistency.
With the likes of Matt Burton and Josh Addo-Carr headed to Belmore next year, Marshall-King is only going to improve as a player as the quality of his teammates improves.

Haha NO!
Michael Lichaa all over again!

 

[Nasheed]

If he does come good it will save us a lot of headache in the marketplace, means we can focus on full back prop and second row

 

[EXPLORER]

Jmk is like Ben Roberts.
He has a great game in him every now and then.
But by and large he is fucking garbage most of the time.

As far as I'm concerned, we still need a hooker.
Just can't trust JMK to constantly deliver, and we need a hooker to constantly deliver if we want to be a top 4 team.

 

[Bulldogsteve]

Sign a top class hooker, JMK is a utility at best.

A top class hooker and damaging forward will rejuvenate our attack.

agree jmk at 14 would be good, cheese at 9. i wasnt sold on the cheese at 9 but he has been sensational this year

 

[flamebouyant]

It’s also only his first real crack under Barrett. Played really well that’s for sure, best to see if he can string a few other good games together before making a decision

This i agree with. Its a bit premature to write an article like this, but I said from the beginning of the year that he was a player that would massively improve under Baz. Still a work in progress, but if he can see out the year with consistent performances as close to this, then he will certainly be worth keeping!!

 

[EXPLORER]

Haha NO!
Michael Lichaa all over again!

I agree,
It's a no from me also.
Without hesitation.

But lichaa was complete garbage.
Jmk at least as a good game or 2 in him every 3 years.

Lichaa had none

 

[brucey]

I thought JMK showed a lot of promise last year and was hoping to see him do well when he came back.. that being said, I would not turn away the cheese

 

[flamebouyant]

One thing i noticed he has introduced into his game is his faint to go one way but turns and passes to the other. It puts the defence in two minds. Not to mention he is knowing when to run the ball. It shows he is taking his game to another level. That's all we have been asking for from our players. Now it's about consistency. Let's hope he can maintain it.

I noticed that a couple of times too. And it worked when he did, so he actually pulled it off.
He is honestly nowhere near as bas as some people on here say! He needs to keep these type of performances up though.
For those saying fuck no to resigning him, who should be our back up hooker if we don't? Dietz? Yeah nah. Topine? No chance. Definitely not a hooker. Katoa is gone, and Dietz is still train and trial no? At least not signed long term. Someone needs to play for mounties, and someone probably needs to be a utility off the bench, or a sub for Smith if we land him.

 

[Brendan7]

agree jmk at 14 would be good, cheese at 9. i wasnt sold on the cheese at 9 but he has been sensational this year

As what though? He basically plays as a backrower (and a very good one!). I'm concerned if BSmith is the answer at 9, he just doesn't seem a hooker. Las week the Storm looked a mile better with Grant at hooker and Smith in the back row.

 

[kungfuman]

I did this with the Meaney thread but it's the same theory.
Grant
Cook
Koroisau
Mahoney
Smith
Robson
J.Brailey
B.Brailey
Hodgson
Starling
Verrills
McCullough
Turpin
Clark
Liddle
Egan

With JMK we're looking at a bottom 4 dummy half, with Smith we're looking at one of the form hookers in the comp. What's there even to talk about here?

Mccullough was absolute garbage on Monday shouldn't even make the list and a few others

 

[Bulldogsteve]

As what though? He basically plays as a backrower (and a very good one!). I'm concerned if BSmith is the answer at 9, he just doesn't seem a hooker. Las week the Storm looked a mile better with Grant at hooker and Smith in the back row.

when smith has been hooker he has been very good this year. Im sold on him at 9 but the combo of him at 13 and grant at 9 is sensational also. Grant is the best hooker in the game at present, Smith would be close to 2nd at present.

 

[Bulldog1966]

Mccullough was absolute garbage on Monday shouldn't even make the list and a few others

Didn't pay probably any attention to him, was garbage how? His ball distribution?
Can't have been defensively 61 tackles in 70 minutes with 0 misses...

 

[kungfuman]

Didn't pay probably any attention to him, was garbage how? His ball distribution?
Can't have been defensively 61 tackles in 70 minutes with 0 misses...

You've got to do more than throw the ball from dummy half and tackle!

 

[Bulldog1966]

That's all ours have done for years! lol
Geez your harsh mate, not that I'm a wrap on the bloke but he wouldn't be on my shit list on that effort, many worse on the day..mike hunt' s brother Ben for one.

 

[kungfuman]

That's all ours have done for years! lol
Geez your harsh mate, not that I'm a wrap on the bloke but he wouldn't be on my shit list on that effort, many worse on the day..mike hunt' s brother Ben for one.

Yeah he was shit as well thats my point about our win the opposition were garbage.

 

[Doggystyle99]

If JMK keeps performing, it finally gives us bargaining power to put pressure on b smith to wrap up a deal before it’s too late, and we have jmk at 14 for some healthy competition as all top clubs must have.

 

[MitchNewton]

I did this with the Meaney thread but it's the same theory.
Grant
Cook
Koroisau
Mahoney
Smith
Robson
J.Brailey
B.Brailey
Hodgson
Starling
Verrills
McCullough
Turpin
Clark
Liddle
Egan

With JMK we're looking at a bottom 4 dummy half, with Smith we're looking at one of the form hookers in the comp. What's there even to talk about here?

JMK is on par with more than half those blokes.

 

[bradyk]

Elite
Grant, Cook, Koroisau

Quality
Smith, Mahoney, J. Brailey, Hodgson

The rest (not quality and difference not significant enough, probably want someone that's young with potential).

Clark's probably quality but he's unproven in the NRL so it'd be a wait and see (similar with Thompson, who's now a quality prop, with potential of being elite).

 

[Shire Dog]

JMK is on par with more than half those blokes.

I’m not too sure about half but that’s ok
Lets not get ahead of ourselves he did play well, still it’s only one game we need to see those performances every week and against better teams.
This is certainly the perfect opportunity to make a name for himself, now or never maybe