Heres where i think we are going into 2020, assuming Lockers and Leuluai retire and GW leaves to Canberra:

1. Hardaker
2. Manfredi
3. Gildart
4.
5. Davies / Burgess
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. Flower
11. Greenwood
12. Farrell
13.

14. Bullock
15.
16.
17. Powell / Shorrocks

If so, that is alarming. You need at least 2 new props, 2 halfbacks, a starting hooker, and a loose forward? Other than the fullback thats an entirely new spine!

We would be going back down the route of playing a player out of position at 9. Powell wasn’t good enough to play 7 but managed to fill in for McIllorun at 9 when he was injured, he’s done well filling in but he’s not a hooker. Hookers are horrible nasty little grubs with good rugby brains, usually overweight and frustrated scrum halves with chips on their shoulders and that’s what’s we need, Powell is too nice and too honest to play there IMO.

The game has moved on from that kind of hooker IMO. Roby, Hodgson, Clarke, Smith etc don't fit that mould. I think with the reduction in interchanges we'll see hookers be good athletes who can play 80 and make a shedload of tackles and distribute the ball quickly and accurately. They will need to be fitter than the Cunningham and Lowes of old, even if that means playing a more simplified role. I'm not saying Powell is our man, but the position has evolved from what you describe IMO.

What I did was describe a nasty streak or a bit of mongrel, something all RL players need at every level at every age in every position especially in that position they need to be ruthless. The primary skill a hooker should have is he ability to pass accurately and speedily from the floor and Powell cannot do that, even when he isn’t jumping from 9 he still takes an age to make a basic pass quickly which slows our attack down from the start.

Agreed. Always liked him since he first came into SL. Smart young player.

Last season I saw young Jayden Brailey play hooker for Cronulla and I watched him play the other day and I think he would be a good signing. He’s a young lad so won’t be on mega bucks, but he’s an out and out hooker who works harder than a Japanese POW (But a happy one) and has all the attributes to make a very good player. Not blowing my own trumpet but I’m usually good at spotting talent, I reckon this lad will make a very good player.