I think there are few underrating Hock here. Yes, he shouldn’t walk back into the side and it will be difficult for him to get back in. I think every SL side (us included) would be interested in Hock. I don’t like what he did and I am not that keen on him playing for us again and tarnishing our name (but seeing as everyone hates us anyway what difference does that make), but on pure playing ability he would get into most if not all starting 13s IMO.

Bless. Another one who was dropped on his head by the midwife!



The clue was in the first sentence....[i"that's a spot on analysis"[/i, which would indicate to most people of average intelligence that I was agreeing with a previous poster!

A closer look will reveal where that poster's loyalties lie......

The Hock of 3 years ago maybe, but after a 2 year lay off it will be a big ask to get back up to the pace of the modern game.

If he's learnt his lesson then fair enough, but I genuinely doubt that the Hock we may see towards the season's end will be top 4 material.

And nobody hates you, you haven't won enough this century for that to happen! We, on the other hand......

IMO he would walk into any starting 13 in SL. He will be an asset to us , more so next year as hoffman is only meant to be here for 12 months. All this talk of him being average is . I hope he gets up to speed and is an intregal part of the team come the end of the season and play offs.

The Union player at Saracens who came back after a ban played something like within a week of the ban ending.
Surely he must have had a training period prior to playing however small?
If that's the case then Hock will have that same training period.
Both Coley and Hoffman are on one year deals with a further year's option. He could replace either.
If Wigan don't play Hock there would be 13 other clubs that would!

What ... so because you're agreeing with an idiotic statement rather than making it yourself, you're somehow immune to the inevitiable criticism such idiocy attracts?





PS: The original poster was talking crap. If, on the basis of that, it seems unfair that I've taken your equally crappy contribution as a criticism of the entire Leeds fanbase, I apologise - but, at present, you're not a very good advocate for your club. Perhaps you have some genuine intellects who follow the Rhinos, but those of us who dont' spend all day trolling on other people's message boards can't be expected to know that, can we?

All this talk of him not being up to speed is correct to a certain extent but come on plenty of players have had major injuries and missed a year or so of playing time and game back as good or better in some cases.

Physically Hock should be bang on as ultimately it would be as if he's starting a season after an extended pre-season, imo it'll take him a while to get back to his peak ball handling and skill set wise but no more than a month or so to be able to play as a prop.

can i assume you mean my by "original poster"?

we have moved on as a club, and a team without Hock.....so why the desperation of some to have him back.?

i can agree with some posters that he could be a replacement prop in a couple of years.........BUT.........doesnt playing prop give him more opportunities to have a rush of blood when it comes to penalties?
a small contract and a trial in the reserves where he will come up against some young guys out to make a name, and lets see if he can keep his cool.

the drug ban aspect?.........he did the crime, hes paid/paying his penalty, and anyone who supports wigan would be a hypocrit to use the drug ban as an excuse to not sign him...............not long ago we were all stood at Old trafford chanting Terry Newtons name.

give the lad a break.........and just judge on performance, past and future.

I can't wait to see Hock come back.

Hock and Lima off the bench. No words can describe that

And on behalf of the entire Leeds Fanbase, I magnanimously accept your apology,

and if you have to spend the day flipping burgers, then surely you could log on at the end of your shift?

There are times muncher, when I reckon your oven is on, but the pies just aren't getting warm!

So, back on topic, tell us what you think that Hock could bring to the current Wigan team.

Excellent value for money and increased squad depth at prop/back row.

The guy is a freakish talent who'd walk into the current Leeds back row with his eyes closed. I’d even say if he gets back to his best he’ll be the best 2nd row in SL much like he was before the ban.

To be able to call on a talent like that if we get 3 or 4 injuries almost guarantees we’ll be competitive in almost every game we play in.

If it's true that he's bulked up a lot, and that if he comes back it'll be in shorter spells as a prop, then I think Hock could be the best offloading prop in the league.

The best attributes as a 2nd rower can only be added to by him bulking up, and his weaknesses can be somewhat reduced by spelling him at prop (concentration levels).

Yes, I agree with the ball handling prop angle, but your thinking about the skills of a player from 3/ 4 years ago. I'll be honest, I didn't think he was at the top of his game prior to getting banned.

For me, for him to add to this squad, which is a top class bunch, he would have to be the same guy who could play at his previous high level, and two years out, probably slower, I've got doubts about his abilities and temperment.

As I said, Wigan are the only ones willing to take a punt on him. I've not heard of any other clubs sniffing around.

I think for him to add to the squad in the 2nd row, it would be very difficult. However, if he's coming back as a prop, Coley is retiring soon, Prescott + O'Carroll aren't amazing + Ben Davies is still very unproven. That leaves Fielden and Lima, if we work Mossop up to a prop as it seems we are going to then there's a definate place in the 4 prop rotation for Hock. Spelling him and Lima as impact props and using Mossop + Fielden to eat through the tackles sounds like a mouth watering prospect.

I genuinely don't think there's any way of him coming back as a 2nd rower, as you say his skills will have dimished somewhat over the last couple of years, BUT if he has spent that time getting bigger than he will still have more skill than most of the props in the league, and he could always run the ball in hard.

I don't think there's been any clubs sniffin about (apart from Penrith

) as it's always been pretty much a certainty that he would return to Wigan, from our side it's a no-lose situation really. We get a (probably) cheap player, home grown ex-international with plenty of years left in him and with something to prove, and he wants to play for Wigan.

crums...i hadn't thought of it like that!
i for one, cannot wait

So many coaches NOT, FFS give the kid a break,and thank god the coach will be making the decisions and not some of the bafoons that post on here.

Eh?

And why would they tell you?

Hock can be a blockbusting forward on his day. He also has great hands. His temperament is an issue, sure - but there are many other players in the game with poor temperaments, and most of those are nowhere near as effective as Hock in other areas. He was pretty good in a poor Wigan side which was badly managed. Off the bench in the MM era, I reckon he could be devastating.

You're an amateur wind-up merchant; that much is obvious - but if it's the case that you genuinely can't see what an in-forrm Gareth Hock could bring to an already strong SL side, your knowledge of the game is as weak as your stand-up routine.

I think we have a couple of examples above of what Boyd2 describes as Bafoons!

Hock has signed with Wigan

But I would be surprised if we see much of him this season. I imagine he'll start in the academy side, and I wouldn't be too surprised to also see him have a loan spell somewhere too.

I'm really surprised that there are one or two posts in this thread claiming Hock cannot fit into the current squad on the grounds he was a below average performer in a squad that was consistently performing below average before his ban and that he would have to re-discover his form of 3 - 4 years ago.
I readilly admit to not having the greatest of memories, but wasn't the majority of last years Championship winning side made up of players that had previously played 2-3 years below their own potential and without consistency?
After last year I see no reason why the Maguire/ Wane effect cannot work on Hock in the same way it worked on the 2009 squad and turn him from an inconsistent performer and perennial penalty conceeder into a world class forward.

Apologies Jeff, I should have made it clearer and said Super League clubs.

The Penrith article was interesting, and there may have been some substance to it, especially if Noble was headed downunder as well. A new start in another country and a chance to prove himself in the NRL would have been an attractive proposition. I wonder why it didn't appear to get any further, and as I said, I've, and everyone I've spoken to, have not heard of any interest from other clubs.

Kinda odd, given his previous rugby abilities, and the accolades heaped on him by Wigan fans, that the Chairmen of all the other 13 clubs appear not to have made any enquiries.

NRL clubs were definitely interested. And whats this 3/4 years ago? He was the best SR in SL imo just over 18 months ago before he was banned. Like people have already said, if hes kept himself fit he should be able to bed in quickly and I for one cant wait. I think as a supporter of another team you're just kidding yourself with a sprinkling of wishful thinking that hes not going to tear up SL when he returns, because most Wigan fans who used to watch him week in week out are expecting him to, and I dont see any reason why he wont.