I think the lad's a decent player but has anyone got any stats of how many points we've scored when he's on the field at hooker as opposed to Leuluai? bilko maybe? We seem to look so much more dangerous when Leuluai's knocking about and linking up with finch and deacon. But as soon as McIlorum comes on we seem to just shut up shop and play down the middle and score few if any points, i think this happened last night and on a few other occasions. Should we be looking elsewhere for another hooker or is McIlorum just doing whats asked of him? I just think we look so much more dangerous with Leuluai at 9.

He not Wigan Standard simples, a lot of fans bull him up due to him being homegrown etc, would go well at a mid table club or even at a Small club like Warrington

He's nothing flashy and won't ever be a wow player but he's as tough as they come and is a winner. He rattles people in defence and lifts the side with his defence. He does a decent job in attack and is a valuable squad member. He showed how good he is in the grand final when he played a huge part in our lightning start.

It goes back to the simple fact that every squad won't contain 20 world class players and you need some solid options like Micky Mac.

Look at the HKR stats below for your answer. Two different types of player IMO, and both effective at what they do.

Hes not homegrown, he's from Leeds.

On another note, Iv never been a big micky Mac fan, he does a job but compared to other top SL hookers he's quite average. He also looked absoulutely shattered at times against Hull KR, he couldnt keep up with the play the ball in the second half, Sam ended up more or less playing hooker when we had the ball.

IMO he is not a hooker. He has good defence and can run in hard. He would do a miles better job at second row. He hits people hard and can do damage but at hooker I dont see any skills from him that he should be the hooker of a champion team. He does the occasional good scoot but thats it. He always seems to make the wrong decisions i.e trying to score a keiron cunningham try on the last tackle (hes not big enough to be able to do that it has NEVER worked for him in SL so i dont see why he keeps trying it, its so frustrating)

he is British therefore he is homegrown

He's fine and as has been pointed out you can't have 20 superstars in a team and you can't even have two top class hookers either.

His form in the GF was excellent and his early season form this season was as well. It may have dropped off a bit of late but so has Farrell's for example and both players have had to do more work than last season . Micky Mac because TL wasn't being used a 9 until recently and Farrell because he was starting with HH out and Joel in the centres. I think the different make-up of the side has affected both players.

Against Harlequins McIlorum was probably the best player on the pitch in the first half. When Leuluai came on the points stopped coming. Against Hull KR it was the opposite with Leuluai being much more influential. McIlorum's performance in the Grand Final shows that he has his uses. Most teams tends to have a young hooker in the side these days.
I think what is obvious is that it is still better for teams to have two hookers. McIlorum playing for 60 minutes or more during a game doesn't really work because he becomes too predictable and he's not always great at making the most of quick play the ball. Having Leuluai playing only as a hooker with McIlorum seems to make the team better. If one isn't playing too well then hopefully the other one will make up for that. There's a place for McIlorum but I don't think he could ever be first choice hooker. Hopefully we'll see over the next few weeks and months whether Leuluai can be.

One thing I noticed against Hull KR was Madge doing what a lot of teams have been doing recently and playing two hookers on the pitch at the same time and playing one of them at loose forward. McIlorum can defend well enough for the role as hooker and loose forward are similar defensively, while he's also got a decent pass so can link with play like a loose forward. It allowed O'Loughlin to switch to the right side second row and I think that could give the team more attacking threat down that side. I definitely think Madge should do this when possible. There's no point having a hooker sitting out 40 minutes of a game when they could be involved.

I think playing him as an 80min hooker is a bad idea. As a combination with Leuluai I think he is great.

we go way off the boil when he is on the pitch

I dont mind Mcilorum BUT for me hooker is the single most important position on the park and seeing we are champions you'd expect our hooker to be one of the best in the league bar none. Mcilorum simply isn't in the same league as Monaghan, Buderus, Roby or Piggy was.

He'd be an excellent number 2 but I'd love a top hooker 2 come in. Even if that means we'd be weaker in other spots.

McIlorum is an average player and for me lacks a lot when compared to the top hookers and often just does a job there and no more. That is not to say that I would get rid as he is though a decent 2nd hooker to have if we are going with 2 hookers in the 17 and if he is being alternated with someone a little more creative and dynamic. However I just cannot ever see him being good enough to be a 80 mins hooker for us on a consistent basis. He does a job at hooker but lacks the craft and guile of a really top hooker. It is one position, and a very important one at that, where we are behind other clubs in the league.

We have a top class hooker already in Tommy Leuluai. He's a Four Nations and World Cup winning hooker and will be superb in the position given an extended run for us.

Alot will depend on the fitness of Deacon though and if I were Maguire I'd give Mellor a shot in the halfs if Deacon(or Finch) missed any matches. It's no good keep shifting players about.

Spelling Micky and Tommy and leaving the halves unchanged worked well I thought and providing Deacons got 80 mins in him on a regular basis this is the way to go.

I can't see Deacs lasting 80 minutes very often. Not just his fitness, but he seems fragile and any hard hits tend to hurt a lot these days. Ever since the New Zealand game where he nearly died, he's had to look after himself better.

No point saying when points are scored compared to when one individual is on the pitch; it's a team game, and both TL and MM have their roles to play as hookers.

MM coming on also roughly coincided with Mossop, Coley, Hansen and Lockers going off (around the 20-30 minute mark), and I'd argue that missing those four in the middle of the game was much more of a factor.

Its a tricky one with McM.
I feel people credit him for things which don't relate to what are his expectations as a 9. Yes he hits hard, yeah his defense his solid, but (and I could be wrong) he doesn't seem to get us moving around the park like Tommy does or Piggy did. We don't seem to play off the front foot when he's at 9.
I think he's been a tough player who's put in the time for us playing big minutes. I think he deserves a run out as a spelled 9 alongside Tommy, plus he's only young.

he actually looked more at home during the 6 or 7 minutes he played at 13...a la roby.
tommy on for H
lockers went 2nd row
mm went 13

problem with that is that MM would only be 3rd or 4th choice at best behind Lockers, Faz, and Joel if he was back in the pack