Clark or Roby For GB Hooker ?

[Essai Machine 102]

Has Clark shown he's the better man in yesterday's Number 9 Duel ?

[Dunbar 7,201]

My preference before yesterday would have been Roby and I would probably still have him as the best 9 we have.

But Clark is fantastic... and I think they are both ahead of Hodgson who is widely recognised as one of the top 3 hookers in the NRL (alongside Smith and Cooke).

It is the one position where we have more world class players than any other nation.

[wedontneedrhinos 38]

Hodgson

[Charlie RL 139]

16 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

My preference before yesterday would have been Roby and I would probably still have him as the best 9 we have.

But Clark is fantastic... and I think they are both ahead of Hodgson who is widely recognised as one of the top 3 hookers in the NRL (alongside Smith and Cooke).

Clark's cover defence yesterday and previous week (?) was so, so  good it maybe shifts him ahead of Roby?

[Dunbar 7,201]

1 minute ago, Charlie RL said:

Clark's cover defence yesterday and previous week (?) was so, so  good it maybe shifts him ahead of Roby?

Yes, it may have. He has been superb in an underperforming team and then the match winner when the team form turned around. 

It is probably all moot as I expect Bennett to select Hodgson ahead of both of them.

[Chris22 1,146]

St Helens poor record in finals may put some question marks over GB places for some of their players.

If our players are great all year, but cannot perform in the big matches (and internationals are the biggest of stages) then Bennett may think twice!

[Charlie RL 139]

1 minute ago, Chris22 said:

St Helens poor record in finals may put some question marks over GB places for some of their players.

Harsh if one game makes the difference?

 Walmsley, Coote and Grace all particularly under performed I felt. 

[Man of Kent 5,655]

Hodgson>Clark>Roby

Roby’s old

[Curly perm 36]

4 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

It is probably all moot as I expect Bennett to select Hodgson ahead of both of them.

And so he should. Hodgson has been brilliant this year, Canberra are third and genuine title contenders. 

[Dunbar 7,201]

2 minutes ago, Curly perm said:

And so he should. Hodgson has been brilliant this year, Canberra are third and genuine title contenders. 

As I say, Hodgson is quality and one of the top 3 hookers in the NRL. I happen to think based on their overall games that both Roby and Clark are better.

[Damien 7,933]

I don't think that Hodgson has ever really performed on the international stage.

[Man of Kent 5,655]

There’s a few players that are coming to the end of the international road.

There’s a case for not taking the likes of Roby, Graham, O’Loughlin and Hill on the tour as they’ll be too old for the World Cup in 2021.

Edited August 25, 2019 by Man of Kent

[GeordieSaint 5,658]

Roby wasn’t great yesterday... just come back from injury and clearly not ready offensively. But I read he made 63 tackles... is that true? Incredible effort considering the heat and recent lay off.

Clarke was immense - absolutely immense. And deserves to tour.

Both are exceptional players.

Edited August 25, 2019 by GeordieSaint

[Loiner 258]

Hodgson and Clark for me.

[Tex Evans Thigh 889]

Hodgson to start and Clark to rotate based on yesterday. That would be a good combination and would give Clark a good opportunity to make an impact. 

Roby is great but if Hodgson is starting I think Clark is the better rotation option, particularly as Roby gets older.

shame it’s not a proper tour and you’d just take all three.

[Mr Frisky 669]

We are lucky to have all 3 but Roby is still the best player in SL so is still the best in the UK so must play for GB.

[gillmeister 780]

Roby is expected to do too many minutes and he hasn’t got the legs to jump out and trouble the defence in a way that Clark can. On form Hodgson and Clark should be the top two selections 

[DoubleD 4,905]

Hodgson and Roby for me

[ghost crayfish 811]

Roby is great but declining a bit and getting old. Hodgson and Clark are in their prime now and will be through to the world cup. It's their time now. England/GB are best off letting Roby rest up in the off season. It might prolong his career and allow him to be effective if needed for the Ashes. 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield 1,229]

Hodgson, but I’d have all 3 in the squad 

[Just Browny 6,878]

9 hours ago, Curly perm said:

And so he should. Hodgson has been brilliant this year, Canberra are third and genuine title contenders. 

Roby and Clark's teams are first and second.

[Gus Tyson 42]

Hodgson and Roby would be tough to split.

i'd maybe start with roby then bring Hodgson on as they are starting to tire a bit.

I like clark but a few good games doesn't move him above the other 2 for me.

[Saint 1 1,560]

Roby before Saturday has only played once since the 9th of June. I would be hesistant to judge him on yesterday's performance when he has been very good for the rest of the year. Particularly given how much defence he had to do because of his team making 20 errors!

 

[MrPosh 871]

Hodgson tends to overplay a little for me. Fine when you set up that way, as Canberra has done - they know he's their best playmaker, so he has a passive half-back and a running stand-off.

Get into the national team and, for example, Widdop is a better player than Sezer (and Hodgson) and needs the ball simply and quickly to run the game. Roby does that and Hodgson doesn't.

I think whoever you choose, Clark is the second choice.

[ELBOWSEYE 721]

39 minutes ago, Gus Tyson said:

Hodgson and Roby would be tough to split.

i'd maybe start with roby then bring Hodgson on as they are starting to tire a bit.

I like clark but a few good games doesn't move him above the other 2 for me.

A few good games, he has been outstanding all year.