I LANDED a few conversions and penalty goals in my career, especially at my first club Hull, and particularly in my second season, 1984-85, when I topped 100.
We also had Lee Crooks, who was in the old-school of goal-kicking forwards, and Welsh winger Paul Prendiville, who were capable with the boot.
Then in my last season at The Boulevard, 1986-87, Hull signed Welsh rugby union international fly-half Gary Pearce.
He and Crooksy took the main responsibility for kicking, but we still had back-up in myself and Kevin Dick, who had joined from Leeds.
So this season’s situation at Hull KR, where Jez Litten was handed the tee after poor efforts by Peta Hiku and James Batchelor in the first game, is a strange one.
Despite just one goal from six attempts, Rovers were able to win the opening-night derby at Hull FC quite comfortably, so they got off the hook.
Then Litten notched five from five as Leeds were seen off in round two, only to say he’d only got the job pretty much through the shortcomings of others.
When Rovers visited Salford in match number three, we saw the value of a reliable kicker – as the Red Devils’ Marc Sneyd put the boot into Wille Peters’ side, who had both Batchelor (missed) and Litten (scored) trying from the tee.
Then in round four at home to Warrington, neither side had much success with the boot, and the Wolves edged it through scoring five tries to four, when with more accuracy with kicks, Rovers would have claimed the two points.
I admire almost all of what Peters has achieved at Rovers, and I think they’re in for another good season.
But his apparent lack of concern over having reliable kicking options is a head scratcher, and it’s hard to believe he’s as relaxed as he seems about it.
Adding the two to tries, and taking advantage of penalties when the need arises, is so important, otherwise you’re just throwing away points.
It’s one thing doing that when you’re in control of a contest, but quite another when things are tight, as they were on Thursday.
Ideally, you’d have two or three decent kickers, and I just hope Rovers’ lack of them doesn’t again bite them on the backside in key games.
