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Message: [QUOTE="Dazza 92, post: 3108687, member: 8727"] i still remember when Granville broke into the first team, end of season we had to make a decision; back Granville into the role full time, split the role 50/50 between him and Macca...or simply back the incumbent...at the time it wasn't that easy a choice. Cant blame the club for sticking with a 80 minute hooker we already had, don't blame Jake for thinking his time had come and moving on. Both were instrumental for getting their respective clubs to square of at the GF. Thing is; that game represented the peak for both, plus a change was introduced into the game that is still not fully appreciated; data analysis Went a long way towards accurately quantifying what Cam Smith had spent most of his career doing from dummy half. Hence everyone said "get the next Cam Smith..."! yeh about that... But what it did do was start to change the way the hooker is used; conventional wisdom said your halfback needed the ball in his hands the most, but the data showed the fitness levels of modern players were making the playing field less "wide" so the best place to gain advantages now is around the ruck; use the 1 guy who touches the ball more than anyone, give him a half backs brain and vision allied with acceleration to really bend a defensive line back and take advantage of half gaps etc... Enter Damien Cook... So seems like Brisbane (and NQ) were caught out as the changing of the guard began, and as neither club took any notice of this we are where we are... Of course, you cant click 2 fingers together and produce another Cook/Smith, but at least acknowledge the trend and plan accordingly... [/QUOTE]

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