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Message: [QUOTE="Allo, post: 2549889, member: 8190"] I'm a fan of Macca, and I think he'll be very much like Smith in the future. Remember that Smith is one of the greatest hookers we've seen. An amazing hooker isn't necessarily needed to win premierships - look at Manly with Matt Ballin. Yes he has international halves to work with meaning all he has to do is service his forwards well, and thus, be only a solid player. To change his effectiveness Macca just needs to pace himself. He tackles himself into the ground, leaving him knackered to do anything in attack, probably why he's so 'slow' in his DH passing (apparently). The forward pack need to pitch in and reduce his workload (looking at you Capt Sam) so he's not Dallas Johnson-ing it up inside 50 mins and needing to be benched or run on auto-pilot. He's signed to the end of 2015, so I say we re-examine his position and any potential replacements AFTER the 2014 season. Give him every shot next year to show he can be our own Smith. Play him for 80. Tell him to back himself in attack. Practice those 40-20s out of DH (which work more often than not). Get Kerrod Walters to help develop him. Do it all. That way he can't say the club didn't give him every opportunity. I know people will come back and say "he's had 125 shots to show us that" and to that I say fair point, but since he started he's had relatively ordinary props in Sims, Clinton, Taylor, Kenny, Sanderpson, Tronc,and since Locky left, a largely ineffective Thaiday (Not exactly a squad of Burgii or the pack we had of Thorn, Tunza, Webcke & Petero in the early 00's). Add to that he was still 'growing up' during that whole time, from here he'll mature and it should show in his game. And with what should be an ever-improving squad in Hannant, McGuire, Dodds, now Kennedy, a hopefully fit Hala and JWallace, we're looking a lot better. An effective forward pack makes life so much easier for hookers (and everyone). Look how good it's made Luke and Jake Friend play (and look) in the last few years. Ours could allow AM to use his quick running game properly where he draws a lot of penalties against back-pedalling offside markers. He can do those 40-20s without defenders in his face pressuring him. Also the refresh in the halves could be another catalyst for a positive form change. Anyway, by the end of '14, he'll rack up the 150 (assuming we make finals) which is a nice round number to judge him on. And he'll still be only 24. When/If we get Smith he'll be 32. Just saying. Hope you enjoyed my 2am ramble :type: [/QUOTE]

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