Always a Wasp

General Category => Wasps Rugby Discussion => Topic started by: Raggs on February 25, 2021, 03:02:58 PM

Title: Cruse signs extension
Post by: Raggs on February 25, 2021, 03:02:58 PM
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/tom-cruse-wasps-new-contract-19915375

Perfect for our hooking stocks I reckon.
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: Rossm on February 25, 2021, 03:06:28 PM
Very good news.
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: Neils on February 25, 2021, 03:07:53 PM
Superb news
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: HDAWG on February 25, 2021, 03:11:40 PM
Yay!!!
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: Horusthewasp on February 25, 2021, 03:20:43 PM
Fantastic news! He really has flourished recently. Isn’t he one of our top try scorers this season too?

Need to nail down Gaskell now.
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: Rory87 on February 25, 2021, 03:25:55 PM
Fantastic news!!

Would certainly have been my choice to keep between Cruse or Taylor.

With Oghre and Barberry coming through to challenge him, we have a great set of Hookers in the squad
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: WonkyWasp on February 25, 2021, 03:37:10 PM
Absolutely brilliant.  Great.
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: hookender on February 25, 2021, 03:42:31 PM
Best news of the week so far.
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: Shugs on February 25, 2021, 04:02:22 PM
Hooker = sorted. Cruse, Oghre, Barbeary.
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: Covkid40 on February 26, 2021, 10:55:01 AM
By the sound of things I'm the only one concerned, not by the extension for Cruise because that's great news. for me Oghre hasn't proved he's a premiership standard hooker yet and we just don't know about Barbeary at hooker at this level, that's not to say both are not very talented and promising especially Barbeary, if Cruise had a season ending injury would you really be happy going into a season with Oghre and Barbeary as your senior options? 
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: hookender on February 26, 2021, 11:02:32 AM
By the sound of things I'm the only one concerned, not by the extension for Cruise because that's great news. for me Oghre hasn't proved he's a premiership standard hooker yet and we just don't know about Barbeary at hooker at this level, that's not to say both are not very talented and promising especially Barbeary, if Cruise had a season ending injury would you really be happy going into a season with Oghre and Barbeary as your senior options?
Unfortunately that could be the case in any position, with our short term loan signings.

Agree it would leave us exposed, but this is all speculation on our part, who knows what the club has in mind.
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: coddy on February 26, 2021, 11:06:23 AM
By the sound of things I'm the only one concerned, not by the extension for Cruise because that's great news. for me Oghre hasn't proved he's a premiership standard hooker yet and we just don't know about Barbeary at hooker at this level, that's not to say both are not very talented and promising especially Barbeary, if Cruise had a season ending injury would you really be happy going into a season with Oghre and Barbeary as your senior options?


I agree with your reservations as there are still question marks over Barbeary and Oghre's line out throwing under pressure.

They are both still very young for Hookers though and perhaps the short term pain in their learning process will be Wasps long term gain.
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: Covkid40 on February 26, 2021, 11:11:45 AM
I understand this could happen in any position but hooker is probably the most specialised position in the whole team. for the majority of positions others could switch positions and fill in. Other specialist positions rarely have two relatively young and inexperienced players and only one proven senior player. I may be worrying over nothing and both prove to be outstanding.
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: Rossm on February 26, 2021, 11:17:52 AM
I understand this could happen in any position but hooker is probably the most specialised position in the whole team. for the majority of positions others could switch positions and fill in. Other specialist positions rarely have two relatively young and inexperienced players and only one proven senior player. I may be worrying over nothing and both prove to be outstanding.

Is the hooker the only player who can throw the ball in at a line out?
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: will311293 on February 26, 2021, 11:27:06 AM
I have a feeling we might see an experienced hooker come in as well. Maybe another journeyman. Realistically Jack won't be back for a while and therefore think we might see Alfie deployed in backrow more than anything.

Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: hookender on February 26, 2021, 11:42:36 AM
I understand this could happen in any position but hooker is probably the most specialised position in the whole team. for the majority of positions others could switch positions and fill in. Other specialist positions rarely have two relatively young and inexperienced players and only one proven senior player. I may be worrying over nothing and both prove to be outstanding.

Is the hooker the only player who can throw the ball in at a line out?

No anyone can throw the ball in, has been a back in past history, it evolved into a forwards job and eventually became the norm for hookers who were generally shortest on pitch and not much good at jumping high.
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: Trevs Big Tackle on February 26, 2021, 11:44:15 AM
Given how good those two players are around the park and in the back row and centre (;)), if they were particularly bad at throwing into the lineout they wouldn't have gone through all the age group teams at hooker.
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: baldpaul101 on February 26, 2021, 11:52:16 AM
Wasps did quite well with Big Trevor as Hooker, the only thing he could throw straight was KFC down his neck!   ;D ;D
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: Rossm on February 26, 2021, 12:15:12 PM
I understand this could happen in any position but hooker is probably the most specialised position in the whole team. for the majority of positions others could switch positions and fill in. Other specialist positions rarely have two relatively young and inexperienced players and only one proven senior player. I may be worrying over nothing and both prove to be outstanding.

Is the hooker the only player who can throw the ball in at a line out?

No anyone can throw the ball in, has been a back in past history, it evolved into a forwards job and eventually became the norm for hookers who were generally shortest on pitch and not much good at jumping high.

When I was playing, the wing threw in. I have always thought that a tall player would be better at it than a shorter player.
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: wasps on February 26, 2021, 09:51:28 PM

I don't think there's much of a problem having a different player throw in.

However, at elite level, it's about repetition to ensure you have the same action every time, that you throw correctly every time and to ensure you throw the exact distance you require every time.
That means lots of practice over an extended period of time

It's not like you can chuck the ball to the winger and expect it to just work.


Hookers practice this throughout their entire youth career (at least those that play hooker at age grade).
You often find the ones that transition to hooker late (Tom Lindsay as an example) are the ones that struggle at the lineout the most.


If a winger was to throw in at the lineout, you'd want them to have been practicing it for years before being expected to do it at elite level



And if you then had a hooker in the team who didn't throw in, there would always be question marks as to why.
That player would be unlikely to have an international career and would find their options limited when looking for other clubs.
It's really not in their interest
Title: Re: Cruse signs extension
Post by: hookender on February 27, 2021, 10:46:49 AM
Others must practice just in case hookers (including replacement) get injured.Might also consider it if you want to increase line out for driving maul.