Penky? Gleeson? Beswick?


Either way we have the best THREE hookers outside of super league playing for us





Has Mark Smith played this year yet??

Sorry Widnes fans but Penky and Gleeson are different class to Smith i cant say he's impresses me like Penky or Gleeson for me it's

Best-Penky
2nd - Gleeson
3rd-Smith
4th-Beswick

Oh dear. I fear a comment from VikingMan over this. Mark Smith is God - It will be preached.

From what i've seen i'd take Beswick before Smith. Smith's defo playing behind a weaker pack than our hookers have so far this year.

vikingman can throw all the spider webs he wants over mark smith but the reality is that Smith has been out played by our first choice, second choice and third choice hooker this year..

IMO Smith hasn't had a decent game in 3 years, against us for certain. All three of our hookers are easily better than him.

Dare I say Duffy has been better than Smith in our last few meetings.

Beswick got Hooker in this months Rugby league World Team of the Month, Penky was 5th placed in the 1-5 for the Hooker position.

The lad at Barrow Ellis is class and i expect him to be in Super league very soon.

Penky is the best player in the Championships full stop

Just a pity he's playing for you lot instead of us

Had his chance at Hull KR didn't he? He is good but nothing like as good as Penky, Beswick was also better than him last week.

I'd argue that, as good as Penky is, Gleeson is a step above.

Fev REALLY Missed out there.

Cameron Smith by a country mile

Agree Gleeson is better than Penky but there still the best 2 hookers in this league.

Beswick has looked very good indeed at hooker since Gleese has been injured . . . will he get anymore game time there?

Beswick's favourite position is hooker, but he'd never get a look in at Widnes when Smith was fit, because having watched the two players for the last few years for us, Smith is bar far the better hooker. I'd agree that Penky is a better player than Smith, but it's even with Gleeson. Gleeson can't play for 80 minutes, otherwise he'd still be at Warrington, and Penky doesn't play 80 mins either, Smith does every week.

When Smith doesn't play, it has a major effect on us as his passing, defence and organisation is all very good. Some people judge hookers on alot more than scooting from dummy half.

Penky can play 80 minutes, he's just not as effective. Look at all the best teams, they've all got 2 good hookers who interchange, Saints with cunnigham and roby, Leeds with Diskin and buderus. Not sure who your back up hooker is? but the reason why smith possibly plays 80 minutes every week is that your reserve hooker is a big step down from smith.

Exactly right, but thats my point that if Smith was an interchange hooker, he may scoot more etc. as Penky and Glees can do.

Our reserve hooker is Brett Robinson who we got from Wigan's A team, and is a million miles behind Smith by the look of things/

Has Duffy ever played there? I'm sure some people will say it's a bad shout but he's playing loose forward now which he hasn't played much of so could be worth a go at hooker. Plus if it gives Smith a chance to rest he could be more effective.

Not really, he went there for short spells pre-season when McCormack was giving everyone game time but he wasn't too effective. Maybe he needs more time there to learn the role? Certainly an option.

McCormack was a fan of Smith playing the full game as he never used him and Beswick amongst the hookers, Beswick always played loose forward. Now I don't think Cullen has a choice, though with regards to when he was at Warrington he used Clarke and Gleeson as interchange hookers so he may look into it.

My first choice Hooker outside SL would definately be Gleeson.
I agree that Penky is, at times, devastating. But he has a habit of making some poor decisions, particular about his passing. He often fires passes at prop forwards chests which are almost impossible to hold on to and on far too many occasions he give the flat pass too late, and the ball, attacker and defender all arrive in the same place at the same time.
Gleeson plays mistake free rugby, looks to have all the time in the world with the ball in hand, hardly seems to break in to a jog and oppostition still struggle to get 2 hands on him. Defensively he is solid as a rock.

Halifax have the best 2 hookers in the division, and with beswick we have one of the best all round rugby players.

Gleeson is an outstanding Hooker but imo when Smiths at his best, he has to be the best outside superleague. Will tear defences up left right and centre.

When was he last at his best then?

We've got not just the three best hookers in the league, but argubly three of the best players in the division.

Bout 3 seasons back.

This thread must be killing Vikingman. You know you want to reply.

Indeed . . . there is always a lot of hype about Smith, but when has he actually shown he is up there with the best?