Correct, and Roby wouldn't be in the top five, which is a sad reflection of the game over here.

Yeah, I find the Ryan Hall claim a bit embarassing.

Theres no doubt in my mind Roby and Tomkins are a couple of the worlds best players.

Hock was a liability last season and the two previous seasons before banned out of the game. If I remember correctly he couldn't even make Wigan's 17 for their biggest game of the season last year. Now after a dozen or so regular season rounds of decent form he's supposedly in the best three back rowers in the world?

To make such a claim form must be produced over an extended period of time and perform at the top level in games that matter (play-offs, semis and finals) and on the represensative stage. Once he's done that then he can be considered in that bracket not after Brian Noble and Ian Millward have said so on BBC2.

At his peak Paul Sculthorpe certainly could. Playing in the NRL certainly enhances credibility to the claims, however it is not a piece of criteria which automatically means that anybody who doesn't isn't worth discussing as such. I'm not suggesting Hock is btw because he isn't.

You're right there is more than one, and even the other top hookers like Farrah, Luke, Ennis etc arn't in the same league as CS. Imo he's the best player in the world not just the best hooker in the world. Players like Thurston, Slater, Inglis and Marshall may get all the rave reviews but CS just takes the award for me.

I think Roby is the second best hooker in the world as guys like Farah and Ennis are overrated by a lot fans. I mean, Buderus nearly got picked ahead of them for this years SOO.

Exactly, there over rated by the fans but not by the people who matter. The coaches!

must be true then

Roby is easily better than both Farah and Ennis. And after Smith, he's the best hooker.

If only,Rommel would bust a gut.

Tony Williams, Sam Thaiday, Gareth Ellis

Hock is nothing more than an English clone of Willie Mason, and look what happened to him

Plus I don't know why you are all so erect over the NRL, there is quite a shortage of hookers over there, with the exception of Smith. Roby more than holds his own in comparison with the rest of them

It's amazing that some opposition fans are so bitter that they cannot recognise the quality of Roby who has already lifted himself into the status of the second greatest British hooker of all-time. It must really gall to see [iThe S[/i rattle off streams of quality ball playing, rip roaring and defence busting hookers whilst others give us one dimensional placards like Nicky Kiss, Martin Dermott, John Clarke, McIllorum etc., not necessarily bad players themselves just FIOS when it comes to hookers.

There's more hookers in Wigan, not sure about the quality to be fair

When is McIllorum due to start his stint as "GB's hooker for years to come"?

Houghton should (but won't) be next in line after roby.

I agree with saints fans, roby is the next best hooker after Cameron smith, there's only roby and Tomkins in super league that would be in High demand in the nrl