Hooker struggling at 13

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Jan 05, 2026, 13:07

We know he is a good player but it looks like 13 is not for him. Two one on one tackles missed in the first 10 minutes and nothing from him all game


The Sharks failed yet again with a side boasting 12 Boks against the Lions having 4.


Young sensation Pead put them to bed in the 80th with his well worked try


I can see a long Bok partnership with Sacha materialising in the near future.


For the rest, I thought the Tsituka brothers were good as was Ox and Jenkins. Edwil and Williams were good.


For the Lions Bronson Mills at 12 was good as was Nthlabakanye and vd Bergh

Jan 05, 2026, 15:57

The S harks have a center and flyhalf problem they have to solve, Esterhuizen was wickedly poor on Saturday - his ball skills and passing have gone missing and I think the Sharks have to accept him to play as a loosie and find a replacement for Hooker, JJ is supershit and slow and he s not the answer either,


There are donkeys in the Bul side as well - Van Staadn bein g the most prominent oe as well.


Have toa greeith you Mills is a much bette 12 than any of the other 12's were on Satiday.


As to the Stormers game they should not have bought in Ackerman at 6 - he wa shotpoor in that position.


As to t he S tormers - they will have to up their game agains Harlequins on Sunday and so would the Sharks have to do in playing Sale Sharks. The Bulls have a home game against Bristol this Saturday.

Jan 05, 2026, 17:58

Hooker looks lost at 13 - I don’t think it suits him. Your 13 needs to be fleet of foot, it does not suit the big guys.


Hooker is another DA and AE - his spot is 12 - physicality and a bit of creativity.


Your best equipped 13’s have that something different - the ability to exploit space, being a little quicker and lighter to manoeuvre into space - that was Am and is Moodie and Jurenzo Julius

Jan 05, 2026, 18:00

13 Ethan Hooker: Needed more opportunities in attack and was guilty of a few misreads defensively too. It’s seldom that he has an underwhelming performance, but this match was the anomaly. 4


12 Andre Esterhuizen (c): Was his usual imposing self in contact, but the powerhouse Springbok was uncharacteristically error-ridden with four turnovers conceded. Brilliantly kicked through to send Van der Merwe away for his try too, but his decision to scrum in front of the posts near the end was a costly one. 4

Jan 05, 2026, 20:10

Jurenzo Julius fleet of foot?

Jan 05, 2026, 20:44

Yes very

 
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