Viable long term **Hooker** for Munster??!!

[Grandpasimpson]

I hope Cronin picks up an infection from all the splinters in his arse.

Fla at his peak was a nailed on Lions starter and one of the finest hookers in world rugby.A forward that was geniunely as hard as nails - Consistently leaving the pitch with bust noses and black eyes.
None of our ooptions are likely to scale the heights.

I miss Fla

[BOK]

That is so idiotic it defies belief. Honestly, some posters here need to learn a lesson about ridiculous hyperbole and the meaning of the word "fact". So it's a "fact" that Sherry who made his heineken debut at the age of 22 and is still only 24 can never reach the level of Flannery who made his debut at 25 and wasn't established until Frankie Sheehan had his injury, at 26. Yes he had an immediate impact but he was also 2 years older. Get a grip please.

Chill the f**k out! This is an internet forum, we are all F**king experts in case you didn't notice! I perhaps made an unfair comment on Sherry's future ability, I take it back and apologise.

Honestly some posters on here get so annoyed and upset by insignificant ramblings! They really would want to get a grip!

[Thomond78]

Chill the f**k out! This is an internet forum, we are all F**king experts in case you didn't notice! I perhaps made an unfair comment on Sherry's future ability, I take it back and apologise.

Honestly some posters on here get so annoyed and upset by insignificant ramblings! They really would want to get a grip!

I'll grip you!

[mtcmolloy]

How about sean henry?
Sure aren't we laden down with hookers. weren't the 2 JRWC hookers munster men?

[rathbaner]

I'd like to know what the double asterisks in the title signify.

[offshorerules]

I'd like to know what the double asterisks in the title signify.

They mean "post twice as mush rubbish than the usual drivel".

[gavindillon]

Hookers everywhere! Niall Scannell and James Rael at the JWC! Plenty of options.

[The Blind Side]

Ive said it before that the IRFU must get sean cronin back to munster. He's in the international set up ahead of both varley & sherry yet cant get into the leinster team, he would do a damn good job for Munster and suits the munster way!!!. seems like a total waste to me to having him benching for EHC games.

Rory best is the No 1 hooker in ireland with cronin, strauss, coming behind him. Surely it makes more sense to have Best in Ulster as first choice, Strauss in leinster as first choice and Cronin in Munster as first choice. This way all 3 international hookers are playing as first choice hookers in their respective teams, which will lead to much more competition for international places thus bringing the best out of each player.

Now im not knocking any of the hookers we have Sherry, Varley, Real & Scannel are decent players but not International's. Long term Scannel will be the man but to get the best out of him he has to serve his time behind an established international hooker, like Fla did under Frankie, or like frankie did under woodie or eben go to the west for a stint as Fla did. Varley or Sherry didnt sit behind fla for long enough, I think that if both sherry & scannel sweat it out behing Cronin it will help them develpoment and help us with finding a long term option for the no2 shirt.

Either way we have to get someone whom can fill fla's boots longterm and I thing its Cronin deputised by Scannel.

[Munsterboy]

Ive said it before that the IRFU must get sean cronin back to munster. He's in the international set up ahead of both varley & sherry yet cant get into the leinster team, he would do a damn good job for Munster and suits the munster way!!!. seems like a total waste to me to having him benching for EHC games.

Rory best is the No 1 hooker in ireland with cronin, strauss, coming behind him. Surely it makes more sense to have Best in Ulster as first choice, Strauss in leinster as first choice and Cronin in Munster as first choice. This way all 3 international hookers are playing as first choice hookers in their respective teams, which will lead to much more competition for international places thus bringing the best out of each player.

Now im not knocking any of the hookers we have Sherry, Varley, Real & Scannel are decent players but not International's. Long term Scannel will be the man but to get the best out of him he has to serve his time behind an established international hooker, like Fla did under Frankie, or like frankie did under woodie or eben go to the west for a stint as Fla did. Varley or Sherry didnt sit behind fla for long enough, I think that if both sherry & scannel sweat it out behing Cronin it will help them develpoment and help us with finding a long term option for the no2 shirt.

Either way we have to get someone whom can fill fla's boots longterm and I thing its Cronin deputised by Scannel.

I honestly think that for all his ball carrying ability, we may be better off with Sherry for the simple reason that he can throw. Cronin is pretty unreliable in that respect and we can't afford to have an unreliable lineout.

If he had any sense he's go back to Connacht or go to England where he'd be starting week-in week-out. He's about to drop to third in the Irish pecking order now that Strauss (who's playing very very well) is Irish qualified. He could soon find himself in fourth place if Sherry has a good HEC this year.

If he wanted to come home, I wouldn't be unwelcoming but I'm not sure he'd walk into the team either.

[Cowboy]

Amazing how fellas are just written off at the drop of a hat.

[lactose intolerant]

I honestly think that for all his ball carrying ability, we may be better off with Sherry for the simple reason that he can throw. Cronin is pretty unreliable in that respect and we can't afford to have an unreliable lineout.

If he had any sense he's go back to Connacht or go to England where he'd be starting week-in week-out. He's about to drop to third in the Irish pecking order now that Strauss (who's playing very very well) is Irish qualified. He could soon find himself in fourth place if Sherry has a good HEC this year.

If he wanted to come home, I wouldn't be unwelcoming but I'm not sure he'd walk into the team either.

Sherry is already better than Cronin....

[Cowboy]

Sherry is already better than Cronin....

And the Fla sat in Frankie's shadow for many a year, but lets not allow that get in the way of writing off what we have at the moment.

[John123]

Ulster may be the place for Cronin....

[Tarfman79]

Hookers everywhere! Niall Scannell and James Rael at the JWC! Plenty of options.

dont think i've ever seen Varley play a match without making an impression on me, generally the positives are he's well able to steal a vital ball on the ground and he's hard as nails...negatives being he also seems to give away penalties in the red zone every match without fail and his lineout's iffy.

Sherry looks class & has the dynamism Penny's gameplan requires.
saw Rael a few weeks back for Garryowen and he looked very good, great thrower, didnt seem to have a huge frame so not sure how much more he'd bulk up.

Munster is the best spot for Cronin after this season.

[tedster]

dont think i've ever seen Varley play a match without making an impression on me, generally the positives are he's well able to steal a vital ball on the ground and he's hard as nails...negatives being he also seems to give away penalties in the red zone every match without fail and his lineout's iffy.

Sherry looks class & has the dynamism Penny's gameplan requires.
saw Rael a few weeks back for Garryowen and he looked very good, great thrower, didnt seem to have a huge frame so not sure how much more he'd bulk up.

Munster is the best spot for Cronin after this season.

Ya Varley makes an impression alright by either getting sent off or sin binned. his form has dropped a lot i think dunno when he's put in a decent performance last and his line outs are a bit dodgy

[The Blind Side]

Ulster may be the place for Cronin....

Why? so he can sit behind Rory Best and warm the bench again.

[jeepers]

Whats to stop Strauss, once he is capped, doing a Rickie Flutey on it by hightailing it off to Saracens or France now that he is a capped international and worth a few extra bob?

edit: Straus's contract is up at the end of this season. If I were the IRFU I'd hold off capping him until he has signed a new contract with Leinster.

[onthe 22]

Joey, he hasn't. Sorry, but he simply hasn't. His throwing on Saturday was below standard, even allowing for the conditions. What was notable about Dougall's try was that it was the first time in an age Varley has thrown to the tail inside the 22 and hit his man - and we scored. His persistent inaccuracy costs us that platform and removes our ability to go to the corner and increase the pressure.

Very good observation on a continual malfunction in the LO.
And it has cost us more than once.

[John123]

Why? so he can sit behind Rory Best and warm the bench again.

For some reason I thought Best was 32/33....shocked to see he just turned 30!!!

Anyway, I think Cronin will need to make a move IF Strauss declares for Ireland.

[Cathal]

Joey, he hasn't. Sorry, but he simply hasn't. His throwing on Saturday was below standard, even allowing for the conditions. What was notable about Dougall's try was that it was the first time in an age Varley has thrown to the tail inside the 22 and hit his man - and we scored. His persistent inaccuracy costs us that platform and removes our ability to go to the corner and increase the pressure.

Except we fans don't know who was responsible for the lineout errors, do we?
Penney mentioned during the week that we lost 4 lineouts and only one was attributable to Varley - an over-throw. The others were RM getting up in front of our jumper, a wrong call and a mis-timed lift.
I do agree with the general point of Varley not being an amazing thrower though - him overthrowing in the opposition 22 drives me ****ing bananas. Obviously long throws are a weakness for him so why call it when it's almost 50/50? Much better to have secure ball at 2 or 4.

[Thomond78]

Penney also dropped Varley.

[masterchief]

For some reason I thought Best was 32/33....shocked to see he just turned 30!!!

Anyway, I think Cronin will need to make a move IF Strauss declares for Ireland.

Moving won't make him much better at this stage.

[Billy Boy]

Was very impressed with Casey's throw in at the lineout in Tralee today when he came on, like I said elsewhere they were like bullets.

[Cathal]

Penney also dropped Varley.

He's been chopping and changing the hookers all season.

[RichardP]

Ulster may be the place for Cronin....

Ulster don't need another hooker who can't throw straight under pressure; neither do we. Cronin made his bed and he hasn't improved much with the Ladys. That's not their fault.

[RichardP]

I do agree with the general point of Varley not being an amazing thrower though - him overthrowing in the opposition 22 drives me ****ing bananas. Obviously long throws are a weakness for him so why call it when it's almost 50/50? Much better to have secure ball at 2 or 4.

Also much easier for opponents to defend when you limit a fundamental attacking option from your arsenal. it is totally unacceptable that a hooker cannot throw accurately at the professional level but Varley's few lineouts today v Sweaties were spot on and a big improvement.

[Tobyglen]

Sherry will be the a starter for a few years. Leave Cronin pick up splinters in Dublin. Serves him right for moving to the darkside.

[Thomond78]

In fairness, Varley threw well when he came on. But I'd still start Sherry.

[garryowen2323]

I thought Varley was outstanding when he came on today. Carried very well and single handedly got us the bonus point. Great steal on the ground (impossible man to move with his body position perfect) to win the penalty, accurate throw from ensuing line-out, peels away at the back of the rolling maul to touch down. There is a lot of talk about his inaccurate throwing which can be frustrating at crucial times in the game but I don't buy into this "Sherry never misses" attitude that some people have. Sherry is slightly more accurate but still misses his fair share. Varls has a greater impact at the breakdown. Varls is a better carrier in the tight. Sherry is more dynamic in the loose. Scrummaging............??? Not got a clue!

[galinka]

Sherry and James Rael to be the top 2, Scannell is a leader but i think Rael is potentially a better and more dynamic hooker

Agree both great prospects