Re: Clarke : Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:09 pm  

Clarke should be nowhere near the team.

Higham is a better option as an interchange hooker, and we also have youngsters who should be ahead of him as a substitute for the back row positions.

Still can't believe he was given a four year deal, a scandalous decision and one that Tony Smith would never have made.

Re: Clarke : Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:11 pm  

FireWire wrote:

one that Tony Smith would never have made.

Again! He picked him to play internationals.

Re: Clarke : Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:23 pm  

The All New Chester Wire wrote:

Again! He picked him to play internationals.

doesnt mean he would have given him a 4 year deal though does it,imo and only mine i reckon even when fit again he would need at least a month in the reserves to get some game time under his belt again,sl is that close this season that anyone not up to speed would have a detrimental effect on the team thus giving the boo boys more ammo.not a great fan of clarkes but i would sooner see him as a fast running second row/loose coming off the bench and there are worse out there (somewhere)!!!!

Re: Clarke : Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:02 am  

The All New Chester Wire wrote:

Again! He picked him to play internationals.

He got picked for England simply because of the lack of available hookers, i stand to be corrected here but i seem to remember we had quite a few injuries at the time, Newton was injured, i think Higham was injured as well, i think their was a problem with Diskin and if memory serves me right James Roby`s wife was about to give birth and he made himself unavailable. I thought he was average at best against a weakened kiwi side.

Re: Clarke : Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:14 am  

Rob Wire wrote:

He got picked for England simply because of the lack of available hookers, i stand to be corrected here but i seem to remember we had quite a few injuries at the time, Newton was injured, i think Higham was injured as well, i think their was a problem with Diskin and if memory serves me right James Roby`s wife was about to give birth and he made himself unavailable. I thought he was average at best against a weakened kiwi side.

Newton was dropped for Clarke wasn't he? Don't recall him being injured.

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

Re: Clarke : Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:18 am  

Carbon Glacier wrote:

Newton was dropped for Clarke wasn't he? Don't recall him being injured.

correct and diskin just wasn't selected.

Re: Clarke : Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:34 am  

Thats why i said i stood to be corrected as i wasn`t 100% sure, i think it was the year after that Newton fractured his cheekbone towards the back end of the season. Diskin was an odd one as he had been in good form for Leeds.

Re: Clarke : Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:12 am  

My initial thought is that Clarke will be taking up a pretty large portion of the salary cap to play as 3rd, or maybe joint 2nd, choice hooker. Based on that I would rather, if we can find a club and terms agreeable to all, offload Clarke.

However, I prefer to go into a game with a bench consisting of 2 props, a hooker and a utility player (preferabley a forward). On reflection, and having read some comments on this thread, Jon Clarke is an ideal utility interchange. As has been said he can cover halfback, second row, loose and (obviously) hooker.

Given a choice between VAnderson or Clarke as 17th man I would take Clarke every time. The more likely choice between Clarke or Grix as 17th man is far more difficult and I suspect would depend very much on the opposition, weather/ground conditions and probably most importantly, minor (ie players can still play but...) injuries to any of the other 16.

Re: Clarke : Tue Mar 09, 2010 8:46 am  

This whole Jon Clarke business is exactly the same as with Mike Wainwright a few years back. The typical blinkered Wire fan cannot & will not see what the player brings to the team, because he doesn't make 50 yard scoots from the ptb or throw out wonder passes to the 3/4 line he doesn't seem worthy of the mentions. What Clarke will bring to the starting lineup is a steadying influence allowing the forwards to build the platform before the backs get all excited spraying the ball around left right & centre. We nearly came unstuck at Cas for having no forward platform and only Lee Briers grabbing the game by the scruff got us out of a big hole. You have to have players who will do the simple things & do them well - and Jon Clarke does that. Let him play the starting role & bring Monas off the bench to wreak havoc after 20 when the opposition are tired of being battered by Morley/Carvell/Westwood & Louis.

Re: Clarke : Tue Mar 09, 2010 8:53 am  

And Clarke does actually do very good long passes out to the centres. Just not very quickly from the play the ball area. His 50 yard scoot in Barcelona wan't bad either.