Benaiah to become the dominant 9 over Robson

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

Benaiah is twice as classy. Robson is a small body grinder.

It won't take long.

RULE 1: Don't buy small body grinder hookers for $750k a season, 18 months out from the time they will even join you, when you have a development program aimed at identifying young talent. For farks sake. Robson has lost his origin spot since we bought him. After him they picked, Blayke Brailey!!! Another small body 27yo grinding hooker.

Benny is 21. Remember that cross field kick he did for Toops to score unmarked in the left corner?

Not a chance Robson or Blayke Brailey could even attempt that play, let alone make it look so easy.

Benny has instinct that they don't.

[David Sutherland]

Mmm Jake Friend did okay, and he was even smaller at 175cm compared to Reece Robson at 180cm, which is the same height as Benaiah Ioelu.

I am sure Benaiah Ioelu will be further developed and put pressure on Reece Robson for his spot, which you would want to see i.e no one safe for their spot each week with players putting pressure on other players for their NRL spot.

[A Country Member]

Like locks, hookers need to be able to tackle effectively Batemansy and Robson is a stout defender.

[Avalon Rooster]

his emergence was quite remarkable last year. I worry we'll be able to keep him long term

[bondi.boy]

Benaiah is twice as classy. Robson is a small body grinder.

It won't take long.

RULE 1: Don't buy small body grinder hookers for $750k a season, 18 months out from the time they will even join you, when you have a development program aimed at identifying young talent. For farks sake. Robson has lost his origin spot since we bought him. After him they picked, Blayke Brailey!!! Another small body 27yo grinding hooker.

Benny is 21. Remember that cross field kick he did for Toops to score unmarked in the left corner?

Not a chance Robson or Blayke Brailey could even attempt that play, let alone make it look so easy.

Benny has instinct that they don't.

Now let's not get carried away.
Robson is what he is, an NRL-hardened tough hooker.
Very experienced.
Benny is what he is, a talented hooker on the rise.
Start with Robson, relieve him with Benny.
All good.
ITWT.

[Rooster_6]

Benaiah is too impulsive at this stage of his career.

Has plenty of flair but also overplayed his hand at times last year and needs to improve defensively.

Very comfortable with the signing of Reece Robson, makes very good decisions around the ruck, directs his middles well and is the best defensive 9 in the comp.

[Random Rooster]

Benaiah is twice as classy. Robson is a small body grinder.

It won't take long.

RULE 1: Don't buy small body grinder hookers for $750k a season, 18 months out from the time they will even join you, when you have a development program aimed at identifying young talent. For farks sake. Robson has lost his origin spot since we bought him. After him they picked, Blayke Brailey!!! Another small body 27yo grinding hooker.

Benny is 21. Remember that cross field kick he did for Toops to score unmarked in the left corner?

Not a chance Robson or Blayke Brailey could even attempt that play, let alone make it look so easy.

Benny has instinct that they don't.

Robson lost his Origin spot? Whats this about Blake Brailey?

[Rooster_Mark]

Robson has lost his origin spot since we bought him. After him they picked, Blayke Brailey!!! Another small body 27yo grinding hooker.

Did you see this in a dream?

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

Did you see this in a dream?

I stand corrected. I know you've never made a mistake Mark, but great to have your quality posting back on deck...

What I meant to say was current origin hooker Robson wasn't selected for the Kangaroo tour, after having been NSW hooker for all 3 games in 2025. And all 3 in 2024. Instead selectors opted for Blayke Brailey, who has never played origin. My point being maybe we're signing the 27yo small body defensive grinding hooker on big $$$ at just the wrong time. He came from nowhere, to then be playing origin for a couple of years, hoping this isn't the other side of it.

Very high chance, almost guaranteed, that $750,000 a season (for 4 seasons!) will be the biggest contract Reece Robson ever signs.

Imagine if you built your roster on signing players for the biggest money they'll ever get per season, you'd be farked for generations. Like we pretty much were back in the bad old days. I hope he works out. I just hate these types of signings.

In 12 months Benny will have surpassed him. On less than half the money.

When you bring in Connor Watson, it's very similar to DCE. And then when your very smart development program produces (low cost) dividends, you're left holding the (expensive) can.

Robson is DCE
Connor is Sam
Benny is...Hugo!!

[Andrew Walker]

Hmmm I rate Beni but we have lacked a number 9 in the Jake Friend mould since his retirement I see a lot of that in Robson he tacklex non stop and Im hoping and think he will really sew up our defensive middle where we have been quite weak at times since Jake’s retirement

[Waylander]

I think you are grossly underestimating the quality and consistency of Robson’s service from dummy half. I watched him closely from the time we were rumoured to be signing him. His passing game is first class and brings the runner onto the ball much better than Benny or (particularly) Watson does. He consistently puts the ball in front of the chest, not behind them or at their head or knees. He will make a significant improvement to our attack and defense.

[Chook2]

Benniah was a revelation last year but we had allready signed Robson before he came into the nrl
benniah needs another season or 2 in nsw cup but certainly has potential
needs to fix his defence and also passing accuracy before you could compare him to Robson

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

I think you are grossly underestimating the quality and consistency of Robson’s service from dummy half. I watched him closely from the time we were rumoured to be signing him. His passing game is first class and brings the runner onto the ball much better than Benny or (particularly) Watson does. He consistently puts the ball in front of the chest, not behind them or at their head or knees. He will make a significant improvement to our attack and defense.

You say he's a good passer from dummy half. Great. So was Sam Verrills. Better off bringing him back, for a fraction of the price, if that's what you're after. Of course the passing game of the 21 year old rookie hooker will improve. As compared with a 27yo.

You can't teach attacking instinct though, and Benny has that in spades.

Imagine how good he'll be when he's 27? That's when he'll be commanding the proper big $$$.

But we have him now, for cheap. That's how you win. By the time he's 27, if he's still with us, we'll have gotten his best seasons, at a fair price. The teams who lose are the ones who pay the big $$$ to buy overpriced players as they get older, esp hookers, who are surely overrated in terms of their importance??

As if Jake Friend was ever on $750k. Ridiculous price for a small 27yo non attacking grinding hooker.

[QWERTY]

Robson played in a cowboys team that was crap last year. He is a great defender, has a great pass off the ruck and he does have a running game that was more prevalent in the years before 2025 but I’d wager will be used more this coming season

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

Robson played in a cowboys team that was crap last year. He is a great defender, has a great pass off the ruck and he does have a running game that was more prevalent in the years before 2025 but I’d wager will be used more this coming season

Isn't that funny. That's what everyone says aboout DCE at Manly. "He was in a shit side." For 15 seasons. Wasn't his fault. He was only the halfback and the highest paid player on $1million+.

Robson's 6 year cowboys tenure;

14th
15th
3rd
11th
5th
12th

The cowboys had no interest in re-signing him for the new price of $750,000 a year.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes. You're all so keen to blindly defend any scrutiny of a big $$$ signing.

Maybe you weren't around for the awful big $$$ mistakes we've made in the past. I was.

And we never had the development pathways we do now. So even less reason to pay $750k for a farkin hooker.