Halfback Luck

[mattstormy]

I just thought about this interesting note - the Storm has to be the luckiest team in the NRL since 1998 with what is considered by many as the most important position in a team - the #7 jersey.

Between Round 1, 1998 and Round 6, 2012 the Storm has had three first choice halfbacks (Noddy, Ox and Coops), and between those three players, there have been only 19 out of 375 games where one of these three players have not featured in the #7 jersey:

1998 - Noddy played every game (and all in #7 jersey)
1999 - Noddy played every game (and all in #7 jersey)
2000 - Noddy missed three games due to Origin commitments in Round 14, 16 & 18
2001 - Ox played every game (and all in #7 jersey)
2002 - Ox missed five games due to injury in Round 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7
2003 - Ox missed two games due to injury in Round 6 & 7
2004 - Ox missed one game in Round 26 (if I can recall, it was because he was being rested before the finals)
2005 - Ox played every game (and all in #7 jersey)
2006 - Coops played every game (and all in #7 jersey)
2007 - Coops missed two games due to injury in Round 15 & 17
2008 - Coops played every game (and all in #7 jersey)
2009 - Coops played every game (and all in #7 jersey)
2010 - Coops missed two games due to injury in Round 1 & 2, came off the bench in Round 3 and had Origin commitments in Round 14
2011 - Coops missed two games due to injury in Round 24 & 25 and had Origin commitments in Round 14
2012 - Coops has so far not missed a game and played them all in #7 jersey

I consider this an outstanding amount of consistency over the last 15 seasons with these three players in this one crucial position, when you look at other clubs over the last decade (Souths went through about 20 halfbacks since they were re-instated in 2002 before they finally found a consistent performer).

[Cherry_Poppins]

Wow,way to curse yourself.....GL Coops

[Mattpoet]

Following on from this, interesting to note that we have only had 3 players to play 20 or more games at fullback (Slater, Ross, Geyer), 6 at five eighth (Hill, Geyer, Finch, Inglis, Widdop, Lavea), 3 at halfback (Cronk, Orford, Kimmorley) and 3 at hooker (Smith, Swain, Hinchcliffe). Outstanding stability in the key positions, especially when you consider that Geyer has played more than 20 at both fullback and five eighth.

[Lucas]

Surprised to hear Hinchy has played so many at hooker. He'd only get a game there during Origin, or when Smith is injured (rare).

Good thread though, very interesting. And it explains a lot.

[Mattpoet]

regarding hinchy, smith was injured for a time during 2010, then you've got 3 years worth of origin, smith tends to start from the bench the week after origin, when cooper cronk was out at the start of 2010, cam played halfback and hinchy played hooker and at the start of 2009, cam played a bit of 5/8 until finch signed which put hinchy to hooker so that would be how he has 20 games.