Between the Warriors and Sea Eagles, there are four hookers that could all challenge for a starting role at most NRL clubs. The two sides have a complementary mix of experience and youthful exuberance in the position which gives Stephen Kearney and Des Hasler an option for almost any scenario that pops up during a game.

It's a rotation every coach in the competition would welcome, but when it comes to these two tinkermen, they're using the surplus of first-grade hooking talent very differently.

Warriors Trio

The Warriors have one of the best hooking rotations in the NRL, and it's proving to be a serious problem - for themselves.

In Issac Luke and Nathaniel Roache, Kearney has two first-grade quality hookers at his disposal. Karl Lawton is sitting there in reserve grade and is more than capable of making the step up as injury cover too.

Luke is a 258-game veteran, has been part of a premiership-winning team, and has played 42 tests for the Kiwis. If not for his questionable record at the judiciary, we'd more than likely be adding a Dally M Hooker of the Year award here too. He's one of New Zealand's best ever hookers and is still playing at a high level at almost 32-years old.

Roache has just 22 games under his belt, but that's not due to a lack of talent. Injuries have stunted his development and ruled him out for the whole 2018 season as well as various other lengthy stints. He provides excellent service, and like Luke, is a threat out of dummy-half whenever the defence is caught napping.

Having two quality hookers that could make the 17 at a number of clubs in the NRL sounds great, right?

Wrong!

Kearney's obsession with Jazz Tevaga and desire to play him as many minutes as possible has disrupted what should be an elite hooking rotation. Crowbarring Tevaga in around the 27th minute of every game and more often than not swapping him in for a hooker stunts the Warriors attack and removes one of their most threatening attributes.

The misuse of what should be an effective 80-minute hooking rotation reached farcical levels in Round 6.

Following a strong stint to start the match in which Luke ran and kicked well out of dummy half, he was replaced by a back rower in a hooker's body. Tevaga went on to play 22 minutes at hooker with Luke spending a total of 47 minutes on the bench.

With game-management an issue while Blake Green is out injured, the mind boggles at the idea that both Luke and Roache - genuine hookers - could be sat on the bench together.

Running with a rookie five-eighth and a makeshift halfback on this occasion, the Warriors needed a quality performer in such a key play-making position. Instead, the best of the lot in Luke spent most of the game watching from the bench.

Sure, Roache returned from injury and may not have been up to playing the 56 minutes he managed in Round 1. But Luke is still capable of playing 80 minutes, even this late in his career. There is absolutely no doubt he can play more than the 33 minutes he finished with.

There is something behind this rotation, but nothing about it is good at the moment. Until it's ironed out and Luke and Roache are the only two players spending time behind the ruck, the Warriors will be susceptible to the lulls we saw them go through in Round 6 against the Cowboys.

With Green out again against the Storm this week, we're going to see if Kearney is learning from his mistakes.

UPDATE: Kearney learned from his mistakes!

Sort of, at least.

Tevaga made his usual appearance in the 27th minute when the Warriors faced the Storm on Thursday, but this time, Luke was kept on the field until he was forced to leave for an HIA. While he did return in the second half, Kearney still sat Luke on the bench for the final 18 minutes.

When the Warriors needed an extra game-manager to complete what would have been one of the great NRL upsets, their most experienced spine player watched from the sidelines. It was never more evident that they needed an experienced dummy half than in the 74th minute.

A good kick to pin the Storm in their own end could have been enough. Instead, a debutant in Hayze Perham fed his rookie half on the short side who couldn't get an effective kick away. Cameron Smith and his 391 games worth of experience read it like a book and shut down the play.

The Storm all of a sudden found themselves in a favourable field position to start their set, and from there, rumbled up the field twice in as many minutes to find the three points and the win.

Whatever Kearney is trying to do with his rotations, he needs to work them to have Luke on the field when the game is on the line.

Manly's Duo

Kearney could get a few ideas on how to run two first-grade quality hookers in the same side from Hasler.

He has Api Koroisau and Manase Fainu both playing good footy for the Sea Eagles to start 2019. Unlike the self-induced headache Kearney is giving himself by playing a non-hooker at hooker, Hasler welcomes the headache that comes with having two great dummy halves.

Fainu, in particular, has been having a field day in the 15 minutes either side of half-time as the big bodies in the middle begin to tire. He's scored three tries already this season in the 36th, 52nd and 56th minute.

It's a period of the match Manly has been dominating and ultimately winning games. In the five games, both hookers have played (Fainu missed Round 1), the Sea Eagles are -9 with Koroisau on the field and +43 with Fainu out there.

Already playing above his years at just 20-years old, Fainu is a great talent and the future of the club if they can lock him down long-term. Koroisau is only 26-years old himself and will be around the NRL for a long time yet, but Manly can only keep hold of two starting-calibre hookers for so long. They'll need to make a decision eventually, and that decision will be to keep Fainu.

This is a prime example of what Fainu offers already and why the extra attention he demands of a tiring defence either side of halftime is so dangerous.

By taking the extra step out of dummy half and forcing the marker to take notice, the Sea Eagles create an overlap, and from there, it's a numbers game. It's such a small play that will go unnoticed by many. He's not credited with a try assist or receives anywhere near the credit Daly Cherry-Evans does for the pass or Brad Parker for running the line, but that try isn't scored without Fainu's action from dummy half.

In another example against the Warriors, Fainu takes a similar approach, but this time, he uses a quick play-the-ball to scoot out of dummy half and engage the 'A' defender. As soon as that defender turns his shoulders in toward Fainu, the Manly hooker has created the overlap and sends Tom Trbojevic through the gap.

This kid has all of the potential in the world and could play 80 minutes every week right now if the situation arose. However, the Sea Eagles have a good thing going here running with two hookers. It's something worth keeping an eye on, particularly when the opposition forwards start to look a little sluggish in the middle.

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