Hook, line, and sinking

Four more years playing out of position and out of sight. So much for James Hook's international career.


What a shame for a player who was once the absolute shining light in Welsh rugby. There was a time when Hook was king of the world; the new Barry John, the man to lead Wales into a brand-new golden era. He won us a Grand Slam, he saw us past the Aussies, he helped the Ospreys to three regional titles before popping off to France for two years, to become a better, more composed player, more able to properly time his moments of beauty and skill.

Except it never happened like that. Hook was shifted about and shafted aside by every coaching team he's ever played under. Warren Gatland picked him to add spark, then promptly dropped him, looking for solidarity in Stephen Jones, a decision it would be tough to fault him for. Sean Holley and Scott Johnson also wanted him to move aside; this time for Dan Biggar, the man who beat him to the Welsh 10 shirt this Six Nations. Both tried him at centre and fullback with mixed success.

And now Perpignan are making the same mistake. Forced to play fullback thanks to the acquistion of Reme Tailes, a ten with talent and composure, but he's not James Hook. Maybe that's why they signed him. Hook can't run a game, they say. Hook will never learn, they cry.

James William Hook is amongst the most talented players Wales has ever produced. Vision and flair seen only once since the heydays of the seventies. That one other golden boy was fellow spray-tanner Gavin Henson, so natural a footballer it's a surprise he didn't grow on a Slip-Pass Tree. SuperGav also went off the rails, though more through his own design. Hook has the mindset Henson doesn't, so why has he been such a disaster for all involved in his saga, supporters included? Maybe coaches don't know what to do when such a rare talent comes along. Nowadays we see very natural players with the natural flair of Hook, and when they do appear, they tend to be nippy wingers who you can afford not to overcoach, as they won't put your gameplan in jeopardy. There's a sense of panic about their selection. Hook, like Henson, was rushed into the international set-up, capped with just minutes of senior regional rugby under his metaphorical belt. Was this the crux of the problem? Did we want too much, too soon?

Somehow, New Zealand seem perfectly capable of bringing through these prodigal talents properly, whilst Australia seem to produce enough of them to replace the last golden boy the minute they descend into the inevitable private life hell after two seasons. Next up, we've got Jordan Williams, a man I have been constantly reminded my fleeting Twitter followers is, as far as I'm concerned, the "Most talented Welsh player since Gavin Henson". I'm not going to pretend I know how best to manage him, but I just hope we don't blow him in the same style we destroyed Hook and Henson. We get this right, and Williams could well be the heir to the throne, the next Barry John, the man to lead Wales into a brand new golden era. But let's not get ahead of ourselves...