“He was a class act and opponents didn’t know how to handle him” – Our YEP Jury pick their favourite Leeds Rhinos hooker

GRAHAM POULTER

Hi everyone so another week has passed by and we’re still none the wiser as to when we can restart the season.

This week’s position in the team is the hooker. For me I had to choose between a guy who came through the system and a guy who was only here for a short time, but what a class player he was.

I’m talking about, of course, Matt Diskin and Danny Buderus. Firstly Matt Diskin was sensational in his position especially in the 2004 season when he played in a fantastic team who only lost two games all season in the league and also won every home game.

He then picked up a serious knee injury playing for his country and he was never quite the same player again after that.

My favourite in the position of hooker has to be Danny Buderus. He was a class act and most of the time he was on another level to the players that were around him.

He always seemed to be one move ahead of his team-mates in thinking, which obviously came from his days playing in the far superior NRL and for his country Australia.

I just wished that he could have come earlier and played longer for us!

ADAM ANDERSON

So favourite number nine for the club is a tough one.

You could go with Matt Diskin, for being home grown talent and winning a number of trophies at the club, but I’ve had to go with one of our biggest name Australian signings in Danny Buderus.

Everyone knew the name and what he was capable of before he came to the club. He’d been involved in so many big games for club, country and state whilst in Australia. He was a class act and opponents didn’t know how to handle him.

He didn’t disappoint us. Everyone was in awe at what he could do and I’m glad our management team managed to get a player of his calibre.

Not only a class act on the field, but also off it and I cannot speak highly enough about him. He left Leeds to return to Newcastle with his head held high.

CHRISTINE KIDD

Leeds Rhinos have had a number of excellent hookers over the last few years.

Matt Diskin was in excellent form until he got injured playing for Great Britain at the end of the 2004 season.

Shaun Lunt was an important part of the team when he joined the Rhinos during the 2012 season. He played in the winning Grand Final side that season.

Danny Buderus joined Leeds in 2009. He was a world class hooker who played State of Origin and represented Australia on 24 occasions.

Although he came to Leeds towards the end of his career he was a class act on and off the field.

The best off-the-bench hooker for the Rhinos has to be Robbie Burrow.

He came on and changed the pace of the game on many occasions. His try against St Helens during the 2011 Grand Final is one of the finest ever seen.

He became the first Leeds player to win the Harry Sunderland trophy twice, after gaining all 37 votes from the press. For such a small player he made a lot of impact in games.

DIANNE HALL

This lockdown has given me a chance to relive past Leeds Rhinos games and it has given me food for thought for this piece.

I had forgotten just how many different players have represented us at hooker, that all important position in the spine of any rugby team.

My particular favourite was Matt ‘Disco’ Diskin, who I was surprised to realise is our longest serving acting-half in the Super League era.