Michael Hooper's icy response to journo's question about his Wallabies future

Should be titled "Lazy journo asks a question in a loaded way, gets response that he deserves" Hooper answered similar questions before. That journo just doesn't know how to ask properly, I.e bad at his job

No wonder you have no issues with the question cause you definitely have issues with him judging by the way you put it

Which back rowers are better than Hooper ( out and out 7's?)- Mcreight is overhyped and for someone with a similar stature to Hooper, is ineffective at Test level. Wright is injured but plays more like a 6 with a decent pilfering ability. Hooper on the other hand is fresh from Japan playing in a different environment and is rightly discussed as one of the best flankers in the world.

I can understand your frustration but winning isn’t just down to one player or a back row. It’s a team game and lots of factors go into winning. Hooper (and Pooper) is (was) the least of our worries. Your opinions on favouritism and form are just that, not facts. My opinion is that he’s a bloody fine captain leading in difficult times, and it’s a shame that a handful of people would rather undermine than support him.

The Australian Captain should have a acknowledged that he’s the leader of a Wallabies back row hasn’t won or broken even over a series since before the World Cup. Back row selections have been contentious for years. Hooper has been a favoured son. Skipper before it was earned. Picked at 7 over Pocock. No level of form in Super Rugby by a local 7 would have forced Hooper the the bench. That’s why back row selections is always a subject of interest. It was an petulant answer.

Hooper ‘avoided a shock axing’? Please! There’s no axe apart from the imaginary one that the Hooper-haters like to brandish. A junior reporter got his tone wrong; Hooper put him in his place. End of story.

Australian rugby needs more questions like this. We don't have the maturity of dialogue between those with the power (players, coaches, and administrators) and the people who ultimately pay their wages (fans) that you get in league and AFL. Clearly Hooper didn't like being asked questions like this (which pros in more mature comps get asked all the time) but I will say that I respect his answer. He didnt dismiss it but gave it the respect it deserved.

not really, pretty standard question for a pro player and should be easy one to answer, talk about the team being the priority etc. gaving said that, aside from the dumb defensive response of 'what do you think' theres really not much of a story. classic roar hyping a nothing event to get some clicks (obviously worked for me)

It’s still a dumb question. Asking if he feels he is under pressure for selection competing against Harry Wilson and Rob Valentini Setting aside that he’s the Captain and the most experienced player in the squad. He’s not even in competition with those guys for a spot! They don’t need to ask soft questions. But I’d say stupid questions are soft questions. They want to ask hard questions? Ask about what went wrong at the Tahs. Ask about whether he learnt about improving his captaincy from Read. Even ask him if he thinks he the one sabbatical is enough to refresh him for 2023 and keep him at the top of his game, given the mammoth workload ahead to turn the Tahs around. There are plenty of tough questions that could be asked. Asking the Captain, a world class 7 and one of only 2 genuine 7’s in the squad (the other not much more than a rookie) if he feels his position is under threat is not a tough question. It’s a dumb one.

I have no issues with the question, lots of us are thinking it and you run the risk of those questions being asked when you go to get paid a lot of money to play in a weaker league and then jump straight into the Wallabies.

So the 2020 John Eales medalist doesn’t deserve his spot ?

He answered the question like a politician would.

I think a valid question by the journo but asked really badly. He could have asked ‘with so much young talent coming through in the back row, it must feel great to have a pack of young players eagerly chasing a Wallaby spot. Do you feel that pressure from the chasing pack?’ At the end of the day, the journo is trying to ask a question we all ask on these threads, I mean, isn’t that a journos job? If they just fired off soft questions what is the point. Agree that a certain amount of tact needs to be used though. There is no point antagonising the person your talking too.

Didn’t he ask the question we have asked on here 1,000 times?

MH01, Never truer word said mate. We don’t hear a load of CBD boardroom nonsense. I thought he was going shove in “On Point” & “Cascade down to the masses”? Simple question do deserve your place Michael? On Form -No On Captaincy -No Is there better Aussie back rowers at moment -YES. I think we answered for him?

People criticising the journalist- sure poor question . Did any of you listen to hooper’s nonsense response …. He used a lot of words …. Threw in a few cliches , but made no sense .

Disappointing how bad our rugby reporters are

Joorno got a click...2 now!

Stupid question from the journalist…