Former half-back Jamie Humphreys is relishing in his transition to hooker as he attempts to make a big impact in season 2024.
Having come through Manly's SG Ball and Jersey Flegg teams as a half, Sea Eagles Coach Anthony Seibold shifted the 21-year-old Humphreys to hooker midway through last season where he ended up playing NSW Cup, sharing the hooking role with Gordon Chan Kum Tong.
Seibold wants Humphreys to challenge established hooker Lachlan Croker and Chan Kum Tong for Manly's number nine first grade jersey.
In this in-depth interview, Humphreys talks about his decision to sacrifice his holidays for more gym sessions to give himself every opportunity to succeed in his new role.
WC: Firstly Jamie, you've really bulked up. There was an image of you in the gym with the 'guns' out that nearly sent our social media platforms into meltdown! Tell us about the transformation.
JH: “All I can say is that Alfred (Naupoto, our Senior Digital Content Producer) is very good with his lighting. He knows how to frame a shot and make me look good (laughs)…Nah, it’s been a point of mine to have a really big off season. I stayed around the Northern Beaches and basically trained in the gym every day. I really didn’t get away at all. It was something I wanted to do. I take my training seriously. I wanted to come into this year with a really good mindset of giving it a crack. I don’t want to just participate this year, I want to make an impact.”
WC: Halfway through last season, you were moved from half to hooker by the coaching staff. Take us through your initial thoughts?
JH: Look, I think for me and my kind of physical attributes and stature, I probably lend myself to being a hooker. I’ve always kind of had those conservations coming through the grades about handling the physicality in the middle of the field. If you can bring those skills you possess as a half-back, whether that be your organisation, your kicking game and your general passing, and transfer that as a hooker, it can really benefit a team. They are the types of conversations I’ve had with ‘Seibs'. I don’t want to lose anything by moving to hooker. If anything, I will build my game around those skills that I had as a half. That’s where I'm at the moment, implementing my skills and my strengths as a hooker. I feel as though I have really grown this pre-season. There were a few growing pains there last year because it was unfamiliar to me as I hadn’t really done it before. ‘Seibs’ has spoken a lot about finding a point of difference. I guess what makes me unique in being a hooker is bringing those skills I had as a half. It’s a big opportunity for me."
WC: You’ve been working closely with new Positional Coach Mick Ennis in developing your craft as a hooker. How has this experience been?
JH: I’ve had a lot to do with Mick and I really can’t underestimate the value he has brought to my game this year. Just the little technical insights he has about playing as a hooker that I wasn’t aware of before as a half. Physically, you probably say hooker is the most demanding position. You are probably in three or four tackles a set and then you've got to get to every ruck as well, so it definitely takes a bit of use to getting to that workload. Having guys like Mick, (Assistant Coach) Jimmy Dymock and ‘Seibs’ giving you those pointers you need, you really get a feel for it and it is something I feel I have grown into. Obviously the conditioning work we do with Jon Clarke (Head of Performance) and Andrew Berridge (Athletic Performance Coach) prepares me for that. The work I did in the off-season has also physically equipped me to handle that."
WC: Given what you've seen in your new role, how much do you appreciate what another former half in Lachlan Croker has been able to achieve as Manly's starting hooker?
JH: I really look up to ‘Crokes’. To have someone who has basically gone through exactly what I’m going through now in ‘Crokes’ is invaluable really. He is a pretty special kind of guy. He is always offering his support and his feedback. Anywhere where he thinks he can help, he will offer that to me and guys like Gordon Chan Kum Tong and Kobe Rugless. We're all competing for spots but there is a healthy competition there and we all just want to make each other better."
WC: The trials begin next month, so what are your main goals Jamie for 2024?
JH: I’m really optimistic about what 2024 holds for me. I’ve put a lot of things in place at the back end of last year and in the off-season, and I’ve had a really strong pre-season. I feel as though there is a lot of opportunity there for me this year. My biggest goal is definitely NRL. I want to make by debut. I just don’t want to make my debut, I want to stay in that team and I want to make an impact. I want to be able to bring my point of difference to the team. I’ve got to continue to train well and we will see how it all goes in the first few weeks of trials. There is a really good opportunity there to get some game time in there. I still probably haven’t really tested myself at hooker in that environment, so it will be really cool to see. But yeah, the big thing for me is NRL and that’s what I’ve got my eyes set on for sure."
