Perpignan in talks with James Hook
Perpignan has revealed the club is in advanced talks to sign Wales international James Hook.
The fly half is out of contract with Ospreys at the end of the season and Perpignan has already launched one attempt to sign him after a bid for Kiwi Dan Carter failed. The French side are reportedly preparing
to offer the player a three-year contract worth one million euros.
"It looks like Carter will be kept by the New Zealand Rugby Union until the end of the 2011/12 season.
Nothing has been signed with Hook or any other player and no one is allowed to sign a pre-contract until February 1, but the talks with Hook are at a very advanced stage," said Perpignan president Paul Goze.
Hook does have all the skill and quality needed to play in the high paced French domestic league. It's important a deal can be agreed quickly so all parties concerned can
move on.
Quality and skill
Hook is a very effective fly half. He is able to link up various parts of a team in short spaces of time. This keeps the rugby fluent and productive in the side he's playing
for.
He is an accurate kicker, which is important for different reasons. His kicking can keep his side within touching distance of the opposition's score. It's also important
when kicking the ball long to gain territory and ease pressure on the defence.
Hook seems to have been working very hard on his fitness. A fly half is one of the busiest players in any team. These players are constantly on the move all over the pitch
and must maintain good levels of physical fitness to be effective.
It's clear Perpignan has sought this player out, which means they have a big role for him. Hook has a great deal of passion and ambition in the game. He can curb this in
the right way at Perpignan because he knows he'll start games.
Tags: