Full agree...the two specialist rucks playing works best with Pitto doing the grunt work early especially vs the opposition meathead type rucks like Briggs and then when they tire TDK can jump all over them later in the game. Harry and Charlie often appear on the wings or even half back to take a mark and drag their opponent up the ground which then leaves the other one alone with his opponent and our two dont lose too many of those contests if we can get the ball down to them quickly.
Yep, you are both right.
However i'll take issue with 1 point. TDK is no longer a specialist ruck. He can be a genuine forward option now, which was something that had been lacking previously. He was always capable of taking the odd mark and kicking the odd goal, but he is doing that more consistently now and showing the small forwards how to crumb the ball as well. He's become a much more all-rounded player.
Pitto as #1 ruck plays to his strengths. TDK as #2 ruck/forward plays to his strengths.
It might be a bit different when we play on a windy/wet deck in the middle of winter, but in ideal conditions of Marvel, it works.
TDK is regularly showing he can take a mark and kick a goal when forward.
Two rucks works PROVIDED one can play forward. We have that hence can work. If do don't then you can't play 2 rucks, ala Gawn and Grundy, as it ends up a liability to the side. You basically play one short.
Nailed it Jimbo.
This has been my issue in the 2 ruck debate since it started. Last night TDK morphed from a ruck into a genuine forward option. THAT is what we have been wanting from him. THAT is what Silvagni was offering in the past and why he was my preference. If TDK can continue to be a genuine option up forward, not just making up the numbers, then it can work. It was ideal conditions for him last night, that is, inside Marvel stadium (no rain, wind) and against an undermanned GWS defence. Hopefully he can still do it in future games, but it wont be as easy.
I was critical last week because Pitto played 50% and TDK 75% game time, meaning a ruck was on the bench for 3/4s of the game. Last night it was Pitto 68% and TDK 80%, meaning we only had a ruck on the bench for basically 50% of the game. We had an extra quarter of other rotations. Potentially with 2 games under his belt now and TDK blossoming up forward, those numbers may go up again next week....which is all we want. That way it doesn't eat into our other rotations too much. TDK is basically playing Silvagnis role now.
For those commenting about Charlie going back....this is not new. He's been doing it relatively regularly. He was doing it in the finals last year. He's been doing it earlier this year as well.
I can't help but think part of our ability to come back and rally has something to do with our supporter base. We are by far the loudest crowd going at present and when we get on a role, we really start rocking the stadium. Giants wouldn't have known what hit them. We have a genuine home ground advantage and not just against interstate teams.
Run is very important.....but no player in the history of the game has ever run faster than the ball. So fix up the precision and accuracy of the disposal
100%. I said similar during the week.
One way to fix up the precision is reduce the number of rucks in the side.
Our rucks aren't the problem here, in fact they are probably keeping us in the game.
The silly thing is this, you get it right a few sentences later as we are using it by foot like we are wearing clown boots.Then you make silly conclusion.You're obsession with the two rucks makes you come across like a goose.
Its a double edged sword though. They help and hurt us at the same time.
Its also related to our forward efforts. 3 big forwards takes up to much space. You constantly talk about players taking eachothers space and launching against eachother, thats part of the problem here. The leading space is reduced by 1/3 because you have the extra bloke in there taking up space.
If we have a tall problem up until now it's Young who has been a virtual no attendance, but if Weiters is out he'll be needed critically to lift.
Believe me, i didn't want Young in the side. In fact, if we were looking fit (pre-weiters injury) i would be subbing out Young and resting TDK back in his spot. Perfect time to give him a sniff at CHB and roll the dice.
David King frothing over our clearance work, yet also bemoaning our lower pressure rating needs to put 2 and 2 together.
We can get the ball out of the ruck because we have 2 rucks. We can't get the ball back once we turn the ball over because we have 2 rucks.
They are doing very well on the run and overlap and we don't have an answer with our taller/slower side by comparison.
On top of that, 3 tall blokes up forward is making us lazy. When going forward. We either..... a) can't hit a leading target, b) are not even trying to hit a leading target c) or there is no leading target to kick to.
Either way, its a knock on for the extra ruck and consequently lack of run/pressure.
Don't think Acres has done his trademark kick out on the full this year, but he should've done that rather than centre it to GWS players. Lucky to not give up a goal there. Gotta be better.
