Changes v Aints

[bob]

As Damien often likes to say when commenting on broader footy issues: "smarter men than me will look at it and decide".
As with Match Committee team selection for this game, I'll say 'smarter men than me will know and decide". But.... gee, I think we look light on for midfielders for this game.

I know Marvel often has flankers and half backs almost performing as mids. But wouldnt want to lose a midfielder to an injury, 3 6-day break games make me worried re: Cotch's hammies. Sure Ross or Martyn arent A or B grade mids (my ongoing opinion), but against the Saints where not all their mids are elite and with an even shorter break for them + couple of their guys under an injury cloud, IMO this is the perfect game to have kept them in - at least one of them.

Not sure about some of the Match Comm decisions this year. Smaller group of decision makers/wonder about the decision making dynamics. No Leppa, no Fly, No Balme??

 

[tigermouseau]

As Damien often likes to say when commenting on broader footy issues: "smarter men than me will look at it and decide".
As with Match Committee team selection for this game, I'll say 'smarter men than me will know and decide". But.... gee, I think we look light on for midfielders for this game.

I know Marvel often has flankers and half backs almost performing as mids. But wouldnt want to lose a midfielder to an injury, 3 6-day break games make me worried re: Cotch's hammies. Sure Ross or Martyn arent A or B grade mids (my ongoing opinion), but against the Saints where not all their mids are elite and with an even shorter break for them + couple of their guys under an injury cloud, IMO this is the perfect game to have kept them in - at least one of them.

Not sure about some of the Match Comm decisions this year. Smaller group of decision makers/wonder about the decision making dynamics. No Leppa, no Fly, No Balme??

Have been wondering too, if Balme’s role sees him not so hands on regarding team selection. Needs to roll up his sleeves and get involved again - it’s no coincidence that as soon as Balme arrived back at Tigerland we started winning premierships. In Balme we trust. Dimma has always been too conservative in his selections IMHO.

 

[22nd Man]

Has Balme ever been involved with selection?

 

[taztiger4]

Have been wondering too, if Balme’s role sees him not so hands on regarding team selection. Needs to roll up his sleeves and get involved again - it’s no coincidence that as soon as Balme arrived back at Tigerland we started winning premierships. In Balme we trust. Dimma has always been too conservative in his selections IMHO.

Not sure if you are being serious here

 

[Quickdraw]

Have been wondering too, if Balme’s role sees him not so hands on regarding team selection. Needs to roll up his sleeves and get involved again - it’s no coincidence that as soon as Balme arrived back at Tigerland we started winning premierships. In Balme we trust. Dimma has always been too conservative in his selections IMHO.

Jack Graham and Marlion Pickett say hello!

 

[ToraToraTora]

We sort out how the ball gets to our forwards or we will lose this game.

 

[Ridley]

We sort out how the ball gets to our forwards or we will lose this game.

Yep it's a real problem early in seasons for us. We dominate play for large periods but our forward system is a mess and we don't score. We do that again tonight and we will get done. Chernobyl is probably our worst ground and undoubtedly the Saints best ground.

We need a win but wish this game was at the G. Blowing last week's game doesn't help. We play near our best we win but not sure we're in that sort of form at the moment.

 

[Rfc4Ever]

Lost at selection 2 weeks in a row

I 100% blame the umpires for last week

 

[Harry]

Yep it's a real problem early in seasons for us. We dominate play for large periods but our forward system is a mess and we don't score. We do that again tonight and we will get done. Chernobyl is probably our worst ground and undoubtedly the Saints best ground.

It's been a problem for us for the past 4 years.

 

[Ridley]

It's been a problem for us for the past 4 years.

Actually I think it was only a problem in early 2019 & 2020. In 2017 and 2018 we won plenty of early games; 2018 in particular we put sides to the sword early and mid season but really ran out of steam in the later part of the year. We got a bit lucky to play Hawks in first final (worst top 4 team I can recall) then we don't need to speak about the PF.

We have been able to deal with it well enough to finish top 4 and then we tend to fix the issue in finals. Hopefully that trend continues but there is no doubt that the game is different this year. I have no real fear of the Saints but more so their good record at Chernobyl, our not so good record and also our scratchy early season form. A loss tonight won't be a disaster but 2-3 with games against in form Melbourne and Bulldogs to come wouldn't be ideal; let's hope we bring our best and finish the round 3-2.

 

[tigermouseau]

Has Balme ever been involved with selection?

Don’t know if he has ever been officially involved, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that when he arrived back at Richmond we started winning premierships.

 

[French Tiger]

We sort out how the ball gets to our forwards or we will lose this game.

Exactly , our repeated bomb it in is to predictable. Need to lower the eyes a bit & a 3rd target CCJ/Caddy would have been handy.

Need to stop the easy goals gifted to the opposition from silly undisciplined free kicks & wouldn't hurt if we got the odd one go our way either.

 

[Tiger Pops]

Got to do a number on Membery with his telescopic arms - plays well against the Tigers. Need some decent spoiling tonight and then prevent the ex tigers swooping (Dan and Piglett )

 

[Harry]

Actually I think it was only a problem in early 2019 & 2020. In 2017 and 2018 we won plenty of early games; 2018 in particular we put sides to the sword early and mid season but really ran out of steam in the later part of the year. We got a bit lucky to play Hawks in first final (worst top 4 team I can recall) then we don't need to speak about the PF.

We have been able to deal with it well enough to finish top 4 and then we tend to fix the issue in finals. Hopefully that trend continues but there is no doubt that the game is different this year. I have no real fear of the Saints but more so their good record at Chernobyl, our not so good record and also our scratchy early season form. A loss tonight won't be a disaster but 2-3 with games against in form Melbourne and Bulldogs to come wouldn't be ideal; let's hope we bring our best and finish the round 3-2.

The game is not different this year. Pressure and intensity and numbers to the contest is still king. The first few rounds may have been more open but last round was much more contested. Let teams focus on free flowing bruise free football. We'll just re-fine our feild coverage, and structures.

 

[Smoking Aces]

It's been a problem for us for the past 4 years.

Its a bigger problem now due to changing of rules and making it harder to lock the footy in our forward 50.

 

[Ridley]

Its a bigger problem now due to changing of rules and making it harder to lock the footy in our forward 50.

The changed rules have some impact but I reckon a lot of that is down to our personnel. In 2017 we were the pioneers of forward pressure and turnover and locking the ball in our forward line. George, Rioli and Butler were the instigators. That continued over the following 3 years but the personnel has changed a bit; Butler is gone but George and Rioli have mostly been there. Now we have Aarts doing it and it's pretty clear he is not up to that level; he is quite slow for a small player. George and Rioli have also seemed a bit off in this area. Hence the ball has seemed to ricochet out of our forward line with ease in the first 4 games of this year.

It's our one wood and it's not really there at the moment.

 

[The_Celebrant]

Curtis De Bacle

 

[The_Celebrant]

We'll just re-fine our feild coverage, and structures.

Getting our teasing distance right between the arcs would make a massive difference, especially early in the game. Would sow seeds of doubt and make them think twice about trying to pin-point passes.

 

[Harry]

Time and space.

Teams need this against us.

We look to deny it.

Dimma would have studied the swans game in great detail to understand how the new rule helped them find it.

We'll tweak a few things.

Dimma talks about wanting the game to look like a richmond game. A hard contested scrap. Our focus is denying time and space and it'll get easier when the grounds get heavier and teams get tired as the season goes on.

 

[craig]

Hugo a chance for the sub vest ?