Noah Balta - Welcome to Tigerland | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
  • IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.

Noah Balta - Welcome to Tigerland

Another really strong game down back from Noah.
Showed how much we missed him when he was moved forward.
The defence became far more uncertain & unsettled without his strong aerial game.
Leave him down back.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 7 users
Balta looked good in the ruck. He jumped over Gawn at times.
I have always wanted Balta to stay down back but given how weak Miller is in the ruck I would prefer Balta play the 2nd ruck role. Miller should go back or go out. He’s useless around the ground or forward. Useless at out marking smalls. He’s only hope is as a key defender stopper.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Another really strong game down back from Noah.
Showed how much we missed him when he was moved forward.
The defence became far more uncertain & unsettled without his strong aerial game.
Leave him down back.
I agree. While the move for him to go into the ruck last night was by necessity (as it was the week before), it’s not the right solution long term for either Noah or the team. He’s a 10 year FB/CHB & that’s the role he should be left to play.

I’m also guilty of wanting him to pinch hit in the ruck from time to time, but we derailed his career by doing that last year plus he isn’t a natural forward. We’ll have to solve the ruck some other way. Ryan needs a new short term partner until Nank/Soldo return. And the partner can’t be Miller or Pickett.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Balta was good down back, then for some mystifying reason they took off Miller for Hugo and had to move Noah, which exposed the inexperienced Young.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Another really strong game down back from Noah.
Showed how much we missed him when he was moved forward.
The defence became far more uncertain & unsettled without his strong aerial game.
Leave him down back.
Yeah. Nah.

Certainly from a structural perspective it was a bungle from Hooch. And he took some really good intercept marks and was ok in the ruck. But he got beaten several times in one on one contests. Petty and Gawn most notably. He gets out muscled one on one a bit.

Now number 1 in the AFL for contested defensive losses. 10 from 23.
 
Yeah. Nah.

Certainly from a structural perspective it was a bungle from Hooch. And he took some really good intercept marks and was ok in the ruck. But he got beaten several times in one on one contests. Petty and Gawn most notably. He gets out muscled one on one a bit.

Now number 1 in the AFL for contested defensive losses. 10 from 23.

True. I can understand Gawn as he does it to everyone but the effort on Petty was criminal.

Plenty of work for Truck to do with him. Shame Leppa isn't here anymore as that was precisely what he fixed for Rance earlier in his career
 
He is taking contested marks again, which he hasn't done since 2020.

And showing the desperation of an Alex Rance.

Is great to watch when he is on song.

I do think he and Gibcus are our defensive rocks for the next 10 years. Not a bad place to start for a rebuild.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Being judged way too harshly today one terrible clanger and yet I reckon he's won 8 of 10 ckntests particularly vs chol domination give the bloke a break they are under the pump the backine and he's impenetrable
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Just on Balta, Hardwick needs to bite the bullet and play him up forward from the start of the game. Alternate with Ryan.

Not sure why he pulls that trigger late in the game. Young had King all day.
Whoever made that move in the 4th qtr has NFI
Balta should only play FB or CHB on talls
He was lost going forward offered nothing
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users
Forget Balta as a forward for Christ’s sake. He doesn’t have the smarts for it. If anything, I’d have moved him onto King earlier in the game.

Let’s develop him where we want him to play for the next 10 years!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 users
Forget Balta as a forward for Christ’s sake. He doesn’t have the smarts for it. If anything, I’d have moved him onto King earlier in the game.

Let’s develop him where we want him to play for the next 10 years!

Yep, not smart enough forward, has no idea where to lead.

He's a backman, but not sure why he wasn't on King today. We threw Young to the wolves on King.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users