Sitting next to the cheersquad, I got to watch Balta all day.
He lined up in the same goal square every quarter! I couldn't tell whether I preferred him forward or back. The forward line looked much more potent with him there (lynch being able to get separation), and the backline looked much more stable with him there (Vlossy able to intercept).
We also could have used him for more minutes in the ruck.
It's funny, cause he's still not particularly good in any of these places. I saw one contest in particular in the backline in the second where he was waiting on Naughton in the goal square, got caught dreaming for a fraction of a microsecond, and Naughton got five metres on him (which he then closed to two) but was lead to the ball. Interesting thing was that for the rest of the game (when he was playing back) he had a hand either across the chest, or touching the back, and it didn't happen again. But the great thing was, there was a five minute patch in the same quarter, where he just started leaping and punching everything. Shades of early Rance.
It's gotta be tricky to be looking for separation one second, then trying to shut down the next. And then spending moments on ball in the ruck. This would be such an easy decision if it was only Rance out, or only Jack, but we apparently need a swing man at the moment (who could have predicted we'd need a 19 year old to cover both our vice captains?).
If it was my decision, though, I'd be sitting him at full back next game and just saying 'run, jump, punch'. Don't worry about marking. Don't worry about making the play. Kill everything.
This is how both Rance and Grimes started. Eventually, once you learn how to time your run, and get to a contest with some balance, you start going for the grabs. Then you're the all australian captain.
He lined up in the same goal square every quarter! I couldn't tell whether I preferred him forward or back. The forward line looked much more potent with him there (lynch being able to get separation), and the backline looked much more stable with him there (Vlossy able to intercept).
We also could have used him for more minutes in the ruck.
It's funny, cause he's still not particularly good in any of these places. I saw one contest in particular in the backline in the second where he was waiting on Naughton in the goal square, got caught dreaming for a fraction of a microsecond, and Naughton got five metres on him (which he then closed to two) but was lead to the ball. Interesting thing was that for the rest of the game (when he was playing back) he had a hand either across the chest, or touching the back, and it didn't happen again. But the great thing was, there was a five minute patch in the same quarter, where he just started leaping and punching everything. Shades of early Rance.
It's gotta be tricky to be looking for separation one second, then trying to shut down the next. And then spending moments on ball in the ruck. This would be such an easy decision if it was only Rance out, or only Jack, but we apparently need a swing man at the moment (who could have predicted we'd need a 19 year old to cover both our vice captains?).
If it was my decision, though, I'd be sitting him at full back next game and just saying 'run, jump, punch'. Don't worry about marking. Don't worry about making the play. Kill everything.
This is how both Rance and Grimes started. Eventually, once you learn how to time your run, and get to a contest with some balance, you start going for the grabs. Then you're the all australian captain.
