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Rucking Hell
- Thread starter Baloo
- Start date
We’ll be fine. Happy to go into 2021 without adding another ruck.
The idea of ruck security can be a little misleading I reckon. That sense of security is partly why Carlton passed up a triple premiership captain Brownlow champion. “Depth rucks” shouldn’t even be a thing.
Cost / benefit. We won 3 premierships by investing less into the ruck position than any other position on the ground.
The idea of ruck security can be a little misleading I reckon. That sense of security is partly why Carlton passed up a triple premiership captain Brownlow champion. “Depth rucks” shouldn’t even be a thing.
Cost / benefit. We won 3 premierships by investing less into the ruck position than any other position on the ground.
The druggies are paying over 500kpy for the rest of 2mp’s 2(?) year contract. The sliding scale of taking on wages vs picks.
it helps if you got the toughest young ruckman south of the equator, ready to go, for virtually free.
I would venture that Nank is the greatest recruit in the history of the RFC
Not according to the Hun FWIW. They claim today that GCS paying a nice % of his contract still. Can you believe that? Why on earth would GC put themselves under such SC pressure. So either he is an absolute steal or he's 'smiled' and they're happy to pay to off-load him. Really overpaid him believing he was the next star to fill the hole that Tom Lynch left.
I reckon we were a little lucky with Nanks - no certainty at the time we pinched him that he'd be as good as he's turned out to be. And Soldo could've gone the wrong way too.
So we could've been 0 for 2 and in a bit of trouble.
Yer, sure, but all the other clubs can try to do is to bridge the gap to us, as is documented and openly reported; even by Selwood at end of GF. And not just recently: obvious that clubs have really sought to borrow, copy or adapt elements of our game-plan - Aints, Dees, Freo, Bummers etc. Haven't managed yet but what other choice have they got? Clearly the Moggies going super-hard on deals now for the likes of JC while they think they are in the window.
Sooner or later, someone might make that bridge. Don't get me wrong. I am absolutely delighted with 3 flags in 4 years; satisfied for the rest of my lifetime really. But, while we are in the window, are we just going to lay down ... or go for a 4th? There's not much point playing elite football but not aiming high as possible, unless you have bottomed out to rebuild. That's not us.
All I am a shade concerned is the basic math. With our list over last year and this - good to reasonable players with many years left in them going out; with nothing coming back. So how do we stay up that way while other clubs are scrambling deals all over the place to get better?
I believe my POV is backed by our current position on Higgins and the Aints: You may have got a ridiculously good deal on Butler. But now, rack off!
I do tend to think it’d be wise to get that “moneyball” 3rd string ruck as a rookie. You could recycle a Keegan Brooksby or a Ryan Abbott but I’d look at a SLR ruck.
Theyre not great but former Crow Paul Hunter from South Adelaide or former Magpie Corey Gault from the WAFL might be options. Dont think you’d be taking a chance on a VFL ruck after not playing this year.
Theyre not great but former Crow Paul Hunter from South Adelaide or former Magpie Corey Gault from the WAFL might be options. Dont think you’d be taking a chance on a VFL ruck after not playing this year.
I'll give the moggies one thing, not trying to copy us, more trying to get their game plan to a place where they can beat us. I think that has more chance of winning than copying, especially in the short term. Do still wonder about the age of their recruits but they know they are close so worth it really.
I'm hoping we can win at least one more (would put us ahead of the Hawks, who had 1 when I was born
).We have a good list with a lot of depth. In that situation we are going to lose fringe players. The trick will be to make sure we can hold on to enough young players to keep going when some of our stars retire. This is never easy but, even though we will lose a few, we are in a great position. The main point is that we need to be picking which of the younger players we keep because we sure as hell can't hold on to them all as those who are not getting regular games will seek to move to a club where they will get more opportunity. You can't blame them for that, being a professional sports player is a short career, they need to take any opportunities as they are available.
But we should make sure we get something decent back when players leave though. Not be stupid about this but try and find that elusive balance between giving fringe players an opportunity elsewhere and receiving decent compensation for those who leave.
DS
I'd be surprised if we dont rookie a mature ruckman for that very reason
No way. We are paying a high price right now for stockpiling rucks by putting 6 on the contract list, even if Ryan & Colina are on minimum chips. Why 6? Why take Ryan last year as our only pick in the last draft? When we needed mids most of all. The pick we gave Geelol - took Max Holmes - looks like making a player, has speed and decent skills; played several games and made their finals team. So no use for us ? (aside from Moggs' hate & latest failure etc. We have that handy pick this year etc. Just saying, he looks like he could develop into a useful mid).
You need minimum of 3 decent rucks, preferably an extra R/F. The rest are surplus to needs. We are losing on both Chol and CCJ now with both going just when we actually really require them as likely best 22 over the next year or two. JR nearly done, Lynch and Soldo dubious proposition injury wise.
In 2021 our ruck stockpile was primo. The shape, the numbers, the types and ages were ideal. We got to try all our rucks except Colina at senior level and come season's end we are able to make very informed decisions about who we keep, who we punt and who we recruit.
Ruck stockpiles are essential. But they mature and have to be replenished. RFC made one horrendous ruck decision in my time of watching the club. It was using pick 20 on a ruck in 2017. And we've all seen how that ended. To be fair, CJ was viewed as a forward/ruck at the time.
Through our own success with Cat B Ivan Soldo, we've shown the way with rucks, and but for the one horrendous but forgivable error in 2017 we have recruited deftly and economically for the superb ruck stockpile that has just matured.
On how good this stockpile is let us first note that RFC rucks do not earn big money. We have a very unusual 1/2 combo. Neither is a forward. Each is a #1 ruck. There are eight or so clubs that have zero #1 rucks. Port and Brisbane? Really? Footscray? LOL Footscray.
It's not that our pair of rucks are flawless individually. Soldo can (when sound) get square in the air with any ruck, or at worst be shaded. And Nank (when sound) can get a hold of weaker opponents at ground level and contest against any. Each can get the odd hiding but it won't be on the same day. And very rarely for the whole day.
Nank just turned 27 and Soldo will turn 26 in April. This is a ruck duo not yet fully ripe. With improvement remaining. So our #3 development ruck is ideally a year or more off and ideally with forward capabilities. That'd be Ryan. Tick.
We should always have a CatB ruck on the list. Colina. Ideal.
Some are rightly suggesting we could do with back up ruck to cover for Ryan if we lose one of Nank or Soldo. I'll believe Soldo is sound when I see it. And how often is Nank injured or niggly? I think we are already at some risk in the ruck division.
It could be Ceglar. Some will recall that Ceglar has given Nank the odd touch up. Ceglar is elite at his best. A dinosuar. A medical would be interesting. At the very least I can see why we would be looking at a mature ruck for 2022, much as this flies in the face of the Soldo burning the track narrative. None of the other rucks on the table is worth pursuing imo. Max Lynch is the wrong age and Ladhams is not a true ruck, and not much in the air.
I think we should be looking for a forward/ruck. At drafting one. 19yo this or next year. A forward ruck is a tall forward who is big enough to ruck. RFC's Brad Ottens. Brendon Gale. Players who are too good to play ruck when young. We tried Chol and CJ and they both came up short in the forward role. And are now elsewhere. We could have kept either or both.
Irrespective of best off season ever narratives about post ACL players the RFC brainstrust would have a very good idea of where Soldo is at and based on that will make a decision on whether we really need a back up ruck.
I'd like to see Nankervis, Soldo, perhaps Ceglar, Ryan, 19yo Forward/ruck this or next year, Colina. Even another Cat B.
I like the way we've cultivated our ruck stockpile. We're the best in the game at it IMO.
Ruck stockpiles are essential. But they mature and have to be replenished. RFC made one horrendous ruck decision in my time of watching the club. It was using pick 20 on a ruck in 2017. And we've all seen how that ended. To be fair, CJ was viewed as a forward/ruck at the time.
Through our own success with Cat B Ivan Soldo, we've shown the way with rucks, and but for the one horrendous but forgivable error in 2017 we have recruited deftly and economically for the superb ruck stockpile that has just matured.
On how good this stockpile is let us first note that RFC rucks do not earn big money. We have a very unusual 1/2 combo. Neither is a forward. Each is a #1 ruck. There are eight or so clubs that have zero #1 rucks. Port and Brisbane? Really? Footscray? LOL Footscray.
It's not that our pair of rucks are flawless individually. Soldo can (when sound) get square in the air with any ruck, or at worst be shaded. And Nank (when sound) can get a hold of weaker opponents at ground level and contest against any. Each can get the odd hiding but it won't be on the same day. And very rarely for the whole day.
Nank just turned 27 and Soldo will turn 26 in April. This is a ruck duo not yet fully ripe. With improvement remaining. So our #3 development ruck is ideally a year or more off and ideally with forward capabilities. That'd be Ryan. Tick.
We should always have a CatB ruck on the list. Colina. Ideal.
Some are rightly suggesting we could do with back up ruck to cover for Ryan if we lose one of Nank or Soldo. I'll believe Soldo is sound when I see it. And how often is Nank injured or niggly? I think we are already at some risk in the ruck division.
It could be Ceglar. Some will recall that Ceglar has given Nank the odd touch up. Ceglar is elite at his best. A dinosuar. A medical would be interesting. At the very least I can see why we would be looking at a mature ruck for 2022, much as this flies in the face of the Soldo burning the track narrative. None of the other rucks on the table is worth pursuing imo. Max Lynch is the wrong age and Ladhams is not a true ruck, and not much in the air.
I think we should be looking for a forward/ruck. At drafting one. 19yo this or next year. A forward ruck is a tall forward who is big enough to ruck. RFC's Brad Ottens. Brendon Gale. Players who are too good to play ruck when young. We tried Chol and CJ and they both came up short in the forward role. And are now elsewhere. We could have kept either or both.
Irrespective of best off season ever narratives about post ACL players the RFC brainstrust would have a very good idea of where Soldo is at and based on that will make a decision on whether we really need a back up ruck.
I'd like to see Nankervis, Soldo, perhaps Ceglar, Ryan, 19yo Forward/ruck this or next year, Colina. Even another Cat B.
I like the way we've cultivated our ruck stockpile. We're the best in the game at it IMO.
I hope we can pick someone up in the next few days.
With Nankenstein and Ivan's cousin Ivan a bit injury prone these days really worried if one or worst case both go down.
Knock on wood, knock on wood, knock on wood.
Ryan played 1 match v Aints, statless, wasn't ready. Weird selection move.
Mate a long term prospect.
Biggy, not so ruck biggy enough!
We really need a mature ruck ready to go as back up.
Heck even DTLD is gone who also pinch hit in this area.
Hate seeing Tom as a ruck also.
Really should have kept 1 of the 2 departed players.
Effectively lost 3 part time rucks post season.
Ceglar's a bit robotic, don't know if he's the answer. Does he cover the ground?
Ladhams chopped us up in 1 match in Area 51. Hasn't done much since.
Lynch from Coll wobbles very green also.
Does Tazz ruck in the backline for lol Norff?
Who else could come in?
With Nankenstein and Ivan's cousin Ivan a bit injury prone these days really worried if one or worst case both go down.
Knock on wood, knock on wood, knock on wood.
Ryan played 1 match v Aints, statless, wasn't ready. Weird selection move.
Mate a long term prospect.
Biggy, not so ruck biggy enough!
We really need a mature ruck ready to go as back up.
Heck even DTLD is gone who also pinch hit in this area.
Hate seeing Tom as a ruck also.
Really should have kept 1 of the 2 departed players.
Effectively lost 3 part time rucks post season.
Ceglar's a bit robotic, don't know if he's the answer. Does he cover the ground?
Ladhams chopped us up in 1 match in Area 51. Hasn't done much since.
Lynch from Coll wobbles very green also.
Does Tazz ruck in the backline for lol Norff?
Who else could come in?
Gee... there's some absolute pearlers on this thread .... and I've only read page 1
Reports are Soldo recently had an arthroscope due to knee soreness.
If his season is again derailed it leaves us very light on for ruckmen now.
Nank, Ryan..Colina???
Bit vulnerable..
If his season is again derailed it leaves us very light on for ruckmen now.
Nank, Ryan..Colina???
Bit vulnerable..
