The best defensive unit we’ll ever see this is back | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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The best defensive unit we’ll ever see this is back

Carter

Carter

Tiger Legend
Nov 14, 2012
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Short Balta Astbury Broad
Baker Houli Grimes Vlastuin

Sure, Bakes may play a role forward and Shorty might get up the ground, but ...

this makes me feel good. With so many issues in our midfield, I think the focus this week will be suffocating, running and supporting from the back.

We have the best defence in the league. Perhaps ever.

The band is back for the first time since the Grand Final. My prediction is that GWS will struggle to score this week.
 
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Carter said:
Short Balta Astbury Broad
Baker Houli Grimes Vlastuin

Sure, Bakes may play a role forward and Shorty might get up the ground, but ...

this makes me feel good. With so many issues in our midfield, I think the focus this week will be suffocating, running and supporting from the back.

We have the best defence in the league. Perhaps ever.

The band is back for the first time since the Grand Final. My prediction is that GWS will struggle to score this week.
Click to expand...
It won't matter if we keep the same forward line.

I reckon we'll concede a hundred. Again.

Because if every one of our forward entries is turned into a zero pressure slingshot, it doesn't matter who we have back.

BTW, I think that backline was the best ever until the rule changes.

With the amount of one on one's now, having all of Short, Houli, Baker at one time back there makes us a bit smaller than we need to be. We only have one genuine stopping tall defender in Astbury, and he's starting to look his age. Balta, Grimes, and Vlossy all have their strength in intercepting, which is harder this year (particularly with our structure) and Shorty, Baker and Houli aren't stopping Jeremy Cameron, despite their other strengths.

Then there's the even scarier question of our backline depth if one of them is injured (as we saw on Friday).
 
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Coburgtiger said:
It won't matter if we keep the same forward line.

I reckon we'll concede a hundred. Again.

Because if every one of our forward entries is turned into a zero pressure slingshot, it doesn't matter who we have back.

BTW, I think that backline was the best ever until the rule changes.

With the amount of one on one's now, having all of Short, Houli, Baker at one time back there makes us a bit smaller than we need to be. We only have one genuine stopping tall defender in Astbury, and he's starting to look his age. Balta, Grimes, and Vlossy all have their strength in intercepting, which is harder this year (particularly with our structure) and Shorty, Baker and Houli aren't stopping Jeremy Cameron, despite their other strengths.

Then there's the even scarier question of our backline depth if one of them is injured (as we saw on Friday).
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Vlastuin better for the run, Houli working into his season, Grimes back with the domino effect of who-takes-who.

GWS will only kick 10 goals at Marvel, Coburg. Bookmark it.
 
Please. No Rance no best ever.
 
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MD Jazz said:
Please. No Rance no best ever.
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wrong. short was just starting, grimes wasn't as good as he is now, ditto Vlastuin, DLTD... well he never changes. But the introduction of Baker, who is a bona fide star, tips it over for me.
 
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you can bet the focus will be on defensive effort this week. it's what Dimma always goes to in times of need or uncertainty.

yes, the midfield was the problem, we all know that. but our backline is particularly good at running and linking if needed. our midfield has actually never been A1 in terms of bossing oppo midfidelds. Cotchin and Prestia shoulder so much of that grunt.

so we cover for midfield deficiencies by using strangling the giants entries and launching from half back.

come on PRE! GET ON THE TIGGERS TRAIN THIS WEEK! we will slaughter them.

101-62. GWS will fold when they realize they can't score.
 
Defence starts from our forwards. They were horrible in this aspect on Friday night. Barely laid a tackle.

This has been our one wood since 2017.

Your backline can be great but if the ball is coming in at will, you will get punished.

So when we talk about defence it’s every player on the ground. At the moment only 6 or 7 are executing this to a reasonable level.
 
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We defend from the forward line back, and that is what made our defence so good. Problem right now is we have no midfield so expecting the backline to save us is unrealistic IMO.
 
Smoking Aces said:
Defence starts from our forwards. They were horrible in this aspect on Friday night. Barely laid a tackle.

This has been our one wood since 2017.

Your backline can be great but if the ball is coming in at will, you will get punished.

So when we talk about defence it’s every player on the ground. At the moment only 6 or 7 are executing this to a reasonable level.
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not quite. forward tackles are important, but the forwards need to be there at the drop in the first place. the only way this happens is if our back runners are overlapping as they should be and not forcing rioli and castagna to get sucked into general play to help out.

but otherwise you are 100% right Aces
 
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Sparse midfield this week. Dirty 22B, heat and counter will be the go.

We'll beat them. Bloody Esserden almost did.
 
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if you listen closely to Dimma from the grand final footage he gives away the structural change that resulted in the second half revival - half back run and overlap which allowed us to keep our shape forward
 
spook said:
Sparse midfield this week. Dirty 22B, heat and counter will be the go.

We'll beat them. Bloody Esserden almost did.
Click to expand...

yep, you get it Spook. structural changes are needed to cover for the mids.
 
spook said:
Sparse midfield this week. Dirty 22B, heat and counter will be the go.

We'll beat them. Bloody Esserden almost did.
Click to expand...

we have to win this week, so we will.

get over the full team mystery concussion and we should be fine.

we've played the top 5 in the first 8 rounds,

and we will play the entire 8 before the bye.

that suggests 2 things;

1. breaking even to the bye will be a massive effort and set up a season, because,

2. its a straight downhill run to finals.
 
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eZyT said:
we have to win this week, so we will.

get over the full team mystery concussion and we should be fine.

we've played the top 5 in the first 8 rounds,

and we will play the entire 8 before the bye.

that suggests 2 things;

1. breaking even to the bye will be a massive effort and set up a season, because,

2. its a straight downhill run to finals.
Click to expand...

100% this mate, spot on
 
Carter said:
if you listen closely to Dimma from the grand final footage he gives away the structural change that resulted in the second half revival - half back run and overlap which allowed us to keep our shape forward
Click to expand...
Our half forwards push to the wing and our wingers push to half back.
 
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