(03-25-2023, 12:06 PM)pinot date Wrote:I actually thought we looked better Thursday with two rucks - one tall rucking forward taking arguable tallest player and one ruck behind the ball covering the exit kick. Not to mention we did better a lot better around the clearances.I feel it was painfully obvious, TDK and Pitto have very different strengths and weaknesses, they seem to be able to combined well without getting in each others way!
I thought Pitto floating into D50 allowed Young, Gov and Weiters some freedom, the structure looked better.
TDK floating into F50 helped us become less predictable, it is a situation that will only get better if the three talls can work together.
When we have TDK and Pitto rotating in the ruck, the opposition don't seem to gain as much momentum, and / or we actually seem capable to flipping the momentum. Life was much harder for the opposition, people fans/media credited Cripps in the 3rd Qtr, but wasn't there also a component of TDK and Pitto, would Cripps have had that impact if our 1st ruck was rested by SoJ?
I think part of this is playing fit players, I would never take a unfit Pitto or TDK ahead of a fit SoJ, we have seen in the past the folly of taking questionably fit players into games.
I've thought in the past SoJ had the most impact being the marking option on the wing, but I can't say he's offered anything better than Acres did Thursday night. Acres needs to string a few games together, but I have to presume if that's his level he's a lock for that role.
"Ruck, ruck, ruck, ruck ....... Ruck, ruck, ruck, ruck"