(06-05-2024, 03:03 AM)kruddler link Wrote:Here is the thing though, what actually adds to our strength the best?
Having a fresh(er) ruck with a better chance of hitting our mids at a stoppage
or
Having another fresh(er) mid around the stoppage due to the ability to include one more mid/runner in the side due to 1 ruck.
THAT is the crux of the 1-ruck vs 2-ruck debate from the beginning (which people continually overlook).
My argument is that the little extra benefit provided by tapwork is undone by the fatiguing mids by comparison to the alternative.
Fresher (more) mids = greater pressure = greater turnovers etc etc etc.
IMO the team benefits more by an extra small.
The questions then become (as they always have)...
Who is that extra mid?
What impact will he have on the game?
Does the extra rotation they provide really outweigh any ruck advantage that might be had?
...and how do you measure that.
It's not all gain either way...there is some loss.
For what it's worth I'd leave the side unchanged and just go with the one ruck this weekend.