05-26-2024, 07:11 AM
(05-26-2024, 05:31 AM)LP link Wrote:The folly of rucking BigH by default was exposed in the commentary when Brown started banging on about TDK going solo.
King rightly came in and described why solo rucking TDK is not sustainable season long, then there was a suggestion to ruck Charlie and King nearly fell out of his chair, and he describe why you don't ruck Charlie ever, and the same applies to overuse of BigH in the ruck, the risk is too high relative to the benefit.
The BigH to the ruck is an occasional pinch hit option, not a default tactic.
If our MC aren't smart enough to make use of Pitto and TDK sensibly, as required, we have an MC problem it's not the players.
I'm a bit over the hysteria and dangers of rucking players.
Around the ground, ball ups and throw ins, the rucks are coming at the ball together, starting 1m apart and closing that well before the ball arrives. Risk of injury, basically 0%.
The risk comes at centre bounces. Now we have 1 for every quarter and 1 for every goal. As an example, yesterday we had a total of 30. 15 goals to us, 11 to gold coast, 1 for each quarter.
If we only have 1 ruck, they are basically rucking for 80% of the time. So that would mean your #1 ruck is rucking for basically 24 of that 30, meaning your backup ruck is taking 6 centre bounces. Harry is in more marking contests than that where he can get hurt.
Perhaps we shouldn't play him as a forward in case he gets hurt too??
For those 6 centre bounces, i'd happily tell him not to jump, but rather line up side on (like wing-side of the circle) and come at the ball side on to eliminate any inury risks.
Now the reality is, that after a goal, or at the start of a quarter, your #1 ruck has plenty of time to make it in for the centre bounce and will attend more than the 80% of the centre bounces, making the risk to backup ruck even smaller.
Add to that the fact that our backup ruck will most likely come up against their backup ruck who also doesn't want to get hurt and will try a similar tactic to what i suggested.
So can we give up the chance of injury from backup rucks please?

