Player Watch #47: Ivan Soldo

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Very impressive, we are winning taps and getting center clearances that are clean.
He is young and still learning and getting better very quickly.
Well done to him, our ruck division was an area of concern last year but who ever is our ruck couch is doing an amazing job.
I still think he a nank is our go to against the bigger and better ruck combinations and I'm saying that despite the fact I have liked what I've seen from chol as well.
 
Rodney Dangerfield said:
Umpire number 32 was useless.
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Had a shocking few decisions that I'm tipping he's like another go at in hindsight. He's generally fairly good, but doesn't have a feel for the leg raised rule that's for sure. Is one of the better bouncers of the ball in good conditions - some of them are limp in this regard.

Not sure Leigh Fisher is in the umpire's pecking order, but he's another I don't might because he at least has played at the highest level and has an appreciation, if if he has become umpirized.
 

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We might have unearthed a gem here. Soldo's averaging 75 ranking points this season which isn't that special on its own but considering his TOG is only 70.3% its a decent output with lots of room for growth. The top 4 rucks in the comp are Grundy (129 points from 89% TOG), Gawn (124 from 86%), Goldstein (114 from 88%) Marshall (111 from 86%) for comparison.

Clearly Soldo doesn't have the tank just yet but if he can add another 15% TOG, we're looking at easily a top 10 ruckman. Nank might have the better ranking but we haven't seen the best of Soldo yet. The trajectory for most rucks going into the top 10 is that they need to have a combination of a) hitouts to advantage (8+) b) disposals (13+) c) contested marks (0.8+) d) tackles (3.5+)

Soldo's averages are H/O +: 6, Disposals: 9, Contested Marks: 0.3, Tackles: 3.7
These numbers are the best of any ruck with less than 80% TOG that's played more than 5 games for the season.

Champion data ranking points (SC) aren't usually a very good measure for the quality of defenders or small forwards but for ruckmen its really the only number that matters. It rewards hit outs to advantage and follow up work in the way of marking, tackling, pressure acts, disposals, score chains started etc.
Nank/Soldo or CJ we finally have some ruck depth.
 
Rodney Dangerfield said:
Nank is pretty mobile and to be honest Chol is just no good in the ruck and not much chop anywhere at the moment.
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Soldo is the best actual ruckman, Nank the best in terms of around the ground play and Chol has the best highlights package.
Doesn’t get involved enough, just don’t think we can bring him in finals when he barely touches is atm.
I love the idea of Soldo number 1 ruck, our midfield undoubtedly functions better, Nank plays the role Chol does, he’s more then capable in the forward line then he would dominate every second ruck in the league when Soldo is having a rest.
 
Heisenberg_ said:
Soldo is the best actual ruckman, Nank the best in terms of around the ground play and Chol has the best highlights package.
Doesn’t get involved enough, just don’t think we can bring him in finals when he barely touches is atm.
I love the idea of Soldo number 1 ruck, our midfield undoubtedly functions better, Nank plays the role Chol does, he’s more then capable in the forward line then he would dominate every second ruck in the league when Soldo is having a rest.
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Not exactly true. Nank actually averages more hitouts to advantage. Its more the style of how they ruck. Nank's hit out radius is smaller and more to the ground at his feet type, essentially easier to repeat stoppages. Soldo's radius is a little larger and likes to hit to space and moving players more but at this stage it doesn't work out as often as we need. Just because Soldo's hit out radius is bigger doesn't make it better as its whether on not its to the advantage of the midfielder that counts. Our midfield is functioning better because Prestia/Graham/Bolton are having a better year than 2018 and Kingsley is a very good stoppages coach. But yes, a Nankoldo combo would be better than a Choldo. People seem to forget how mobile Nank is, he's a very capable forward.
 
Stitch said:
Not exactly true. Nank actually averages more hitouts to advantage. Its more the style of how they ruck. Nank's hit out radius is smaller and more to the ground at his feet type, essentially easier to repeat stoppages. Soldo's radius is a little larger and likes to hit to space and moving players more but at this stage it doesn't work out as often as we need. Just because Soldo's hit out radius is bigger doesn't make it better as its whether on not its to the advantage of the midfielder that counts. Our midfield is functioning better because Prestia/Graham/Bolton are having a better year than 2018 and Kingsley is a very good stoppages coach. But yes, a Nankoldo combo would be better than a Choldo. People seem to forget how mobile Nank is, he's a very capable forward.
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Grigg on the CH7 blues commentary last week when asked said Soldo is our best number one ruck and Nank is our best mobile ruck/forward.
 
Bazzar said:
Grigg on the CH7 blues commentary last week when asked said Soldo is our best number one ruck and Nank is our best mobile ruck/forward.
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Tap ruckman not ruckman. People forget in 2017 how dominant Nank was for most of the season. 26 disposals against Freo, 21 against Port and Collingwood, 19 GWS and 4 games of 18. Premiership hangover a bit last year, but looked very good last week. Soldo had a good week with 9 possessions.
 
Grrr said:
Tap ruckman not ruckman. People forget in 2017 how dominant Nank was for most of the season. 26 disposals against Freo, 21 against Port and Collingwood, 19 GWS and 4 games of 18. Premiership hangover a bit last year, but looked very good last week. Soldo had a good week with 9 possessions.
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Just repeating what Grigg said, and he didnt mention tap ruckman. He said he's "our best ruck" going into finals.
 

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I'm really coming around to the idea of seeing Soldo as number 1 ruck with Nank back up / mobile forward.


I know it was only a JLT game but we played Nank in the forward 50 in our JLT games and he presented really well and hit the scoreboard.

These two combined will probably give us the best overall ruck advantage we have had across 4 quarters for a long long time.

And with 6-6-6 in play that is vital.


The only concern is do we lose some speed with Chol out. But watching a bit closer yesterday and it wasn't very often we had Soldo and Chol on the ground at the same time (at least it didn't feel that way, stats might say otherwise)

so it could work!!
 
Michaels said:
I'm really coming around to the idea of seeing Soldo as number 1 ruck with Nank back up / mobile forward.


I know it was only a JLT game but we played Nank in the forward 50 in our JLT games and he presented really well and hit the scoreboard.

These two combined will probably give us the best overall ruck advantage we have had across 4 quarters for a long long time.

And with 6-6-6 in play that is vital.


The only concern is do we lose some speed with Chol out. But watching a bit closer yesterday and it wasn't very often we had Soldo and Chol on the ground at the same time (at least it didn't feel that way, stats might say otherwise)

so it could work!!
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The way WC and Collingwood and the Doggies have dismantled us for periods of games is by switching the ball across the backline and back again if necessary. Chol up forward is not a liability here due to his running ability, but Nankervis would be like a witches hat.
 
Michaels said:
I'm really coming around to the idea of seeing Soldo as number 1 ruck with Nank back up / mobile forward.


I know it was only a JLT game but we played Nank in the forward 50 in our JLT games and he presented really well and hit the scoreboard.

These two combined will probably give us the best overall ruck advantage we have had across 4 quarters for a long long time.

And with 6-6-6 in play that is vital.


The only concern is do we lose some speed with Chol out. But watching a bit closer yesterday and it wasn't very often we had Soldo and Chol on the ground at the same time (at least it didn't feel that way, stats might say otherwise)

so it could work!!
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What we lose in pace we'd more than gain in plenty of other areas. The change has to be made this week.
 
Grrr said:
The way WC and Collingwood and the Doggies have dismantled us for periods of games is by switching the ball across the backline and back again if necessary. Chol up forward is not a liability here due to his running ability, but Nankervis would be like a witches hat.
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I watched this pattern of ball movement close yesterday and Chol or Soldo were not really exposed to have to do any of that running. Maybe once or twice if that.

It was usually smalls + Lynch / Riewoldt.

So i don't think that will be a factor provided we get our player positioning right.
 
Grrr said:
The way WC and Collingwood and the Doggies have dismantled us for periods of games is by switching the ball across the backline and back again if necessary. Chol up forward is not a liability here due to his running ability, but Nankervis would be like a witches hat.
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Nank is not slow or a witches hat...if that were the case he would not get to any ruck contests around the ground!
And if he were to play up forward he would make a good job of it...cos the ball would follow him not the other way around the ground as a ruck!
 
JAKLAUGHING said:
Nank is not slow or a witches hat...if that were the case he would not get to any ruck contests around the ground!
And if he were to play up forward he would make a good job of it...cos the ball would follow him not the other way around the ground as a ruck!
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You may have missed the fact that the WC had 7 goals up at Q time and we were chasing ass all Q. Collingwood did it earlier in the year. Our forward press is still our strongest suite. Chol goes okay in that respect, but Nank is slow in comparison.
 
Grrr said:
The way WC and Collingwood and the Doggies have dismantled us for periods of games is by switching the ball across the backline and back again if necessary. Chol up forward is not a liability here due to his running ability, but Nankervis would be like a witches hat.
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Maybe you didn’t notice, but we have been much much better since the bye at preventing that double-switch type play. Yesterday the Weagles failed every time they tried. Clearly our positioning and work rate have improved significantly since the early Collingwood and Bulldogs games.
Yesterday we let them switch left and right until they made a mistake then we pounced. It was a thing of beauty.
 
Grrr said:
You may have missed the fact that the WC had 7 goals up at Q time and we were chasing ass all Q. Collingwood did it earlier in the year. Our forward press is still our strongest suite. Chol goes okay in that respect, but Nank is slow in comparison.
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Where have you got this notion that Nank is a slow player for us?!?
 
rmcq said:
Maybe you didn’t notice, but we have been much much better since the bye at preventing that double-switch type play. Yesterday the Weagles failed every time they tried. Clearly our positioning and work rate have improved significantly since the early Collingwood and Bulldogs games.
Yesterday we let them switch left and right until they made a mistake then we pounced. It was a thing of beauty.
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What about the first Q. They had 27 marks to 7 at one stage, we picked up the pressure after that. We now have Lynch getting fitter and able to close down space, and Jack just starting to get back to fitness. Chol is not a liability in taht respect, but Nank would be. He hasn't played for 4 months as well so has no match practice.
 
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