Opinion Mike Pyke

[The King!]

Peaked in 2012

Cant ruck

Should be pensioned off

Thought?

 

[alex4445]

My thought is that you are wrong. And at the very least his effort and desire can not be questioned the same can not be said about most of our other players.

 

[scaryness]

Would rather play Naismith/Nankervis if Tippett isnt no1 ruck

 

[The King!]

My thought is that you are wrong. And at the very least his effort and desire can not be questioned the same can not be said about most of our other players.

Let me know when it starts

Cos he cant ruck for shit

 

[J_Moore]

He's made two bad blues at crucial times today. But statistically, he is a good ruckman

 

[scaryness]

Never has a noticeable impact. Such a passenger ruckman

 

[Millky95]

He's made two bad blues at crucial times today. But statistically, he is a good ruckman

He gets the tap, but straight to Kennedy infront of him, always

 

[J_Moore]

He gets the tap, but straight to Kennedy infront of him, always

I suspect he is just following orders.

 

[Millky95]

I suspect he is just following orders.

Possibly. I don't mind Pyke in all honesty but yeah. Hasn't had the greatest game

 

[The King!]

Pyke hasnt been any good since 2012 he has been figured out

 

[MarkP]

I like maple syrup on bacon and pancakes so will hang tough with Mike for a while yet. Well until there is another option.

 

[grimlock]

I don't think it looks good for him when Tippett started the game as the ruckman and rucked quite a bit of the game even without a preseason under his belt

I suspect that the transition has begun and he will be spending less time in the ruck compared to previous years

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Pyke hasnt been any good since 2012 he has been figured out

Well that would be because the plan hasn't changed and opposition mids just hang near Kennedy and shark Pyke taps cause its so predictable.

 

[The King!]

Longmire clearly doesnt see this guy as first ruck

 

[Jack2Jack]

But his 2013 was better than his 2012? Won't write anyone off after round one, but here were a few concerning signs with a few players not just Pyke.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

But his 2013 was better than his 2012? Won't write anyone off after round one, but here were a few concerning signs with a few players not just Pyke.

Goodes

But its round 1 if we picked the side on that criteria we wouldn't have a team from round 1 last year.

 

[DavyRed]

A bit harsh picking on Pyke today. There were many of his teammates that you could equally have picked on - very much a collective crap effort for much of today.

 

[Superstar swan]

Very harsh on pyke,pretty tough conditions

 

[doona]

Very harsh on pyke,pretty tough conditions

Not a game to be judging ruck man by. Though I think he is a little bit of a passenger

 

[Superstar swan]

Not a game to be judging ruck man by. Though I think he is a little bit of a passenger

Im not a big believer that rucks have to be dominant. As long as they are competitive you can get by with a decent midfield.

Freo have had the most dominant ruck over the past 10 years and they havnt had all that much success. The cats won a grand final with mark blake

 

[robbieando]

Seems to have lost all ability to play the role up forward that he did in 2013 that nearly got him All Australian, but his lone ruck work late was impressive.

Agree the weather didn't help him but the help him today, but he'll get from Tippett in the ruck will be important as the season moves along

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Said it last year and I'll say it again. He is a 2nd ruck, he isn't a 1st ruck. We needed to go after a genuine first ruck last season, and yes I know we were hamstrung by the trade ban.

 

[sataris]

Did anyone else notice the change in his rucking style towards the end of the match.

He started thumping the ball rather than palming it in front.

Seems like he's playing to instruction rather than anything else?

 

[J_Moore]

Pyke is always, always mentioned by coaches as being the perfectly coachable player, and he gets first hands to the ball a lot, so if he's making the same bad decision over and over again, he's doing so under instruction.

 

[S120]

I don't think it looks good for him when Tippett started the game as the ruckman and rucked quite a bit of the game even without a preseason under his belt

I suspect that the transition has begun and he will be spending less time in the ruck compared to previous years

Yeh I suspect this is it. Pyke isn't getting dropped anytime soon I think but it would seem there is a transition happening. Tippett will ruck more often and Naismith is clearly gaining the respect and trust of the coaches as a number on ruckman. We all know Pyke is more effective as a forward/ruck so it looks like they're trying to make that happen more often.

The ruck situation of the list is probably the most interesting of all. Tippett is off contract and I suspect he will re-sign but then Pyke is nearing retirement and then we have Derickx who looks to have fallen off senior contention, Nankervis has hardly been sighted at all and when he has it's barely in the ruck and then Naismith seemingly has support but still needs a lot of work. I wonder if a recruiting a fringe, strong ruckman from another club will happen at the end of the year (in the Mumford, Jolly, Ball, Chambers oooft mould). Off the top of my head, Jake Spencer, Tom Nicholls, Jack Hannath (my personal favourite), Callum Sinclair could fit the bill with the trade restriction in place.