Opinion What the Ruck do we do?

[The King!]

Discussing our current ruck problems on the couch and they are spot on.

Pyke has been a warrior for this club dont get me wrong, but he is doing stuff all of late and he was subbed out, maybe he is injured, maybe he is just cooked, even at his best he was hardly Mr Football around the ground. Right now he is in his worst year since being the number one ruck and I would say bar the Blues game against nobody his last 6 games he has been on decline.

If he is injured rest him, if this is him then do we need a change?
Tippett was the number one ruck on the weekend, played his best game for the year, can we play him as our number one ruck? He is a good ruckman but does it weaken the forward line? Whats the most he can play in the ruck?

Even if he is number one ruck he needs some chop out, suggestion on the couch was Reid, to me this works id Tippett is in the ruck around 90%, which rules out Tippett the forward

Going forward i expect nothing to change, but if you are in the hot seat what do you do? Drop Pyke ? Bring in nankervis? Play pyke as a second ruck like the weekend?

Is pyke the number one ruck simply because there is nothing else?

Id like to try Nankervis and Tippett with a varying time share option until Pyke is right, i think it will stay as it is though

 

[Kennedy Parker]

For now: 50-50 split, Tippett is the better ruckman out of the two but right now we lose too much up forward if he's 1st ruck.
Going forward: Nankervis no.1 ruck/Tippett chop out

 

[Cadsky]

I went Nanka #1 with Tippo back up simply because there isnt a 50/50 option. Tippo has been great in the ruck but is too important to our forward set up to have him #1 ruck.

Pyke, thanks for your services but you are done.

 

[The King!]

I went Nanka #1 with Tippo back up simply because there isnt a 50/50 option. Tippo has been great in the ruck but is too important to our forward set up to have him #1 ruck.

Pyke, thanks for your services but you are done.

Added them 50-50

 

[SilentHunter_]

I went the Nanka and Tippet 50-50 split. Pyke is cooked, and we need Tippet in the forward line so he can't be #1 ruck. Problem I see with Nanka is does he have the tank, especially for this type of game where it is going to be on from start to finish and then can he back it up the following week.

 

[momentbymoment]

Reid, Tippet and Towers.
We need to break things up a bit, get mobile and get excited. All three of them are good at ground level.

 

[vonn]

I went with others eg Dean Towers because I'm a troll master.

 

[vonn]

In all seriousness, Naismith should be playing reserves soon? Think he only had 1 week left on the injury list on the 7th July.

 

[Kennedy Parker]

At some point last year during our 12 game winning streak we had Tom Derickx around 95% in the ruck. Ruck deficiencies aren't nearly as pronounced if the midfielders outwork their opponents at the stoppage.

 

[The King!]

At some point last year during our 12 game winning streak we had Tom Derickx around 95% in the ruck. Ruck deficiencies aren't nearly as pronounced if the midfielders outwork their opponents at the stoppage.

Drex was better last year than he was this year to be fair

Nic nat, sandilands, mcevoy/ceglar

Going to need to be competitive in the ruck come finals

 

[Kennedy Parker]

Drex was better last year than he was this year to be fair

Nic nat, sandilands, mcevoy/ceglar

Going to need to be competitive in the ruck come finals

Pyke is capable as a tap ruckman but he's lost his ability around the ground whether it's due to injury or loss of mobility as he's gotten older. I'd be reluctant to play Nankervis as first ruck or even 50-50 come finals time unless injury-forced because there's a question mark over whether he'd be able to back up week after week against finals hardened opposition. Ideally, I'd play split ruck duties between Pyke and Tippett then sub Pyke off at 3QT then play Tippett first ruck with Reid as chop-out.

 

[MarkP]

No doubt in my mind Pyke is injured.

If so, bench him until right.

Pick anyone else, shame Drex is injured he would be perfect now. and get them to go as long as they can one out with some small help from Reid around the ground and Tippett when forward.

That primary ruck becomes - pretty much - the automatic sub in the third. Get quicker in the last and rotate Tippett and Reid or anyone else that is breathing for that time.

We can win without a real ruck, been doing it all year, why force the issue.

We do not have a AFL quality ruck that is fit unless you want to strip us of our power forward that finally showed what he can do on a lead last weekend.

Thus, don't try and find one that doesn't exist. Toss anyone there and move on. All they got to do is jump into someone. It aint that hard.

 

[Superstar swan]

Blood nanka as number 1 ruck and have tippo chop out. Get some games into him and fast track his devlopment. Dont see a huge loss in output if nanka takes pykes spot

 

[OldMateMuff]

Internally they'll be an understandable push to bring on a #1 sooner than expected. This fiasco of a trade ban for abiding by the rules impacts our ruck stocks more than any other part of the ground (yes, including defence). Even if we could go out and get a ruckman it would make the Mumford decision look a bit risible so you'd hope management have a plan for the conundrum they've created.

Pyke's inability to have an impact anywhere on the ground aside from the centre circle of late is I'm assuming to be everyones issue. As much as we shouldn't be eating our own he's obviously the weakest #1 of the top four - he's still got some legs in him yet though big Mike! I'd more than happily see Tippo run out his contract as a pinch hitter but then who else?

On current form the obvious choice is Nankervis, particularly given his recent run in the seniors - look at his numbers from the twos on the wkend - 21 touches, 1.1, 56 hit outs. Not bad. But he's never gonna be to us what Natanui is to WC or Sandilands is to Freo. But in saying that the Hawks ruck stocks don't strike anyone with fear so, meh.

You know what, f**k this just stick Franklin in there.

 

[kelpie_X]

I went Tippo and Nank 50/50 because Pyke needs to get himself right for the finals.

 

[doona]

Internally they'll be an understandable push to bring on a #1 sooner than expected. This fiasco of a trade ban for abiding by the rules impacts our ruck stocks more than any other part of the ground (yes, including defence)

heaps of the best rucks are either from the rookie list (Sandi , Mumford), PSD (S.Martin), traded on the cheap (Jacobs, maric), etc... I know there are high draft picks as well, but considering there are not many rucks starting regularly it is a fairly high rate.. The trade ban on average for a ruckman has little impact on us as we would trade in someone on the cheap.

Out of those, only us with Mummy paid over the top

Edit: Not to mention Blicavs :O

 

[Stav85]

I don't think we can afford to take Tippett out of the forward line too much. He's too important for us both to kick goals off his own boot, as well as to draw defenders away from buddy

 

[MF]

Depends what's wrong with him and how long he needs to recover, but I'm not against the idea of having Tippett as the primary ruck getting a chop out from Reid. I'm not convinced it will hurt our forward line than much, particularly if we have both Tippett and Reid rotating through there.

But to make these decision you really need to know all sorts of things like how fit Tippett is, how badly the ruck affects his knees, exactly what's wrong with Pyke etc etc. So I'll just trust the club to make the correct call.

 

[robbieando]

I love this board

Reid when out of form and used in the ruck from time to time this board was like - "don't use him there, ruins his confidence - drop him or put him in defence". Now that he has a far more settled role, is in defence more and more has improved his confidence and form this board is like - "play him in the ruck as a chop out"

Seriously can't you lot make up your minds

 

[MF]

In my defence I don't give a s**t about a players confidence. As a keyboard coach I move them around for my own amusement like mindless pawns.

 

[robbieando]

In my defence I don't give a s**t about a players confidence. As a keyboard coach I move them around for my own amusement like mindless pawns.

No problem with that and fair enough to suggest it as well but my post was more a general overall view than a reply to your post in of itself.

 

[bedford]

Reid, Tippet and Towers.
We need to break things up a bit, get mobile and get excited. All three of them are good at ground level.

Towers is good at nothing. I reckon Tippett with Nankervis giving a chop out, he is the future

 

[The King!]

I love this board

Reid when out of form and used in the ruck from time to time this board was like - "don't use him there, ruins his confidence - drop him or put him in defence". Now that he has a far more settled role, is in defence more and more has improved his confidence and form this board is like - "play him in the ruck as a chop out"

Seriously can't you lot make up your minds

Whats your suggestion apart from an analysis of others thoughts then ?

 

[bedford]

I love this board

Reid when out of form and used in the ruck from time to time this board was like - "don't use him there, ruins his confidence - drop him or put him in defence". Now that he has a far more settled role, is in defence more and more has improved his confidence and form this board is like - "play him in the ruck as a chop out"

Seriously can't you lot make up your minds

I don't chop and change

 

[Punts]

Tippett number 1 , played his best game on the weekend , simple imo