So the fwds are following there backman up the field because they are trying to keep the ball in there fwd half. If they don’t go up the the ground there backman try to create a wall to lock it in there fwd line, and create an out numbered situation?
Why no try keep on tall fwd closer to home? Move it as quick as u like and go as fast as I can?
I think you missed the part where he wouldn’t know whether Aliir was contesting each bounce or not because he would be looking at the ball, not Aliir. All Aliir had to do was make a fake to get Clarke to commit to a course of action and his focus is then taken from Aliir who simply props instead of contesting.
Because the game is now about pressure in numbers, moving in packs, working as units and backing up for each other, not one-on-one skill tests as it used to be. Coaches want the mass. It is the way the ‘arms race’ has evolved.
How can you ruck when you have zero idea where the other 7 guys are?
As a ruck, I watch my opponent until the ball is bounced, then my focus is on the ball. I may have arranged with my guys to drop the ball three feet forward and expect my player to be there. If My opponent decides half way through the ruck contest not to contest, I’m busy looking at the ball. It is only when he doesn’t make any physical contact that I know what he has done.
It isn’t that I don’t know where the other players are, it is I know where I want my teammates to be when I tap the ball to them, front and centre, left, right, behind or a big punch downfield. I organise that before the bounce because I can’t look for them at the same time I’m looking at the ball.
I sometimes think that Blitz is like a woman having a baby. Watching Clarke play was excruciating, how I would expect a woman feels giving birth, but due to the human body’s unbelievable ability to forget pain, women go back to have more kids, just like blitz wants to suffer again with Clarke.
It makes sense in my head.
It’s not that I want to see Clarke play again. But I don’t know what other option we have against an established ruckman? (Goldy).
Do we accept that we’re going to lose the ruck tap and just back our mids in to rove the tap as best they can? ( genuine question not being a smartass).
Don’t tell me about the labor pains, son, just show me the dayum baby.
Remember the last time we played McKernan against Goldstein? Think it was under Hird in 2015. Friday night game.
Who’s in charge of the ruck during game day? Is it the midfield coach? Someone had to let him know this. At least take the ball out of the ruck and boot it in that situation.
usually the midfield coach looks after the rucks, so skipworth
Yep I sadly remember that. That’s the issue we have, either play Clarke and maybe win some taps but give you nothing around the ground. Of play an undersized ruck who will lose the taps but give you more around the ground
Playing McKernan as a ruckman will take away from the forward line and render him useless around the ground. May as well just leave him forward and have one position useless rather than 2.
We’re stuck with him guy. Better start cheering the small wins like the last quarter. Because we will loose our minds with the rest.
He was all ways a break glass incase of emergency. Well this is it.
Don’t work on “clocks” ?
you can also adopt
I do, Goldstein destroyed him and us.
I’d argue one is much improved since whilst the other in decline, however, still think NTH have a big advantage should this occur.
Also, I don’t think Zak himself is 100% fit, that knee looks to be giving him all sorts of trouble.
We had our chance mid season and took a little person.
ZClarke was tapping it to pretty much the same spot all game. Sydney were wise to it and constantly sharking it. You could say “why did he keep tapping it there” but an equally valid question is “why did we consistently not have anyone sitting there?”
He was always going to struggle against a guy who is infinitely more mobile & has significantly more endurance than him. It was bad, but it was simply a worse version of the sort of game that TBC serves up regularly against non-recognised/spud ruckmen. Has done so his entire career.
I think he’ll be far better suited to a Goldstein-type ruckman. I don’t expect Z to beat him, but if he can break even or blunt him to an extent it will go a long way toward us winning the game. If we run with McKernan alone, Goldstein will have 60 hitouts, we’ll give away 20 ruck infringements and get killed. In such circumstances, it would require planning & tactics to play to Goldstein’s taps and I have no faith whatsoever that our coaching has the ability to instill that…
but baby Snelling is doing better than just fine