ruckwork - not happy | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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ruckwork - not happy

T

tigers4life

Tiger Cub
Apr 21, 2005
130
0
this should probably be on the gameday thread but i really think it needs to be emphasised and hence the new topic.

we had, according to the stats, 26 hit outs compared to 25 for the bullies.. i am convinced however that simmonds got more then a staggering 21 hit outs.. YET HOW COME EVERY SINGLE TIME IT WENT STRAIGHT TO A WESTERN BULLDOGS PLAYER!! sorry for the caps but it just makes you angry to have the first touch at the ball and give it straight to the opposition!

is it our ruckmen? that have not been taught where to hit it to?
is it our midfielders? who are not in the right position?
or is it our coaches? who dont have anything set?
or is it just they were THAT much better than us?

it is a fundamental part of the game, and up there with the most underrated part. if we can win soooo many hit outs and have one player who can be so consistently dominant then how do we not win it out of the middle!!
whats worse is that symmonds should be dominating against the likes of skipper and minson!.. yes minson showed potential last year, but he played this game with a fractured hand!!

this problem must be rectified asap... and personally i can't see the likes of knobel helping the matter! and we all know staff will play limited time, if any, in the ruck.

i'll leave with this, mainly coz its gettin me more angry just thinkin about it, look back on footage of sydney last year, EVERY stoppage for a bounce or a throw in they were dominant and precise. it single handedly got them in to the grand final with the set play for nick davis (they did the same thing a number of times in that last quarter). Ruckwork is extremely important and i think deserves more time to be looked at!!

please coaching staff, rectify this before we hit up against the centres of stkilda and west coast.... undoubtably the best midfields in the leeague. which ffs are the next two weeeks!!! my chin has been held high for the entire summer and i have been raving about the tiges (and will always continue to do so) but geez this is a problem..
 
tigers4life said:
is it our ruckmen? that have not been taught where to hit it to?
......  and personally i can't see the likes of knobel helping the matter!
Click to expand...

Knobel and Simmonds led richmond to be 2nd in effective hit outs last year (following only West Coast). I think they know where to tap the ball. We played sh!t today, it's an exaggeration not a true guide to form.

Two things happened - we didn't have the desire/motivation to go get the ball first, and they were that much better than us.

The whole game is an aberration.
 
Simmonds ruck work wasnt bad tonight. The Oz Kick kids at half time showed more skills than our midfield tonight.

Our midfield wasted the ball and played without heart.
 
Cox could have rucked for Richmond and it still wouldnt have made a different.

Our midfield was a disgrace. They couldnt have caught a cold being naked in port phillip bay tonight, let alone get their hands on the footy.
 
I thought that the ruckwork today was adequate. :-\ However Scott West is an out and out champion and just read everything off Simmonds. From what I could see West was roving to Simmonds while the other Dogs were roving to their ruckman. Unfortunately our midfielders were just not good enough. Can't remember the last time that Cogs got such a towelling at the start of the season.
 
One-eyed Tiger said:
Ruckwork counts for nought in the new AFL.
Actually nothing matters except for speedy 185-190cm midfielders.
Click to expand...

how do you plan on getting the ball to these "185-190cm midfielders"?? as radiculously good as westcoast are they would not be half as good if it wasnt for cox who so perfectly taps it to them.

i am not just taking it from this one game. i noticed it last year too.. if we have a team that at EVERY stoppage can have the opposition on their back heels we wil be more competitive (like sydney last year).
 
as i said in the posatives post I thought simmo got more taps as far as ground support was concerned um it was like the rest of it...... out to lunch
 
Exactly. As far as ruckwork goes it doesn't matter if you're Simon Madden or Ben Marsh. If your midfielders are not IN FRONT and ON THE MOVE then they will be beaten to the ball every time no matter how deft your taps. FACT.
 
tigers4life said:
One-eyed Tiger said:
Ruckwork counts for nought in the new AFL.
Actually nothing matters except for speedy 185-190cm midfielders.
Click to expand...

how do you plan on getting the ball to these "185-190cm midfielders"?? as radiculously good as westcoast are they would not be half as good if it wasnt for cox who so perfectly taps it to them.

i am not just taking it from this one game. i noticed it last year too.. if we have a team that at EVERY stoppage can have the opposition on their back heels we wil be more competitive (like sydney last year). 
Click to expand...

West Coast would still get the ball, even without Cox.
St Kilda have been roving to opposition Ruckmen for 3 season and they still get it.
We cannot have Tuck, Coughlan and Johnson in the middle at the same time they are too similar (ie inside midfielders lacking legspeed). Krakouer and Chaffey in the same boat.
Unless Rodan, Deleidio or Tambling step up soon I do not know who else we can throw into the mix...
 
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