Troy Simmons | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Troy Simmons

itsintheblood

itsintheblood

Tiger Superstar
Dec 16, 2004
2,095
0
Melbourne
Does anyone else get totally frustrated at simmos total lack of ability in read the centre ball up? It frustrates the hell out of me constantly seeing him jump up far to early time and time again and land well before the ball is on it's downward trajectory. He gives our midfields little help whatsoever in the tapout dept.

Anyone?
 
It's modern rucking, if you look closely many rucks do it where they jump early hoping to get a ride on their opponent and the easy tap. The problem SImmo has that he isn't tall so he can't just stand under the ball and play it honestly which is why he resorts to tricks to get the tap.
 
Rucking is very much a cat and mouse game. Sometimes you jump early to keep the other ruckman from the ball. Sometimes you dont jump at all to prevent getting jumped on. Tactically it is difficult for a ruckmna to dominate and have a real impact unless they are much better than their opponent (ala. Sandilands)
 
I just get the feeling that jumping too early really puts himself out of the contest and leaves his opponent a free tapout to advantage.
 
The amazing thing is that it took 3 quarters before Josh Fraser finally realised "if I stand out of the way Simmonds will have jumped and landed before I even need to move to the ruck contest" Result - easy centre clearance to Collingwood.

This happened virtually all last year - in many games he got away with it. Very frustrating to watch - he might as well just run into the opposition ruckman and not leave the ground at all.

I think this tactic underlines his lack of height. All the more reason to give Vickery, Graham and Putt game time as we desperately need a tall ruckman who can influence the game in the middle.
 
Tiger44 said:
The amazing thing is that it took 3 quarters before Josh Fraser finally realised "if I stand out of the way Simmonds will have jumped and landed before I even need to move to the ruck contest" Result - easy centre clearance to Collingwood.
Click to expand...

If you look Gus did exactly the same thing against Sandi in the Freo game, but it was Sandi who jumped early and Gus who ran around and got the tap. This is all pretty standard stuff of the 'cat and mouse game' as LL said.
 
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