Rucking in 2022

[bornadog]

We know who is on our list, so this thread is not about who could have come in and what we should have done in drafting and trading - that is now ancient history

How do posters see the rucks in 2022? How many games does Steph play? How many minutes does Tim play in the ruck versus up forward? What does Sweet need to do to play and get right in the VFL ?

Are there any other options - Schache, Cordy?

[Bulldog Joe]

I can see Bevo going with Tim as sole ruck and having Cordy providing the chop out.

Hopefully Tim can have the breakout ruckman year.

[comrade]

Stef will be cooked for good by half way through the year, English will be forced out of the forward line to take on the #1 role with Cordy as some sort of hybrid third tall/second ruck option and it’ll all fall apart in finals.

[MrMahatma]

Stef will only play every second match and have 2-3 weeks off in a row in the back end of the season. He’ll be our #1 ruck when playing.

English will play 30-35% ruck and balance forward. He’ll have a consistent year and show real promise in that role, kicking a couple of bags

Sweet will play when Stef is out and will be #1 ruck for those matches, keeping Tim to his same structure.

We’ll be OK but will still struggle against Grundy and Gawn.

[bornadog]

Stef will only play every second match and have 2-3 weeks off in a row in the back end of the season. He’ll be our #1 ruck when playing.

English will play 30-35% ruck and balance forward. He’ll have a consistent year and show real promise in that role, kicking a couple of bags

Sweet will play when Stef is out and will be #1 ruck for those matches, keeping Tim to his same structure.

We’ll be OK but will still struggle against Grundy and Gawn.

That is how I see it as well, with Steph kept fresh for finals time.

[soupman]

Martin to start the year, but be injured/cooked by round 7. Sweet to be given a couple of chances, but rightly or wrongly struggle to retain his spot. Round 17 onwards will be English only, except he will play half the game forward as he did in 2020 and we will run a variety of non rucks through the spot.

Finals will be preceded by everyone keenly watching Stef Martin's injury status as he tries to get back in time, plays one and a half finals and disappears. Sweet to not see gametime after round 16.

Off season we will lose English, re contract Martin, recruit nobody and say we are putting our faith in the continued development of Sweet and Darcy in that role.

Too pessimistic?

[Vred]

Martin to start the year, but be injured/cooked by round 7. Sweet to be given a couple of chances, but rightly or wrongly struggle to retain his spot. Round 17 onwards will be English only, except he will play half the game forward as he did in 2020 and we will run a variety of non rucks through the spot.

Finals will be preceded by everyone keenly watching Stef Martin's injury status as he tries to get back in time, plays one and a half finals and disappears. Sweet to not see gametime after round 16.

Off season we will lose English, re contract Martin, recruit nobody and say we are putting our faith in the continued development of Sweet and Darcy in that role.

Too pessimistic?

A little bit.

Internally at the club they are strongly banking on Sweet coming on this year, I've heard it first hand from a trainer that his tracking well, I do suspect us to do Martin/Sweet rotation throughout the year like what GWS did with Mummy in his last season.

[soupman]

A little bit.

Internally at the club they are strongly banking on Sweet coming on this year, I've heard it first hand from a trainer that his tracking well, I do suspect us to do Martin/Sweet rotation throughout the year like what GWS did with Mummy in his last season.

I'm hoping Sweet takes a big step as well, but he'd want to be playing the next practice match to at least show he is in the frame.

[comrade]

Martin to start the year, but be injured/cooked by round 7. Sweet to be given a couple of chances, but rightly or wrongly struggle to retain his spot. Round 17 onwards will be English only, except he will play half the game forward as he did in 2020 and we will run a variety of non rucks through the spot.

Finals will be preceded by everyone keenly watching Stef Martin's injury status as he tries to get back in time, plays one and a half finals and disappears. Sweet to not see gametime after round 16.

Off season we will lose English, re contract Martin, recruit nobody and say we are putting our faith in the continued development of Sweet and Darcy in that role.

Too pessimistic?

I’m more on your side of the ledger but there is no way Martin goes on after this year. And if we lose Timmy, there’s just no way we can sit on our hands and not go hard for a ruck.

[Rocco Jones]

Stef will be cooked for good by half way through the year, English will be forced out of the forward line to take on the #1 role with Cordy as some sort of hybrid third tall/second ruck option and it’ll all fall apart in finals.

And then Bont leaves and Caesar the Bulldog starts supporting GWS.

[comrade]

And then Bont leaves and Caesar the Bulldog starts supporting GWS.

Bont will be a Bulldog forever but we’re well on the way to wasting his prime years by never bringing in a decent ruck.