Author Topic: What's our best ruck combo?  (Read 32255 times)

Offline Diocletian

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Re: What's our best ruck combo? [merged]
« Reply #15 on: August 28, 2019, 12:04:45 PM »
Another gun move by Clarkson to move Big Boy to defence and play Ceglar as first ruck the other night...wouldn't mind seeing Hardwick doing something similar with Nankervis in the future...his intercept marking is elite and his biggest strength along with his aggression...want him to stick around long term but our future and the game's future is the athletic, mobile, spring-heeled type like Chol and Balta (in between his main job of being the next Rance) and then there's high marking forward threat of CCJ which will never go out of style.... :shh
« Last Edit: August 28, 2019, 12:19:58 PM by Diocletian »
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Re: What's our best ruck combo? [merged]
« Reply #16 on: August 28, 2019, 01:33:56 PM »
Any combination of Nank/Soldo and Chol/Balta.

Can't play Nank and Soldo in the same team, just as we can't play Chol and Balta (for this finals series at least).

At their ceilings I'd have Nank and Chol as my chosen two, but Balta must scare the crap out teams is he's roaming through the middle. Chol's half forward work is handy and at this stage better than Balta's IMO.

If CCJ develops to where he's demanding games, then you can probably sit him in either of the two 'Ruck' position - to say you could have Nank/Soldo and CCJ OR CCJ with Balta/Chol.

Offline one-eyed

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Re: What's our best ruck combo? [merged]
« Reply #17 on: September 04, 2019, 01:02:59 PM »
Can the Tigers play two genuine ruckmen?

Sarah Black
afl.com.au
4 Sept 2019


Richmond has traditionally shied away from playing two big men, even resorting to one and midfielder Shaun Grigg during the premiership year. With Ivan Soldo and Toby Nankervis both in strong form, coach Damien Hardwick indicated the pair may be rolled out against Brisbane for the first time in over two years. The Tigers' fierce pressure and quick forwards is their trademark. Will playing 'Nando' affect it?

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-09-04/your-clubs-burning-questions

Offline one-eyed

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Re: What's our best ruck combo?
« Reply #18 on: September 05, 2019, 12:53:27 PM »
Lucky No.7? Tigers hope rare ruck pairing delivers the goods

AFL.com.au
Sarah Black
Sep 5, 2019


RICHMOND is on the verge of fielding its eighth ruck combination for the year in its qualifying final against Brisbane, and it's a pairing which hasn't been seen in the AFL since round 21, 2017.

Toby Nankervis and Ivan Soldo are rarely a package deal.

Usually, one plays as the team's main ruckman while the other in the VFL or injured. They have played together on just six occasions.

Ivan Soldo gets to grips with Giants opponent Dawson Simpson.

Soldo has stamped his authority on the side after coming in to replace the injured Nankervis (adductor) in round nine.

He has been supported by one of Mabior Chol or Noah Balta over that time, while even the raw but highly promising Callum Coleman-Jones got a run during round 10 when Soldo was suspended.

Callum Coleman-Jones during his AFL debut in round 10.

Nankervis has had a difficult season, missing 11 weeks mid-year, playing three VFL games before breaking through to return against Carlton.

He pulled up sore, missed another two rounds but was the hero in the VFL over the weekend, finishing with 33 hitouts, 22 disposals and the winning goal, paving the way for a potential AFL return.

Tiger rucks in 2019

Combination                  Rounds in 2019                  Total

Nankervis & Balta          1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8                    7
Soldo & Chol                15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22        7
Soldo & Balta                 9, 11, 12, 23                         4
Nankervis (solo)             2                                          1
Coleman-Jones & Balta   10                                         1
Chol & Balta                   13                                        1
Nankervis & Chol            21                                        1

'Nank or bust' no more

It's a far cry from the start of the season, when the prevailing wisdom saw Nankervis as the player Richmond could least afford to lose.

After 18 months of playing Nankervis and midfielder Shaun Grigg in the ruck, the introduction of the 6-6-6 rule and the dispiriting preliminary final loss to Collingwood in 2018 meant the Tigers' days of one recognised ruckman appeared over.

Nankervis and Grigg made a handy 'ruck' double act.

There was no obvious solution.

Former Category B rookie Soldo was considered off the pace, while Coleman-Jones was just 19 at the start of the season.

Chol and Balta had spent most of 2018 in key-position posts in the VFL, with Soldo filling the ruck role.

But, as they have done for most of their injury-hit season, the Tigers were forced to adapt.

Combination      Win-Loss    Avg Total Hitouts    Avg Total Disp.  Avg Total Tackles   Avg Total Goals

Soldo & Chol                 7-0              31.3                    18.7                   6.3                 1.9
Nankervis & Balta          5-2              28.0                    22.4                   5.3                 1.3
Soldo & Balta                2-2              37.0                    17.5                   6.8                 0.3
Nankervis (solo)            0-1              21.0                    15.0                   4.0                 0.0
Coleman-Jones & Balta  1-0              22.0                    31.0                  10.0                 0.0
Chol & Balta                  0-1              22.0                    15.0                   6.0                 1.0
Nankervis & Chol           1-0              40.0                    19.0                 11.0                 0.0

The 'Nando' effect

If Richmond opt for both Nankervis and Soldo (or, 'Nando'), the former is most likely to play as a key forward.

Nankervis uses his body well in contested marking situations, while Soldo's extra five centimetres helps him to be a more effective tap ruckman.

In the six games the pair have played together, two came when Jack Riewoldt was sidelined with an eye injury, with Nankervis playing as a key forward.

But it's a different Richmond attack these days, with an additional tall in Tom Lynch.

Jack Riewoldt and Tom Lynch have jelled well as a tall forward pairing.

There's a risk adding Nankervis to the forward line in place of the more athletic Balta or Chol. The Tigers' game is heavily based around smaller forward-midfielders who can force turnovers, so adding a slower player to the mix could backfire.

Despite Soldo and Balta forming a strong combination in their four matches together, including round 23's efforts against Lions Stefan Martin and Oscar McInerney, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick is keen to bring back Nankervis.

"Toby's built for finals. He's physical, he's tough, he's hard. We're very fortunate this year that we are playing the two rucks, so we can do the ruck by committee and he can have lesser game time," Hardwick said two weeks ago.

And on Monday, the coach was equally effusive.

"We're probably going to go down the two-ruck path, so [Nankervis will] play as first or second ruck and only play [around 70 per cent game time] for our footy club. That'll give him every opportunity to build on from there.

"I think Ivan's been terrific. He had a slow first quarter last week, but the back end of his last three quarters was outstanding. He's just improved every week.

"From where he's come from, about four or five years ago, basically walking off the street to try out (as a Category B rookie), he's been incredible. He's got better and better every game, he's still learning, but we're happy with what he's been putting out on the park."

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-09-04/lucky-no7-tigers-hope-rare-ruck-pairing-delivers-the-goods

Offline mightytiges

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Re: What's our best ruck combo?
« Reply #19 on: September 07, 2019, 10:21:47 PM »
The Nank and Soldo experiment worked.

Nank started off shakely with a few turnover and we were smacked in the centre clearances early but he and Soldo after 1/4 time eventually dominated the hitouts and we killed them in the midfield after half-time.
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Online Andyy

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Re: What's our best ruck combo?
« Reply #20 on: September 07, 2019, 10:33:51 PM »
I thought they were very good and the tap work after quarter time was top notch. Keep them both in

Offline Diocletian

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Re: What's our best ruck combo?
« Reply #21 on: September 07, 2019, 11:43:56 PM »
Went alright and we'll probably get away with again it if we play Geelong .....if we play West Coast I'm not so sure... :shh
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FJ is the only one that makes sense.

Offline Tigeritis™©®

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Re: What's our best ruck combo?
« Reply #22 on: September 08, 2019, 12:02:29 AM »
Soldo has really improved. Nankervis is a competitive beast.

Both didn’t do much around the ground though. Nank was great with second efforts in the centre but Soldo was more effective at pure Ruck.

Will it work against west coke? I don’t know.
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Online Andyy

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Re: What's our best ruck combo?
« Reply #23 on: September 08, 2019, 12:33:18 AM »
I would prefer Soldo ruck vs NicNat than Nank. Nank just isn't big enough. Hopefully the two could work him over if he's a little underdone!

Offline one-eyed

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Re: What's our best ruck combo?
« Reply #24 on: September 09, 2019, 04:21:59 AM »
Toby Nankervis also pulled up well on his AFL return after groin issues and the Nankervis-Ivan Soldo ruck tandem got better as the game wore on.

Soldo had 11 hitouts to advantage — the second-best return in his short career after his 17 against Hawthorn in Round 9 — and Nankervis seven.

The Tigers will still assess that combination entering the preliminary final, but if they take on West Coast they will both be needed against Eagles ruck pair Nic Naitanui and Tom Hickey.

Source: Herald-Sun

Offline one-eyed

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Tiger tag team set for Mumford match-up (Age)
« Reply #25 on: September 25, 2019, 02:14:54 AM »
Tiger tag team set for Mumford match-up

Peter Ryan
The Age
25 September 2019


Richmond have played so many potential ruckmen this season they could form a handy basketball team over summer. Callum Coleman-Jones squeezed one game in between combinations including Noah Balta, Mabior Chol, Toby Nankervis and Ivan Soldo.

On Saturday the Tigers will take both Nankervis and Soldo into a grand final. The pair reunited for the first time this season in week one of the finals, and have now brought their career tally of appearances together to eight.

Whether by coincidence or deliberate management, two of those eight occasions have been against Greater Western Sydney, with one nail-biting loss and a comprehensive win to show for it. Just three of the eight contests have been on the MCG.

But the pair appear at home together, the moustached Soldo and stern Nankervis looking like a pair of old-fashioned fairground attractions as they take turns at centre stage.

The Tigers are, as one AFL assistant coach puts it, "looking for maximum impact around the ball", attempting to nullify the Giants' brilliant stoppage work (they are second in the AFL for scores from centre clearances and ball-ups) and do as they did last week and keep the ball surging forward like a balloon bouncing in the wind.

The important evolutionary step is second only to Tom Lynch's pairing with Jack Riewoldt inside 50 when the structural shifts the Tigers have made since their 2017 flag are ranked.

Throughout 2018 Richmond had hoped they would get away with using Shaun Grigg as a second ruckman, as they had the previous year when Soldo was named emergency week after week.

Coach Damien Hardwick liked the young cousin of Ivan Maric but he held the conventional view that a second ruckman needed to offer something up forward to be preferred to a ground-level player. Soldo, who has kicked six goals in 21 games, could not provide that.

The 2018 preliminary final, when Collingwood dominated around the stoppages, as well as the introduction of the 6-6-6 rule this season, brought that calculated risk to an end. So the Tigers opened the season with Balta supporting Nankervis before the premiership ruckman's adductor injury brought Soldo and then Chol into the picture.

After Nankervis dragged the VFL team over the line in the qualifying final during the AFL's pre-finals bye, there was no doubt he would partner Soldo in the seniors.

They double-teamed Brisbane's Stefan Martin and Geelong's Rhys Stanley in successive weeks. Their pairing at the Gabba was the first time they had linked up since round 21, 2017.

"Soldo has really really grown as a player," Hardwick said.

"He is playing in a grand final. I shake my head. He has become an incredible player for us, that kid."

Nankervis and Soldo now rotate on and off the bench, the Tigers learning from West Coast's flag pairing of Scott Lycett and Nathan Vardy who each played 61 per cent game time of last year's decider.

The Richmond duo have taken a similar approach this finals, with Nankervis playing 60.8 per cent and Soldo 57.1.

Nankervis is a competitive beast who changes angles at stoppages and makes it hard for others to get at the ball in congestion, while Soldo can leap and is good in the air, particularly when dropping back into defence to support David Astbury and Dylan Grimes.

Soldo has been used more often at the centre bounces in the finals, attending 15 compared to Nankervis' 12. The 23-year-old took the first centre bounce after half-time in the preliminary final when Richmond trailed, with the immediate clearance and goal to Lynch getting the Tigers going.

Soldo averages more clearances in the past two games than Nankervis and uses the ball better but he is more susceptible to the bash-and-crash tactics GWS wrecking ball Shane Mumford employs.

Rarely, if ever, seen on the ground together, the pair's work will be critical if the Tigers are to claim their second flag in three seasons.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/tigers-tag-team-set-for-mumford-match-up-20190924-p52uj2.html

Offline one-eyed

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Re: What's our best ruck combo?
« Reply #26 on: January 13, 2020, 06:34:58 PM »
Are the Tigers a one or two ruckman team?

Nick Dal Santo
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13 Jan 2020


“(Toby) Nankervis for me is the number one ruckman.

“What does (Ivan) Soldo do? What does (Mabior) Chol do? And there’s (Noah) Balta who could be anything. He’s got all the attributes to be a superstar. He does some unusual things, does some brilliant things at times.

“How do they play their structure? What do they do with these other two? Soldo, Chol or Balta? How do they fit them all in?”

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/01/12/the-three-big-questions-facing-port-adelaide-richmond-and-st-kilda/

Offline mat073

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Re: What's our best ruck combo?
« Reply #27 on: January 14, 2020, 01:48:02 AM »
Soldo keeps improving rapidly - I question if he has not already overtaken a fit Nankervis.
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Offline taztiger4

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Re: What's our best ruck combo?
« Reply #28 on: January 14, 2020, 08:03:59 AM »
Are the Tigers a one or two ruckman team?

Nick Dal Santo
SEN
13 Jan 2020


“(Toby) Nankervis for me is the number one ruckman.

“What does (Ivan) Soldo do? What does (Mabior) Chol do? And there’s (Noah) Balta who could be anything. He’s got all the attributes to be a superstar. He does some unusual things, does some brilliant things at times.

“How do they play their structure? What do they do with these other two? Soldo, Chol or Balta? How do they fit them all in?”

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/01/12/the-three-big-questions-facing-port-adelaide-richmond-and-st-kilda/

And no mention of CJ, what a joke NDS is

Online the claw

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Re: What's our best ruck combo?
« Reply #29 on: January 14, 2020, 07:26:09 PM »
Nankervis first ruck, CC-J ruck/fwd, Balta chb.

Why??? well Nankervis gives us so much more than soldo once the ball hits the ground and as an around the ground marking option.
Soldo generally  still gives us so little apart from winning some hit outs.

CC-J needs games and he is by far a better fwd option and mark than Soldo and Nankervis.He will probably be a better ruckman as well.

Balta fmd it seems people dont want to talk about it but we really do need to replace Rance with a player who has the right physical attributes to play kpd.

It aint rocket science.