There have been a number of notable changes in SuperCoach 2013, notably an increase in Ruck and Forwards Dual Position Players (DPPs) including Dean Cox, Paddy Ryer and Nic Naitanui.
There has already be great discussions in the main forum of Forwards (FWD) and Rucks (RUC), namely:
An interesting topic that came up was whether to start Cox, Naitanui, Ryder, Roughead who are all Forwards/Ruck DPP as a Forward or as a Ruck. This led to the comparison between these Forward/Ruck DPP such as Cox, Naitanui, Ryder etc with the likes of Rockliff, Buddy, SJ etc.
However, we need to be careful when making comparisons with the Forward/Ruck DPP with Forwards as in some circumstances the correct comparison may be a pure Ruck with a Forward, when deciding on a Forward position.
In order to determine which comparison is the appropriate one, you need to rank all your premium Rucks on who you would select first in your team, which may not necessarily be the most expensive player or the best average. Your ranking of the Rucks is on how you rank the rucks in terms of your team selection. If:
Now assume that the Ruck ranking is Cox(1), Ryder(2) and Goldstein(3), then you should be comparing Goldstein(Ruc) with Buddy(Fwd) even though Cox(1) and Ryder(2) will be playing in the Forward and not Goldstein(3), who is a pure Ruck. The reason is you have already decided Cox(1) and Ryder(2) in your team and they are locked. If Cox and Ryder are locks then there is no need for a comparison with Buddy before Goldstein.
Now you need to make a notional comparison of the Forwards being Goldstein and Buddy. If you think Goldstein will outperform Buddy then you select Goldstein as a notional Forward, with the movement of the Ruck/Forward Cox or Ryder to the Forward. If you think Buddy will outperform Goldstein then obviously Buddy plays in the Forwards and Goldstein is not selected. This is Scenario 1.
Now assume that the ranking is Cox(1), Goldstein(2) and Ryder(3), then ithe comparison should be Ryder(Fwd/Ruc) with Buddy. This is Scenario 2.
We need to be careful what we don't mix scenario 1 with scenario 2 and vice-versa. Sometimes you will be comparing your Forward, such as Buddy with pure Ruck, such as Goldstein in team selection. Other times, you will be comparing Buddy with Cox and Ryder.
Another illustration of scenario 2 is my final round of SuperCoach 2011 with Drew Petrie and Tendai Mzungu.
A paragraph in the previous article: Trading To Win (2), illustrates this, which I quote:
As you can see the structure was R1, Petrie (R2), Kruezer (R3) and Mzungu (F7) and thus I was comparing Mzungu(Fwd) with Kruezer(Ruc) for a Forward position, even though Kruezer is not a Forward. I was not comparing Mzungu(Fwd) with Petrie(Fwd/Ruc) even though they have the Forward attribute.
Therefore, remember when you are making your team selection and comparing Cox and/or Ryder with Buddy that it's the correct comparison as you may be actually comparing Buddy with the third Ruck, and in this case Goldstein.
There has already be great discussions in the main forum of Forwards (FWD) and Rucks (RUC), namely:
An interesting topic that came up was whether to start Cox, Naitanui, Ryder, Roughead who are all Forwards/Ruck DPP as a Forward or as a Ruck. This led to the comparison between these Forward/Ruck DPP such as Cox, Naitanui, Ryder etc with the likes of Rockliff, Buddy, SJ etc.
However, we need to be careful when making comparisons with the Forward/Ruck DPP with Forwards as in some circumstances the correct comparison may be a pure Ruck with a Forward, when deciding on a Forward position.
In order to determine which comparison is the appropriate one, you need to rank all your premium Rucks on who you would select first in your team, which may not necessarily be the most expensive player or the best average. Your ranking of the Rucks is on how you rank the rucks in terms of your team selection. If:
- The Forward/Ruck DPP is ranked 1 or 2, then you need to compare your third Ruck (regardless if DPP) with the relevant Forward (Scenario 1)
- The Forward/Ruck DPP is ranked 3, then you can compare this Forward/Ruck DPP with the relevant Forward (Scenario 2)
Now assume that the Ruck ranking is Cox(1), Ryder(2) and Goldstein(3), then you should be comparing Goldstein(Ruc) with Buddy(Fwd) even though Cox(1) and Ryder(2) will be playing in the Forward and not Goldstein(3), who is a pure Ruck. The reason is you have already decided Cox(1) and Ryder(2) in your team and they are locked. If Cox and Ryder are locks then there is no need for a comparison with Buddy before Goldstein.
Now you need to make a notional comparison of the Forwards being Goldstein and Buddy. If you think Goldstein will outperform Buddy then you select Goldstein as a notional Forward, with the movement of the Ruck/Forward Cox or Ryder to the Forward. If you think Buddy will outperform Goldstein then obviously Buddy plays in the Forwards and Goldstein is not selected. This is Scenario 1.
Now assume that the ranking is Cox(1), Goldstein(2) and Ryder(3), then ithe comparison should be Ryder(Fwd/Ruc) with Buddy. This is Scenario 2.
We need to be careful what we don't mix scenario 1 with scenario 2 and vice-versa. Sometimes you will be comparing your Forward, such as Buddy with pure Ruck, such as Goldstein in team selection. Other times, you will be comparing Buddy with Cox and Ryder.
Another illustration of scenario 2 is my final round of SuperCoach 2011 with Drew Petrie and Tendai Mzungu.
A paragraph in the previous article: Trading To Win (2), illustrates this, which I quote:
I got to a stage where I got sick of Kruezer’s low score and started rookies Mzungu/I.Smith effectively over Kruezer. I did this by moving Petrie to the Ruck and started Mzungu/I.Smith on the field, which meant I would get Mzungu/I.Smith score over Kruezer. Most people who read the Herald Sun article: ‘Jay To hangs on $50,000 Supercoach Prize‘ would know that if I started Kruezer over Mzungu in round 24, I would have lost the $50K! Also a few weeks earlier, I started I. Smith and Mzungu over N. Riewoldt and Kruezer. I guess fortune favours the Brave (or more likely Crazy)!
What made the decision a bit easier was that in round 24, it was a decision between starting Mzungu (114) v Bulldogs or Kruezer (24) v Saints. To me, starting Mzungu over Kruezer was actually an acknowledgement that I was wrong!! However, I at least followed my own rules such as Rule 15: If you make a Mistake, Acknowledge It and Fix It. I couldn’t fix the Kruezer problem as I didn’t have any spare trades left, therefore I had to create a makeshift solution, ie starting ‘rookies’ I. Smith/Mzungu over the ‘premium’ Kruezer.
What made the decision a bit easier was that in round 24, it was a decision between starting Mzungu (114) v Bulldogs or Kruezer (24) v Saints. To me, starting Mzungu over Kruezer was actually an acknowledgement that I was wrong!! However, I at least followed my own rules such as Rule 15: If you make a Mistake, Acknowledge It and Fix It. I couldn’t fix the Kruezer problem as I didn’t have any spare trades left, therefore I had to create a makeshift solution, ie starting ‘rookies’ I. Smith/Mzungu over the ‘premium’ Kruezer.
Therefore, remember when you are making your team selection and comparing Cox and/or Ryder with Buddy that it's the correct comparison as you may be actually comparing Buddy with the third Ruck, and in this case Goldstein.