Position 2022: Ruck Discussion

Which of the following 2 are leading the race for your starting R1 and R2...?

  • Max Gawn

    Votes: 66 41.8%
  • Sean Darcy

    Votes: 46 29.1%
  • Nic Naitanui

    Votes: 2 1.3%
  • Brodie Grundy

    Votes: 125 79.1%
  • Rowan Marshall

    Votes: 13 8.2%
  • Reilly O'Brien

    Votes: 5 3.2%
  • Oscar McInerney

    Votes: 3 1.9%
  • Jarrod Witts

    Votes: 18 11.4%
  • Braydon Preuss

    Votes: 12 7.6%
  • Scott Lycett, Tim English, Matthew Flynn or Luke Jackson

    Votes: 21 13.3%

  • Total voters
    158
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Not worth the risk for me personally but the potential is there for sure and can totally see why people like him.

Durability concerns with a significantly higher requirement (and cost) than English and Ryder is a major obstacle even if he only plays 10 games.

If I take Gawn it's hoping he can hang onto a 115+ average and that Darcy doesn't go supersaiyan.

For Marshall to work he has to match the 2nd worst of Gawn/Grundy/Darcy (and you have to pick whoever is the best of the group) or you're leaking points, there's no value apparatus in the rucks because 100% of lock and loads is made up of that trio so if that trio produces the top 2 (or even worse are all equal as top 2 scorers) then you leak to everyone with lock and load.

English only needs like 93 based on where I have the forwards at and everything above that would be gravy as it just moves him from the D6 slot upward. Personally I think he's capable of getting back to ~100, there's definitely a potential 110 season in there but that's a perfect storm that I'm not anticipating.

Major reason I'm leaning English is I'm scared on Gawn holding the 115 line and equally terrified of Darcy going to 130+ land. English lets me assess and make an informed decision, Darcy has so many question marks that I'm fine with paying a bit more for clarity and I just can't see the upside on Gawn which means I'm most likely paying less.

That said, I feel dirty fading Gawn :LOL:
To play devils advocate as I’m too looking strongly at English for similar reasons. It is going to be very hard and take a lot of cash/time to bring a rookie up to a strong preformed Darcy or Gawn. Much easier on other lines to catch a dip or two.
 
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Has anyone who is bullish on English thought about running him at F2/F3 with any of Gawn/Grundy or Darcy combo as ur rucks with a Hayes/Dixon type as R3? With Gawn/Grundy/Darcy having same bye could provide some cover and also a bail out option earlier if he goes boom. If he goes boom will also be a top 4 fwd.
100%
R1 Darcy
R2 Witts
R3 J.Hayes

F2 English
F6 Xerri

Should provide ample ruck cover for years to come
 
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Not worth the risk for me personally but the potential is there for sure and can totally see why people like him.

Durability concerns with a significantly higher requirement (and cost) than English and Ryder is a major obstacle even if he only plays 10 games.

If I take Gawn it's hoping he can hang onto a 115+ average and that Darcy doesn't go supersaiyan.

For Marshall to work he has to match the 2nd worst of Gawn/Grundy/Darcy (and you have to pick whoever is the best of the group) or you're leaking points, there's no value apparatus in the rucks because 100% of lock and loads is made up of that trio so if that trio produces the top 2 (or even worse are all equal as top 2 scorers) then you leak to everyone with lock and load.

English only needs like 93 based on where I have the forwards at and everything above that would be gravy as it just moves him from the D6 slot upward. Personally I think he's capable of getting back to ~100, there's definitely a potential 110 season in there but that's a perfect storm that I'm not anticipating.

Major reason I'm leaning English is I'm scared on Gawn holding the 115 line and equally terrified of Darcy going to 130+ land. English lets me assess and make an informed decision, Darcy has so many question marks that I'm fine with paying a bit more for clarity and I just can't see the upside on Gawn which means I'm most likely paying less.

That said, I feel dirty fading Gawn :LOL:
The problem with English at R2 is finding the cash to upgrade a fwd/mid midpricer to Darcy/Gawn whoever is kicking butt. It is hard to see Gawn scoring big with Jackson taking more time. Darcy scares me as he is a geniune 130+ option and could be 700K or suck 20-30pt deficit week in week out. I have taken a risk averse approach and attempting to minimise players with Injury history. Darcy, Rowell, Cripps, Curnow, Marshall. Not sure how make the trade to premo ruck work in first 5/6 rounds. Any Ideas? Problem with going back to Darcy or Gawn is I lose a superprem from my midfield who has to become Rowell/Cripps.
 

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Very interesting day to see who pairs Grundy in the ruck. After the past few seasons of starting without Gawn I have been very tempted to start him this season but lots of tinkering has been undertaken at the last minute with the possibility of tripling down on the Marshall and Grundy combo across all formats in the Triple Crown Cup. English also under heavy consideration to switch forward and possibly grab Preuss in the early rounds.
 
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Very interesting day to see who pairs Grundy in the ruck. After the past few seasons of starting without Gawn I have been very tempted to start him this season but lots of tinkering has been undertaken at the last minute with the possibility of tripling down on the Marshall and Grundy combo across all formats in the Triple Crown Cup. English also under heavy consideration to switch forward and possibly grab Preuss in the early rounds.
I originally had English F2, Preuss R2.
Felt there was a big advantage in having scoring potential there early on.
Almost still went in with English R2, Preuss R3 but the risk in that just feels too much with Preuss not in the team yet.

If Preuss is going to make a truckload of cash, I'll just trade to him on the bench in round 4.
 
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Very interesting day to see who pairs Grundy in the ruck. After the past few seasons of starting without Gawn I have been very tempted to start him this season but lots of tinkering has been undertaken at the last minute with the possibility of tripling down on the Marshall and Grundy combo across all formats in the Triple Crown Cup. English also under heavy consideration to switch forward and possibly grab Preuss in the early rounds.
It feels like you are pre committing to a bunch of trades in the rucks because of doubts over Gawn.
I’m not saying you are wrong to be doubtful over Gawn I’m just offering up that sometimes you can end up with too many trades in the rucks due to hedging workarounds you build into your starting team.
It’s easy to over complicate the rucks and burn excess trades during the season.
 
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If Preuss is going to make a truckload of cash, I'll just trade to him on the bench in round 4.
Perfect example if this happened in 2020.

Pittonet missed R1 and then smashed out 134.
Dusty was set to miss R3 with an injury complaint: Dusty ($542.6k) -> Pittonet ($236.2k)

Start of R7 Pittonet had peaked, Dusty had dropped after some slower games.

Pittonet ($434.2k) -> Dusty ($481.1k)

Two trades used, ~$260k of cash generated without having to cull any good scoring on-field rookies.
 
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Last night I wrote a message saying Gawn was better to start then English, now I have seesawed back to English lol! Going to be a really big decision.

Current rationale for English
English worst case averages 95-100 range. Could well go 110 but depends on deep fwd or not.
Gawn averages 120-130. At worst a 35pt differential.

- extra 200k let’s me get Hewitt instead of Gibcus at D5 (nets 30-40 points)
- English swings to F2 next round to take Rachele spot. Gets a fwd rookie score off ground and Pruess at R2.

- Pruess probably averages 75 being conservative. Rachele averages 65 best case scenario (additional 10 points on ground)
Slight increase in overall points on ground but a lot has to go right to justify the selection.

- Let’s me look at Marshall/Darcy/Gawn for R2 in Rd 7. Darcy could well go bananas and genuinely average 130 and let’s me suss his body out.

Only part I am worried about is the cash gen will need to be significant (450) to go Pruess to Gawn/Darcy. Maybe Xerri and Pruess cash gen will be sufficient. Don’t really have a trade in plan.

Current rationale for Gawn:
- will be a top 3 ruck by the end of the year
- got burnt not picking Grawndy for a majority of the year last year and messing around with mid price rucks. Much safer option
- don’t like picking 5 premo Def to start the year

Seems to be more pro’s on the English side but there’s just something about not starting with Gawn that makes me a bit edgy.

Lots to think about before tonight
 
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Last night I wrote a message saying Gawn was better to start then English, now I have seesawed back to English lol! Going to be a really big decision.

Current rationale for English
English worst case averages 95-100 range. Could well go 110 but depends on deep fwd or not.
Gawn averages 120-130. At worst a 35pt differential.

- extra 200k let’s me get Hewitt instead of Gibcus at D5 (nets 30-40 points)
- English swings to F2 next round to take Rachele spot. Gets a fwd rookie score off ground and Pruess at R2.

- Pruess probably averages 75 being conservative. Rachele averages 65 best case scenario (additional 10 points on ground)
Slight increase in overall points on ground but a lot has to go right to justify the selection.

- Let’s me look at Marshall/Darcy/Gawn for R2 in Rd 7. Darcy could well go bananas and genuinely average 130 and let’s me suss his body out.

Only part I am worried about is the cash gen will need to be significant (450) to go Pruess to Gawn/Darcy. Maybe Xerri and Pruess cash gen will be sufficient. Don’t really have a trade in plan.

Current rationale for Gawn:
- will be a top 3 ruck by the end of the year
- got burnt not picking Grawndy for a majority of the year last year and messing around with mid price rucks. Much safer option
- don’t like picking 5 premo Def to start the year

Seems to be more pro’s on the English side but there’s just something about not starting with Gawn that makes me a bit edgy.

Lots to think about before tonight
Great summary.

What if Preuss is not named for Round 2 ?
 
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Possibility but You’d have to think unlikely?
Cameron enjoyed playing with two rucks last year.
Could just choose Flynn & Briggs.

Personally happy to wait and see on Preuss if and when he is on the bubble , might be more beneficial as a R3 making $.

For mine he is cheaper than Brodie , Curnow , McGovern , Xerri so possibly just a sideways trade if need be (if starting J Hayes/Dixon at R3)
 
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Could just choose Flynn & Briggs.

Personally happy to wait and see on Preuss if and when he is on the bubble , might be more beneficial as a R3 making $.

For mine he is cheaper than Brodie , Curnow , McGovern , Xerri so possibly just a sideways trade if need be (if starting J Hayes/Dixon at R3)
The possibility of Pruess not playing does remove one of the advantages. But still think the Gibcus v Hewitt at D5 probably makes even starting English over Gawn. The part that makes it really hard is what about SDK? If he isn’t named as a def then English definitely the way to go (as I can have Hewitt D5)

Happy to take the risk. Plus I’m playing prem cricket in England for 6 months in April so picking English was meant to be!
 
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The possibility of Pruess not playing does remove one of the advantages. But still think the Gibcus v Hewitt at D5 probably makes even starting English over Gawn. The part that makes it really hard is what about SDK? If he isn’t named as a def then English definitely the way to go (as I can have Hewitt D5)

Happy to take the risk. Plus I’m playing prem cricket in England for 6 months in April so picking English was meant to be!
I guess at the end of the day you need to back yourself and your research , very easy to be completely swayed in the next few days by what other people are doing and saying (we all have opinions/thoughts , not necessarily they are right)

Good luck with the cricket
 
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I'm rolling with Gawndy, but I see the potential of Witts.

Has anyone worked out what his price would be if he was to average between 80-100 over rounds 1-6?
Might make the upgrade to either Gawn or Grundy doable quite early if he starts well.
 
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Last night I wrote a message saying Gawn was better to start then English, now I have seesawed back to English lol! Going to be a really big decision.

Current rationale for English
English worst case averages 95-100 range. Could well go 110 but depends on deep fwd or not.
Gawn averages 120-130. At worst a 35pt differential.

- extra 200k let’s me get Hewitt instead of Gibcus at D5 (nets 30-40 points)
- English swings to F2 next round to take Rachele spot. Gets a fwd rookie score off ground and Pruess at R2.

- Pruess probably averages 75 being conservative. Rachele averages 65 best case scenario (additional 10 points on ground)
Slight increase in overall points on ground but a lot has to go right to justify the selection.

- Let’s me look at Marshall/Darcy/Gawn for R2 in Rd 7. Darcy could well go bananas and genuinely average 130 and let’s me suss his body out.

Only part I am worried about is the cash gen will need to be significant (450) to go Pruess to Gawn/Darcy. Maybe Xerri and Pruess cash gen will be sufficient. Don’t really have a trade in plan.

Current rationale for Gawn:
- will be a top 3 ruck by the end of the year
- got burnt not picking Grawndy for a majority of the year last year and messing around with mid price rucks. Much safer option
- don’t like picking 5 premo Def to start the year

Seems to be more pro’s on the English side but there’s just something about not starting with Gawn that makes me a bit edgy.

Lots to think about before tonight
Good post. Can add to Gawn positives, great captain option, English not.

Im still 50/50 Gawn or English, but the gap between upgrading a rookie to a strong preforming Darcy is just to large to do early. Not ideal but Gawn to Darcy is an option if Darcy starts putting out 130+ games
 
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