Position 2023: Ruck Discussion
- Thread starter KLo30
- Start date
Devil's advocate I actually don't hate the Preuss option but I also have no idea how his preseason has gone.
If he's 1 out I think he can average 110 for the first 8 weeks, especially with just about the easiest ruck draw you could come up with for the first 11 weeks. Pittonet or OMc is the 2nd best ruck he faces in the first 11 weeks and NicNat is round 2 so could be gone by then
He's definitely one we should be watching because I have zero certainty. At this point I feel like I'm just looking for the most value I can find and hope maybe one of them ends up a keeper and that they last long enough to get me a look at the warzone and try and find a path out. Marshall is a poor pick on paper that looks like a shining light, that's how bad the position is.
It's made even worse because there is no coverage and the only real hope is Gawn gets DPP or Cameron goes supersaiyan, so whoever you start has to make it that far at minimum!
I've already reached acceptance in the stages of grief, acceptance that 10 trades would be a good year in the rucks!
If he's 1 out I think he can average 110 for the first 8 weeks, especially with just about the easiest ruck draw you could come up with for the first 11 weeks. Pittonet or OMc is the 2nd best ruck he faces in the first 11 weeks and NicNat is round 2 so could be gone by then
He's definitely one we should be watching because I have zero certainty. At this point I feel like I'm just looking for the most value I can find and hope maybe one of them ends up a keeper and that they last long enough to get me a look at the warzone and try and find a path out. Marshall is a poor pick on paper that looks like a shining light, that's how bad the position is.
It's made even worse because there is no coverage and the only real hope is Gawn gets DPP or Cameron goes supersaiyan, so whoever you start has to make it that far at minimum!
I've already reached acceptance in the stages of grief, acceptance that 10 trades would be a good year in the rucks!
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I find the attitudes about the rucks this year fascinating, mine included. People, some very good SC players among them, appear to be completely stumped by who to start with Marshall. I have pondered and come to the conclusion it is because of a big dose of FOMO that has been created by uncertainty.
I think if we all break it down a little, temper our expectations and consider our goals, we will be ok.
Firstly, deep breath, in through your nose, out through your mouth. Secondly, screw that, unless you are into mindfulness, then go for it - I have done enough sessions to know it irritates me more than it helps.
Everyone else grab a drink - beer, coffee, mountain dew, tea, Jack Daniels straight up, high quality H2O, whatever you like. Take a sip. Think about what you want from your rucks this year (i.e. the highest averaging ruck that plays every game), then recognise you can't get it at the start of the season and stop trying to force it.
Take another sip. Realise we are all in the same position, no one has a crystal ball on ruck scoring or number of games played for the season/in a row. They could all be ****, they could all improve, some will certainly be better than others, all have reasons not to pick them. Now, and this is the important bit, let go of the FOMO. Stop being frantic about rucks and find your happy place. I want your happy place to be what you want from a ruck - high scores, durability, break out potential, a mullet, whatever it is, focus on that and ignore all the bad stuff that come with the player.
Take another mouthful of whatever you are drinking. Smile. Go to your team and put in the ruck player that takes you to your happy place. Leave him there. Ignore him for the next two weeks. Finish your drink and go outside. You are ok.
I think if we all break it down a little, temper our expectations and consider our goals, we will be ok.
Firstly, deep breath, in through your nose, out through your mouth. Secondly, screw that, unless you are into mindfulness, then go for it - I have done enough sessions to know it irritates me more than it helps.
Everyone else grab a drink - beer, coffee, mountain dew, tea, Jack Daniels straight up, high quality H2O, whatever you like. Take a sip. Think about what you want from your rucks this year (i.e. the highest averaging ruck that plays every game), then recognise you can't get it at the start of the season and stop trying to force it.
Take another sip. Realise we are all in the same position, no one has a crystal ball on ruck scoring or number of games played for the season/in a row. They could all be ****, they could all improve, some will certainly be better than others, all have reasons not to pick them. Now, and this is the important bit, let go of the FOMO. Stop being frantic about rucks and find your happy place. I want your happy place to be what you want from a ruck - high scores, durability, break out potential, a mullet, whatever it is, focus on that and ignore all the bad stuff that come with the player.
Take another mouthful of whatever you are drinking. Smile. Go to your team and put in the ruck player that takes you to your happy place. Leave him there. Ignore him for the next two weeks. Finish your drink and go outside. You are ok.
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Devil's advocate I actually don't hate the Preuss option but I also have no idea how his preseason has gone.
If he's 1 out I think he can average 110 for the first 8 weeks, especially with just about the easiest ruck draw you could come up with for the first 11 weeks. Pittonet or OMc is the 2nd best ruck he faces in the first 11 weeks and NicNat is round 2 so could be gone by then
He's definitely one we should be watching because I have zero certainty. At this point I feel like I'm just looking for the most value I can find and hope maybe one of them ends up a keeper and that they last long enough to get me a look at the warzone and try and find a path out. Marshall is a poor pick on paper that looks like a shining light, that's how bad the position is.
It's made even worse because there is no coverage and the only real hope is Gawn gets DPP or Cameron goes supersaiyan, so whoever you start has to make it that far at minimum!
I've already reached acceptance in the stages of grief, acceptance that 10 trades would be a good year in the rucks!
If he's 1 out I think he can average 110 for the first 8 weeks, especially with just about the easiest ruck draw you could come up with for the first 11 weeks. Pittonet or OMc is the 2nd best ruck he faces in the first 11 weeks and NicNat is round 2 so could be gone by then
He's definitely one we should be watching because I have zero certainty. At this point I feel like I'm just looking for the most value I can find and hope maybe one of them ends up a keeper and that they last long enough to get me a look at the warzone and try and find a path out. Marshall is a poor pick on paper that looks like a shining light, that's how bad the position is.
It's made even worse because there is no coverage and the only real hope is Gawn gets DPP or Cameron goes supersaiyan, so whoever you start has to make it that far at minimum!
I've already reached acceptance in the stages of grief, acceptance that 10 trades would be a good year in the rucks!
I am not certain if to make a joke now, nor do I want to put the moniker on him, however I think the next leading ruck contest player available is Tom Green! I really am not going to look into that stat in case it is true (think it is, was stunned how many RC's he attended last year, circa 70).
Noticeable all the talk is Green smashing it. Cogs playing mids, Callaghan sounds like he will get solid mid time (raking left foot, however, at his price we do need disposals which I will be watching) and Toby playing forward. I would be careful about getting hopes up on Jelly getting large CBA mid time was other comments.
Sleeper appears to be Whitfield back in defence, although, we have all been burnt so much in the past we are practically non recognisable. Does get injured easily given his slender frame.
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There's a couple of podcasts that cover this pretty well IMO and it's around the line of if you think a player is too much of an injury risk to start, than he's too much of an injury risk for you all season. Now that's different from being underdone due a limited preseason or you don't believe the match-ups are right early in the season but basically if English plays a couple of preseason games and is selected round 1 and you won't take him based on being too much of an injury risk, then that carries forward for the whole season.
I understand the thinking, is it black and white - well nothing is really in SC.
I understand the thinking, is it black and white - well nothing is really in SC.
Preseason injuries is my issue, he only averaged 105 last year and missed 7 games after a perfect preseason. It's not that I'm opposed to picking him it that's his preseason means I wont start him. Injury prone players with highly restricted preseasons are generally bad combinations.
Marshall at least has, to date, been fit through the preseason so his risk is reduced by that instead of increased. That Membrey has now gone down is a pretty immense challenge for the Saints and Lyon's commitment to him as a ruck because now it's basically Campbell vs Marshall as a forward and Marshall's gap as a forward is far greater than the gap between them as rucks. The rucks seem utterly committed to testing us.
The thing that hurts is the rucks are the most important position, get it right and you're already on the path to top 100, it's the hardest position to fix, it has significantly more cost for getting it wrong.
Hopefully the preseason games will shed some light.
Marshall at least has, to date, been fit through the preseason so his risk is reduced by that instead of increased. That Membrey has now gone down is a pretty immense challenge for the Saints and Lyon's commitment to him as a ruck because now it's basically Campbell vs Marshall as a forward and Marshall's gap as a forward is far greater than the gap between them as rucks. The rucks seem utterly committed to testing us.
The thing that hurts is the rucks are the most important position, get it right and you're already on the path to top 100, it's the hardest position to fix, it has significantly more cost for getting it wrong.
Hopefully the preseason games will shed some light.
I seem to recall reading somewhere on here a few years back an analysis of ruck scoring by age, and that rucks generally don't hit their peak scoring until around age 27 (i.e. a bit later than other positions). I could be way off the mark on this one though.
Does anyone happen to have a link to this? I have probably remembered it wrongly, but it could help sort out this ruck situation everyone is struggling with. I couldn't find it from a quick search.
Thanks.
Does anyone happen to have a link to this? I have probably remembered it wrongly, but it could help sort out this ruck situation everyone is struggling with. I couldn't find it from a quick search.
Thanks.
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i did this a while back, not sure if it was waht you are after?
https://supercoachscores.com/threads/rucks-discussion.3954/post-438949
https://supercoachscores.com/threads/rucks-discussion.3954/post-438949
i did this a while back, not sure if it was waht you are after?
https://supercoachscores.com/threads/rucks-discussion.3954/post-438949
https://supercoachscores.com/threads/rucks-discussion.3954/post-438949
Average of 25.6 for the top ruck, 27.1 for 2nd. Cox at 30 and 31 the only one over 29 listed, and he was on the decline in those years. It's slightly younger than I thought, but shows the peak is later 20's, around 25-29.
Ah, see it's actually not deep breathing that's needed, it's controlled breathing. Normal amount of inhaling and normal exhaling just in a controlled fashion, so count 1-2-3-4 breathing in, same breathing out, only needs to be done for 30 seconds to a minute. You have to concentrate on just the breathing though, try to focus on just that. I've found this quite helpful over the years particularly when faced with stressful situations like exams, or calming nerves in highly competitive sports.
