The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

English has big hips and legs, its his torso and arms that aren't big. Big creatures develop later. His old man is big framed. He'll get there by 24 years of age.

I don't believe he actually needs bulk as such. What he needs is core strength so that he can hold his ground in the push and shove.

He actually needs to maintain his agility as it will be his point of difference. He needs to learn to utilise the advantages he has with mobility to really become a factor.

[Rocket Science]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

I don't believe he actually needs bulk as such. What he needs is core strength so that he can hold his ground in the push and shove.

He actually needs to maintain his agility as it will be his point of difference. He needs to learn to utilise the advantages he has with mobility to really become a factor.

Bang on.

He's going to be as valuable as a genuine ruck rover as he will be in ruck contests.

Only he'll be a ruck rover who can drift back and chop off high balls, or drift forward and outmark the tallest key defender.

What a weapon, but he's going to need to retain his wheels to effect that.

[Mofra]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

One thing that has grown is his marking ability. In the past month he's starting to hold the marks he only got hands to last year.

Still clearly a work in progress but he's starting to put up marking numbers as good as the top tier rucks. He's now a threat forward.

[The Pie Man]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

One thing that has grown is his marking ability. In the past month he's starting to hold the marks he only got hands to last year.

Still clearly a work in progress but he's starting to put up marking numbers as good as the top tier rucks. He's now a threat forward.

Nice to see him take an overhead mark drifting back on Saturday given the conditions.

I think he has some forward craft as well (based albeit on small samples) which I wasn't sure about pre-season. Gives the Trengove / Naughton / English roll swap suggestions merit now that Schache is back and in form.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

We do have Roberts and Lewis Young as key defensive cover. Agree that Trengove has been solid down back but he wasn't even deemed good enough to be selected for the first month of the season.

Trengrove has emerged as our best key defender in particular his ability to nullify big key forwards as we will see again in Hawkins this week. He was recruited from PA after 150 games as a key defender. It might be time to bring in Sweet and allow English to play more forward in a similar way to the likes of Mason Cox and Daniher. English lack of experience and body strength is a big ask given that very few ruckmen of his age are capable of competing against more experienced opposition.

[Mofra]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

Trengrove has emerged as our best key defender in particular his ability to nullify big key forwards as we will see again in Hawkins this week. He was recruited from PA after 150 games as a key defender. It might be time to bring in Sweet and allow English to play more forward in a similar way to the likes of Mason Cox and Daniher. English lack of experience and body strength is a big ask given that very few ruckmen of his age are capable of competing against more experienced opposition.

Do we think Sweet can get around the ground the way we want English to?

[Bornadog]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

Do we think Sweet can get around the ground the way we want English to?

Other than being very good at hitouts, he barely touches the ball around the ground.

[Hotdog60]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

Other than being very good at hitouts, he barely touches the ball around the ground.

That being the case if he is hitting it down the throat of our mids who haven't had good service for a while would his negate his inefficacies around the ground.
He may give the mids with the new 6 x 6 rules first use in the clearance department without having to dig it our of the centre.
I agree his not ready going on reports from fellow woofers but could we see how he goes against a team that doesn't move the ball all that quick.

[Bornadog]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

That being the case if he is hitting it down the throat of our mids who haven't had good service for a while would his negate his inefficacies around the ground.
He may give the mids with the new 6 x 6 rules first use in the clearance department without having to dig it our of the centre.
I agree his not ready going on reports from fellow woofers but could we see how he goes against a team that doesn't move the ball all that quick.

If you think about it, what does he do when he is not rucking? We will be playing with 17 men on the ground.

[Hotdog60]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

If you think about it, what does he do when he is not rucking? We will be playing with 17 men on the ground.

I suppose if he's the first ruck you would give him 5-10 min stints on the bench while English stays on ground up forward and gives him the chop out when he's on the pine.

I feel at this stage we have a Will Minson back, good in the ruck but limited around the ground. But it would be good if we intend to keep Sweet for a while to give him a taste so he know how much harder you have to work in the firsts. Not saying this week but at some stage before the season out.
Then again if we get on a roll you wouldn't what to go in carrying a player if finals are on the cards.

[Bornadog]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

I suppose if he's the first ruck you would give him 5-10 min stints on the bench while English stays on ground up forward and gives him the chop out when he's on the pine.

I feel at this stage we have a Will Minson back, good in the ruck but limited around the ground. But it would be good if we intend to keep Sweet for a while to give him a taste so he know how much harder you have to work in the firsts. Not saying this week but at some stage before the season out.
Then again if we get on a roll you wouldn't what to go in carrying a player if finals are on the cards.

I think his issue may be fitness for AFL level. The positives are he gets lots of hitouts and now needs to work on his mobility.

You never know, he may get a shot at it before the end of season.

Another preseason and he could start to develop into something, I think he is still only 21.

His stats on Saturday were pretty good: 60 hit outs, ten tackles, five inside 50’s

[Mofra]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

I think his issue may be fitness for AFL level. The positives are he gets lots of hitouts and now needs to work on his mobility.

You never know, he may get a shot at it before the end of season.

Another preseason and he could start to develop into something, I think he is still only 21.

His stats on Saturday were pretty good: 60 hit outs, ten tackles, five inside 50’s

Footage of Morris running past him to lay a tackle are on the Bulldogs website.

The kid's clearly developing and needs more time. I'd re-rookie him as he is aggressive which is a big plus.

[chef]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

Tims manager was just on the news saying a new deal is nearly sorted.

[Mofra]

Re: The English patient: Tall ruck wages a battle to bulge

Tims manager was just on the news saying a new deal is nearly sorted.

God I hope so.