Another Ruck Thread

[RaisyDaisy]

Lads, you have put in some real serious content in this thread, especially Bully and Kiwi - I really enjoyed reading your points of view

I'm still stumped on which to go - so I might try completing all other lines first, and seeing what options it leaves me in the rucks

Great stuff boys, keep up to good work

[Grufflez]

GCSKiwi - the extra trades you worry about having to use in rucks are partially ameliorated by getting a keeper on another line using the cash saved by getting a cheapie like Hamspon, Hickey etc to upgrade a mid priced guy elsewhere.

no cashed saved here with 3 mid pricers mate... could go a 500-550k/Sandi for the same money..only money to be made is if this guys all put on 100k each+ and rookie rucks everyone else have don't play,have toyed with this option and if there were 2 really good options id probably go with it but i only see Sandi...believe as Kiwi pointed out this plan will end up costed more trades then its worth while people who pick the right R1 are ahead of the game.

[tor01doc]

Theory goes like this.

Picking the right R1 is pretty hard - Goldy and Minson (maybe Cox) the only real reliable ones. all very pricey.

Pick an up-and-comer like Hickey, Grundy or Hampson and save up to $313,300.

Back your cheapie to go up a bit, and one of the three mentioned to drop a bit - and the gap closes. Win on selling cheapie and win on buying gun cheaper. $$-wise can't lose.

Trades - will cost but, using the $313,300 or thereabouts, turn Rohan (say) into a likely keeper such as Buddy or JJK - or McDonald into Hurn saves trades there.

And you get to gauge how the ruck elite are travelling.

It is all swings and roundabouts but the main attraction is the fwd and def keepers appear easier to pick and there are more options apart from the top 2 or 3 and more flex given you only can select more players so less damage if you get it wrong.

[ben_020285]

I think that if Nic Nat is named to play once the final 22's are announced then I'll lock him in, if not then I will go for either Leuey or McEvoy who play the day before the Eagles.

[_wato]

I think that if Nic Nat is named to play once the final 22's are announced then I'll lock him in, if not then I will go for either Leuey or McEvoy who play the day before the Eagles.

[auscoyote]

This ^^ I'm putting my trust in NicNat  and Simpson said on fox sports that he expects him to play rd1 for sure. Hopefully a full game though. :-\ If not i need my R3 or R4 to have a blinder before the flying Aussie/Figian plays

[Dayze]

I know he is incredibly pricey but I am so confident Goldy will b top 2 again.
Im playing around with the money left over from picking Hampson and it is tempting.
But the idea of locking in Goldy, having a look at nic nat, then upgrading to him Via sandi seems perfect.
One trade, two keepers and a line locked down.

I don't know what crystal ball u guys have, but the forward and backline top 8 seems just as confusing.

[GCSkiwi]

It is all swings and roundabouts but the main attraction is the fwd and def keepers appear easier to pick and there are more options apart from the top 2 or 3 and more flex given you only can select more players so less damage if you get it wrong.

I guess it's here where I disagree. I think really the only keepers virtually guaranteed to be top few in their line are Danger and Dustmart up front, and Smitch in the back. Can probably put Simpson, McVeigh and Walker in that category too, not so sure about Bartel.  Your examples were turning Rohan into Buddy or JJK, or McDonald into Hurn. While I agree Hurn and Buddy are both underpriced, and JJK arguably could be the same after trailing off in the end of last season, they are by no means bankable. So in my mind that's just as much of a risk as picking a premo R1, you're taking the punt that this person will be in the top few top in their position, and I'm personally much more confident saying that about Cox than I am about Hurn, Buddy or JJK.
In addition, playing rookies look easier to come by in the other lines - I really don't know who if any might be playing in the rucks. and to go with something like Hickeylands or Grundilands, you HAVE to have R3 backup, or more likely a DPP R/F swingman set. Because any of us taking Sandi do so knowing there is a real risk that he may breakdown after only a few games. Taking someone like Hickey it's not inconceivable that he could be dropped for Longer, and then you're in real trouble. Now of course, Cox could get injured and leave me in exactly the same spot, but I have an easy sideways trade to virtually any ruck I want at that point. Whereas if you take a swingman, you're accepting either Hale or Dixon as a forward and arguably a keeper at their price. That's starting to sound way too much like players I don't want to have and trades I'm going to have to make rather than just picking Goldy/Minson/Cox and be done with it...

[RaisyDaisy]

But the idea of locking in Goldy, having a look at nic nat, then upgrading to him Via sandi seems perfect.

Exactly what I am doing. I sound like a broken record because I have said this numerous times in other threads, but every single time I have started a player who has not had a full preseason, they have gone on to burn me

Now I can ignore that and go with NicNat, and hey, it could pay off, but I am going to learn my lesson and not start him. Sandi to NicNat just seems so logical, and that's why I am doing that

I am trying my best to get Goldy in R1 because imo his a lock to be a Top 2-3 ruck, barring injury

[fever]

um no, if sandi stays injury free you wont be trading him

[RaisyDaisy]

um no, if sandi stays injury free you wont be trading him

There isnt a font size big enough here for that IF

EDIT: And if Sandi does play all year, then bonus, Goldy and Sandi would be set and forget and you wouldn't need to use a trade

[fever]

eh, you might've meant that (and it's a fine strat), but it's not how it came across.

[RaisyDaisy]

eh, you might've meant that (and it's a fine strat), but it's not how it came across.

Yeah I can see how it might not have come across like that, as I said I would trade Sandi to Nicnat, but that is going by the genral consensus that Sandi will break down eventually, but if he doesn't then that's a real bonus for us, and I wouldn't bother with NicNat then if I had Goldy and Sandi crushing it

[GCSkiwi]

eh, you might've meant that (and it's a fine strat), but it's not how it came across.

Yeah I can see how it might not have come across like that, as I said I would trade Sandi to Nicnat, but that is going by the genral consensus that Sandi will break down eventually, but if he doesn't then that's a real bonus for us, and I wouldn't bother with NicNat then if I had Goldy and Sandi crushing it

Yeah I think all of us picking Sandi aren't doing so thinking he will be a 22 game keeper. We're laughing if he is. I'm absolutely planning on trading him out but if he's smashing it through to round 10 then of course I would leave him in.

[H1bb3i2d]

So just went from Hampson R1 to Goldy, by downgrading Pendlebury to Murphy and Parker to Caddy. Really not sure, both options have one top end premium, room-for-improvement premium and a mid pricer. Except Caddy would seem a better pick than Hampson, no?