Rucks the key to a win over Port

[saintsRrising]

I read a post on another forum where a PA fan said the key to them winning (any game) was their rucks dominating and that as the Saints now had King and Gardiner in good form made him quite concerned about this weeks match.

Now I certainly do not watch every PA game, but many Saints/PA matches are ceratainly painful mememories with Lade and Co doing a lot of damage to the Saints.

A dominant ruck can give PA first use of the ball..with their runners then doing a lot of damage.

I am quite confidenat about the Saints winning and overcoming our "hoodoo" for two main reasons:

* That PA will not have a clear advantage in the ruck like they normally do


And secondly that:

* PA normally cuts us up with a lot of run and pace. I believe that the Saints stepping up in their "clamping" of teams will not allow PA to excute their running ability to it's full extent. They too will be forced to chip the ball under pressure into their forward line where Gilbert and Co will cut it off and rebound.

What is going to be very interesting is how well the Saints can faciltate all aspects of their game plan againts a confident and cocky PA team.

[BringBackMadDog]

In the practice game this year we went in without King and Gards, Lade and Brogan dominated and we got smashed. It has been the key to their dominance over us for a while now.

[Sobraz]

Agree.... MG and King are probably the inform ruck duo in the comp...

Lade and Brogan have always monstered us... Its the first time in years, maybe close to a decade, that we have a powerful ruck unit; not just skill wise but size wise also...

We wont get monstered this week....

Add to this that Lade is getting close to the end of his career, he is surely slowing down, while MG is in the best form we've seen of him as a saint...

Crucial matchup... Cant wait!!!....

[saintsRrising]

Whatever the scoreline at least for me the game will be full of passion and drama....

Starting with the arm wrestle in the ruck through to seeing who the Cornes try and negate...

This game for the Saints will be I believe very much test of our abilities "above the shoulder"..

If we can maintain our work-rate and gameplan I believe we will win.

[InkerSaint]

Juicy!

PA are also used to a Saints midfield brigade where 2 or 3 of them go missing. Not this year.

As for shutdowns, I think that's the Saints' bag not Port's.

[saintsRrising]

Physicality........in many gamesa bit of physicality by PA at the right time has put the Saints off their game.

Remember ball being taken out??

IMO the Saints are now at last a lot better equipped to resist this...and to dish it out.

It starts with our KIng Gee ruck duo...but is spelled out with a high work rate and tackle count.

The return of Baker is also very important in this regard...as he toughens up our team well beyond his height.

[bigcarl]

this is where kosi's absence might hurt us a bit.

depending on the team picked gardiner or king might be asked to spend more time in the forward line, robbing us of a fresh ruck.

unless mcevoy or goose comes in ...

[InkerSaint]

Baker!

He's one player I've taken for granted a little bit.

He was out of the team for so long I forgot how valuable he was.

[saintsRrising]

Physicality........in many gamesa bit of physicality by PA at the right time has put the Saints off their game.

.

I think that this a fair bit of the reason why they have gone for Eddy over X.

[saintsRrising]

this is where kosi's absence might hurt us a bit.

depending on the team picked gardiner or king might be asked to spend more time in the forward line, robbing us of a fresh ruck.

unless mcevoy or goose comes in ...

If it as wet and as windy as they say it will be....Kosi not playing will quite probably be good for us given the conditions.

[bigcarl]

this is where kosi's absence might hurt us a bit.

depending on the team picked gardiner or king might be asked to spend more time in the forward line, robbing us of a fresh ruck.

unless mcevoy or goose comes in ...

If it as wet and as windy as they say it will be....Kosi not playing will quite probably be good for us given the conditions.

kosi's been important not just for the marks he's taken and the goals he's kicked, but how he's allowed us to kick to a contest and bring it to ground for the crumbers, milne and schneider.

i'd expect either king or gardiner to be doing a bit of that tomorrow night, even in wet and windy conditions.

i hope it doesn't leave us light on in the ruck, remembering how important you say they are to our chances of winning in the OP.

[Cairnsman]

The key to this game will be all 22 players smashing and crashing into the Port players at every single oportunity (legally ofcoarse). Then after the Port players are softened up they will then need to run their arses off.

It's a simple game when you have got the muscle. Grind the farkers into the lead contaminated oval that is AAMI stadium I say.

[saintsRrising]

this is where kosi's absence might hurt us a bit.

depending on the team picked gardiner or king might be asked to spend more time in the forward line, robbing us of a fresh ruck.

unless mcevoy or goose comes in ...

If it as wet and as windy as they say it will be....Kosi not playing will quite probably be good for us given the conditions.

kosi's been important not just for the marks he's taken and the goals he's kicked, but how he's allowed us to kick to a contest and bring it to ground for the crumbers, milne and schneider.

i'd expect either king or gardiner to be doing a bit of that tomorrow night, even in wet and windy conditions.

i hope it doesn't leave us light on in the ruck, remembering how important you say they are to our chances of winning in the OP.

I know what Kosi is important for...but if the conditions are as bad as the locals say it will be...a top-heavy side could bea liability. So this not a noraml week. Cold, rainy and very windy....and not under the roof at Docklands.


PA know their conditions well.....and they are not going in overly tall when you look at their 22.