Dead on. Longer was far from great last night. He was again a downright liability on occasion.skeptic wrote: ↑Sun 17 Jun 2018 12:42pmNailed itSydneySainter wrote: ↑Sun 17 Jun 2018 12:24pm The reality is that we're desperately looking for one of our rucks to be clear No. 1 and what both Hickey and Longer have so far proved is that currently, neither are the answer.
Hickey's had a good chop out, done some nice things, but with the exception of the Giants game, has frequently been beaten by his opponent. Allegedly his strength is his work around ground, but I think that's a little overstated.
This is only Longer's third game, so he probably deserves a few more, but his strength is that he's allegedly a "bull" at the stoppages, but in his three senior matches so far, he's also been bested by all three of his opponents, so I think his hit out work is also a little overstated.
I really can't see either being a clear No. 1 solution moving forward.
Some examples (can't remember exact time, but you may remember them):
- 1st qtr? Ball up just outside GCS goalsquare. Longer wins tap and taps down TOWARDS THEIR GOAL. GCS crumb, goal. Why on earth would you ever tap it to ground in the direction of the opposition goal?
- 2nd qtr? Savage long kick in to 50m mark. Longer fails to contest the ball at all and his opponent marks. They kick inside 50 and goal.
Both our ruckmen have deficiencies. Hickey's lack of defensive pressure on his opponent is his bugbear. Longer's lack of any capacity to effect the ball beyond stoppage is his.