Luke Ball - How do we reckon he went?

saintspremiers · Sun 09 Aug 2009 10:52pm

Ball seemed to be creating more space and positioning himself more laterally than usual, which was I assume his instruction.

He went OK, but not to the level I think he's capable of.....needs to lift another 20 to 30% to secure a finals spot, will get a game next week though for sure IMO.

saintsRrising · Sun 09 Aug 2009 10:53pm

BonoRocks wrote:Anyone seen eddy. People talk about disposal of ball, i dont want to bag anyone, but to think eddy is getting a game ahead of ball and everyone hangs it on balls disposal. Ball is needed inside to give lenny a hand and if he can get somewhere back to old form he will be back where he belongs, but with a few others running around ahead of ball it just isnt right. Always high in clearances and tackle count. Important for that alone.

If eddy had 25 touches we wouldnt hear the end of it, Ball has 25, 11 tackles and its like, hmm bad game, not good enough

Add all the other class in there with ball and imagine how he would have looked !

They are up for different positions.

You might as well comapre Max's possession count to Ball's as Eddy.

However IMO yes Eddy will get squeezed out of the 22.

desertsaint · Sun 09 Aug 2009 10:53pm

saint-stu wrote:He was number 1 for tackes and 2nd for disposals.

I definitely think he's an in.

I noticed him running to space more than usual and our win was built on tackling.

Needs to work on his disposal but so do a few of the guys.

yes, yes, yes, and yes!

lennyhayes77 · Sun 09 Aug 2009 10:54pm

i thought luke didn't have a lot of it in the first half, but in the second half he definitely got a lot of football 'on the outside,' which has supposedly been his problem.
he also had 11 tackles, almost a tenth of the team in a record setting effort, which is nothing less than what he gives you most weeks.
very hard to believe that they would go into a final without luke ball, as a hard body around the football, able to put substantial and sustained pressure upon the ball carrier.
but if he had kicked goals when he had the chance, he would have cemented his spot!!

BonoRocks · Post: # 792755Post **BonoRocks** » Sun 09 Aug 2009 10:55pm

saintsRrising wrote:
BonoRocks wrote:Anyone seen eddy. People talk about disposal of ball, i dont want to bag anyone, but to think eddy is getting a game ahead of ball and everyone hangs it on balls disposal. Ball is needed inside to give lenny a hand and if he can get somewhere back to old form he will be back where he belongs, but with a few others running around ahead of ball it just isnt right. Always high in clearances and tackle count. Important for that alone.

If eddy had 25 touches we wouldnt hear the end of it, Ball has 25, 11 tackles and its like, hmm bad game, not good enough

Add all the other class in there with ball and imagine how he would have looked !
They are up for different positions.

You might as well comapre Max's possession count to Ball's as Eddy.

However IMO yes Eddy will get squeezed out of the 22.

Wouldnt mind seeing how luke ball would perform in robert eddy;s position.

If push come to shove i know who id chose every day of my life.

widereceiver · Sun 09 Aug 2009 11:05pm

I hope they keep him in the side to assess whether he can play the role the coach wants.

He is a poor kick, has been ever since the osteitis pubis. What has bothered me about him more is his tendency to slow down when he has a mark or free kick, allowing opponents time to cover our players upfield.

With three more games to go, I think he deserves that chance.

Iceman234 · Post: # 792768Post **Iceman234** » Sun 09 Aug 2009 11:07pm

Interestingly, Bally has missed 3 games but is still ranked 13 for overall tackles in the league, 10 in the league for average tackles and is averaging more tackles this year than any other year...

Yes, his disposal needs some polishing (he's not alone there), but the bloke tackles his heart out for this club, and is a MUST come September.

saintsRrising · Sun 09 Aug 2009 11:15pm

BonoRocks wrote:

Wouldnt mind seeing how luke ball would perform in robert eddy;s position.

.

I may be wrong...but I think that Eddy is about the best endurance runner at the club.

I think Lyon has been using him in a role where he runns to fill space.

Ball is at his best in contests...in congestion...and not running in space.....or at least with the running capacity he has demonstrated this year.

However again....IMO Eddy will get squeezed out....but not by Ball playing in the role that Eddy has been in.

hAyES · Post: # 792780Post **hAyES** » Sun 09 Aug 2009 11:22pm

He looked a hell of a lot better than he did in his last game as a Saint. Ran into space more and had plenty of game time which means Ross saw the improvements as well.

BonoRocks · Post: # 792785Post **BonoRocks** » Sun 09 Aug 2009 11:27pm

saintsRrising wrote:
BonoRocks wrote:
I may be wrong...but I think that Eddy is about the best endurance runner at the club.

I think Lyon has been using him in a role where he runns to fill space.

Ball is at his best in contests...in congestion...and not running in space.....or at least with the running capacity he has demonstrated this year.

However again....IMO Eddy will get squeezed out....but not by Ball playing in the role that Eddy has been in.

Your right on good runner, but skills gees, everyone is hanging it on ball for his kicking.

Eddie 40 metres out all along running into open goal and gives it off to a leading forward with someone up his backside.

Prefer he had a shot and missed.

Ball has a lot of plusses, granted he is not the player he was (look at selwood) but his hardness and inside work is first class and i hope he stays there for the year and adds to the side.

rexy · Post: # 792790Post **rexy** » Sun 09 Aug 2009 11:34pm

Love bally and want him in the side but he wont get his spot on tackling alone. We had our two most prolific tacklers for the year out on Saturday and had a record number of tackles, this shows that tackling is a state of mind that can be executed by all players.

Iceman234 · Post: # 792796Post **Iceman234** » Sun 09 Aug 2009 11:37pm

rexy wrote:Love bally and want him in the side but he wont get his spot on tackling alone. We had our two most prolific tacklers for the year out on Saturday and had a record number of tackles, this shows that tackling is a state of mind that can be executed by all players.

Agreed, but he also had 25 touches - some needed touching up - but most were gems...he's a tough man and much needed IMO.

BallBanger · Sun 09 Aug 2009 11:44pm

PJ · Post: # 792807Post PJ » Sun 09 Aug 2009 11:44pm

The bar has been raised....what was once good enough no longer is.

What part of Bally's game was below par?

Bally now plays a different game - what about his game is worse than CJ in terms of disposal? What about his game is worse than McQ in terms of in and under the pack?

As has been stated No1 tackler, No2 possession getter on Saturday. He is now and always was an in and under pressure player. I don't expect to see him running the flanks. If he's had to go and retrieve the ball from under the pack he won't be running wide to receive.

rexy · Post: # 792820Post **rexy** » Sun 09 Aug 2009 11:56pm

Firstly, to make myself clear, I want Ball in and would select him if it were my job. It seems ridiccoulous to be questioning a guy after 25 possies and 11 tackles.

The mark we have set for ourselves is that every player must do all things asked of him. Outside players must tackle and contest, talls must chase and harass. Defenders must make themselves an option, forwards must man up and be accountable, taggers must get the ball and use it sensibly if they cant use it well.

Luke Ball does all the things that we expect of everyone else and that everyone else is doing. The question is can he find something that he can do that others cant?

Used to be that his tackling and contested posession set him apart, on the weekend we had a small forward with 10 tackles and 10 contested possies, he also kicked 3 goals.

I love the man and personally would pick him. I am trying to understand Ross lyons predicament though.

Newman · Post: # 792828Post **Newman** » Mon 10 Aug 2009 12:01am

Don't think this has been mentioned ... but he got some votes from the 3AW commentary team. They gave 3 to Jones and either 2 votes or 1 vote to Ball

stinger · Post: # 792907Post **stinger** » Mon 10 Aug 2009 12:39am

story in the paper that here are currently four teams interested in ball for next year...but seeing the source is that scummy creep hutchie..i wouldn't be getting too upset.....

Moccha · Post: # 792937Post **Moccha** » Mon 10 Aug 2009 1:15am

Unfortunately Eddy isn't good enough to be a pimple on Luke Balls arse.

SainterK · Post: # 792942Post **SainterK** » Mon 10 Aug 2009 1:21am

Why do I have to back it up with anything, I just want him back in....

saintsRrising · Mon 10 Aug 2009 1:49am

PJ wrote:
The bar has been raised....what was once good enough no longer is.
What part of Bally's game was below par?

.

err...did you not see his kicking?

As I have stated above the rest of his game was very good. Personally I rate Armos game higher because his in and under was very good too as was his tackling (only one less than Ball)..but his ball use was better IMO.

I certainly expect Ball to be in the team next week...and if he keeps backing it up he will most likely stay in.

But seeing a player of Ball's experience spraying kicks like he does is puzzling.

Yes CJ's kicking is at times awkward...but since he has started at the Saints it has improved and improved...and is no not too bad.

TassieJones · Mon 10 Aug 2009 1:49am

what... the... f***

unbelievable thread.

a) I was at the ground mate, and Ball was best on ground in my opinion. Undeniably he was in the top handful of players out there

b) he missed targets, so what. there was not a player out there who could be happy with their disposal, it was the only sour note of an outstanding performance.

saintsRrising · Mon 10 Aug 2009 1:50am

TassieJones wrote:
there was not a player out there who could be happy with their disposal, .

Does that include Jack?

matrix · Post: # 792963Post **matrix** » Mon 10 Aug 2009 1:53am

desertsaint wrote:
saint-stu wrote:He was number 1 for tackes and 2nd for disposals.

I definitely think he's an in.

I noticed him running to space more than usual and our win was built on tackling.

Needs to work on his disposal but so do a few of the guys.
yes, yes, yes, and yes!

cant argue with this at all
115 tackles
and the way led by bally with 11

just needs to lift the disposal % efficiency.....(like armo, but ball is a few steps ahead of armo...which is only to be expected)

TassieJones · Mon 10 Aug 2009 1:56am

saintsRrising wrote:
TassieJones wrote:
there was not a player out there who could be happy with their disposal, .
Does that include Jack?

for a first game young player, he was very good.

in the greater scheme of things though his efficiency wasn't great and he still missed some targets like everyone else

Ghost Like · Mon 10 Aug 2009 10:11am

BonoRocks wrote:Anyone seen eddy. People talk about disposal of ball, i dont want to bag anyone, but to think eddy is getting a game ahead of ball and everyone hangs it on balls disposal. Ball is needed inside to give lenny a hand and if he can get somewhere back to old form he will be back where he belongs, but with a few others running around ahead of ball it just isnt right. Always high in clearances and tackle count. Important for that alone.

If eddy had 25 touches we wouldnt hear the end of it, Ball has 25, 11 tackles and its like, hmm bad game, not good enough

Add all the other class in there with ball and imagine how he would have looked !

Good call.

Class player, eases pressure from Lenny, great leader. People talk about the bar being raised, it still has not been raised above what Luke can bring to the side in September. I'd rather have him in our side than against us, his tackles stick and from what I saw of a few Hawks players, they hurt!