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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rogertom" data-source="post: 349033" data-attributes="member: 43267">I'm with you Ranger, top thinking mate!! Mini-games at the ruck idea are simply not the way to go. Too invasive, too distracting from the flow of the gameWhat ranger is proposing is to define the roles of the pack before/during the game. This keeps the mechanics simple, gives you as the puppet master REAL control, AND introduces a whole bunch of delicious tactical nuance to the game!If I were to put a further refinement on this idea, it would be this: 3 seperate roles which forwards adopt in real life, namely;1) ruck hitter - hits every ruck without remorse, no thought of getting the ball in hand in play (Matfield, Thorn, J Smit etc. )2) runner in the tight - good ball runners who play in the tight and utilise good low body position to make metres in the channels around the ruck (Mealamu, Steenkamp, L Weeks, K Read)3) on-baller/link-men (maybe these are two categories of their own?) - play a bit further out in the loose and link with the backs, will attempt to pilfer all rucks that aren't heavily attended (G Smith, Elsom, McCaw, Spies etc)As outlined by ranger in his original post, how you choose to assign roles will affect your selections right accross the park (just like in real,  life). Too many flashy footed meatheads in the pack (RSA playing Spies & Kankowski in the same backrow!! or Aus playing Mumm and Chis who couldn't find their way over the gain line in the tight with a GPS) then you'd better have some very effective tight forwards and big inside backs to help you punch over the line. Too many blokes doing the hard yards in the tight will get you plenty of ball but your inside backs might get rolled in contact more often then you'd like because the opposition 6,7,8 are all lurking around the back line. This perspective really is a very logical and exciting one, let's hope the developers are thinking along similar lines!</blockquote>

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