I understand the idea but it's not easy to do in the modern game without either suspensions or free kicks which is why we don't see these tactics rolled out too often.You can’t do it anymore like Houston did, but you can certainly physically target a player and wear him down in other ways that won’t get you suspended.
But it has to be part of your team’s makeup, it requires careful planning and execution, and for that to happen the club has to value it as a practice.
Port value that stuff. Rankine was part of their plan. It wasn’t an accident.
It went too far in the end, and they’ll regret that, but the overall mentality is still correct.
If that was a Grand Final and we did that, and won the game as a result of it, would you be complaining?
That’s the mentality a team has to have to be successful.
I think teams can't be bothered with the energy involved to straddle such a fine line that you need to now. I think they just worry mostly about the game itself.
But can set themselves for it in an odd game. I had the feeling listening to Ginever and Tredrea during the week something like that was coming.
It's why Port were giving free kicks away early but that strangely turned onto us when one of our guys was the one taken out.