TIGERS CAN REIGN IN BIGWET

RICHMONDisconfidenttheprospectof rainwillplayintoitshandsasSaturday’s grandfinalagainstGeelongattheGabba loomsasasoakedaffair.

Theheavensopenedupinsouthern QueenslandonThursday,withrainand potentialthunderstormspredictedtohit BrisbaneacrossSaturdayafternoonand intoevening.

NotonlywillitsuittheTigers’trademarkchaosbrand,butRichmondalso hadanentreeintotheslipperyconditionsinlastweek’sgrippingpreliminary finalwinoverPortAdelaide.

“Wefeelinanyweatherwecanplay well,”assistantcoachJustinLeppitsch, picturedright,saidatThursday’smain trainingsession.

“That’sthebeautyofourgamestyle, itholdsupinmanystyles,butIthinkthe rainwillhelpus,nodoubt.Itkeepsthe ballonthegroundandIthinkGeelong areapossession-basedteam.”

TheTigershavespenttheweekde

vis in ga plan to combat G eel on g’ s revamped forward line that looks “vastly different” from when the teams last met in Round 17 at Metric on Stadium.

Patrick Danger field effectively split his time between mid field (52 percent) and forward (48 percent) that night, according to Champion Data, but his recent push forward has forced the Tigers to re think their plans.

Gee long structured up taller, with key tall Esava Ratugolea— now out of the side—kicking two goals in support of Tom Hawkins as Gee long was kept to just 4.7(31), its lowest score since 2001.

Small forwards Brad Close, Tom Atkins and L ac hie Fog arty have also been squeezed out of the side in recent weeks, while Ben Jar vis played his only game for the Cats that night.

Gary Ablett was on the Gold Coast that evening, but was instead a few kilometres down the road in the quarantine hub with Richmond’ s Shane Edwards.