Even before we officially launched the site, while the test phase was still going on, the idea was to create a ranking list of players that would change after each round, where we would track their progress and rank them according to their current form. However, very quickly the idea fell into the water, due to the large number of postponed matches. We even gave up on making a list at the end of the half-season for the same reason. For example, Partizan played in two matches during the whole spring, some players who should be on that list didn’t even play in those two matches, so we decided not to make a list of the best players at all, but a list of players that we will see off in the fall part, without ranking.
Of course, at the end of the season we will make a ranking list, both of the best players and players by position, that is our favorite. But we will do that only at the end of the season. For now, we’ll focus on 15 players to watch out for in the fall season. Since the article will be quite extensive, the idea is to make a trilogy and share the original article. To note, we didn’t rank anyone, the order of the players was made randomly.
All the matches that took place were watched and this article was made on account of them. We also took into account the matches of the Serbian national team. Our list of players to watch in the fall half-season includes only players who play in the Serbian Championship of Group A, we did not take players from Group B into account, although we are sure that at least two players would enter the TOP 15. This is not a list of the best players, this is a list of players that we are interested in seeing off in the next half-season. We watched all the matches, both live and on video, so we hope that you will find rugby reading as interesting as it was for us to write. But let’s start.
Nikola Stanković
YOB: 2002.
Position: Center
Height: 193cm
Weight: 98 kg
From a promising young player, he transformed into one of the leaders of RK Rad and the Serbian National Team. Although he is only 22 years old, he plays at a very high level. In recent years, it has been an absolute trend for the outside center, that is, the second center, to be a tall, strong and penetrating player, who is adorned with speed. Modern rugby uses players of such predispositions to put pressure on the opposition’s last line of defense from kicking and penetration. This is exactly what adorns Stanković’s game, he is extremely skilled technically, with an excellent tactical kick.
Danger comes from all sides, changes direction quickly, reads the game well, is stable in contact and always offers a safe offload, with little risk. Given that he anticipates the movements of his teammates well, he is especially dangerous in the follow-up when he gets an offload at full speed. Selector Mišel Milović and the coaching staff made an excellent assessment that the ideal position for Stanković is the second center, when the first center creates space for him, he becomes simply unstoppable.
We’re particularly impressed with the angles of movement at full speed where he attacks opponents, making it difficult for them to effectively neutralize him as a threat. It is these movements that allow him to find space where we don’t see him in a positional attack. It creates quite a bit of space in the attack, where with an effective offload towards the player at full speed, the action in most cases ends with an try.
We believe that teams should use Nikola’s height and conquer space with tactical shots. Therefore, Nikola must improve his game in the air. If you follow the trend of shooting attacks along the byline where you have a tall winger and a tall second center who are excellent both in the jump and in covering the field, you have a powerful weapon to apply a lot of pressure deep into the opponent’s 22 meters. In the last year, it is especially significant with the introduction of the 50-22 kicking rule.
Đorđe Preradojević
YOB: 1995.
Position: Lock
Height: 190 cm
Weight: 123 kg
Some experts say that the best age for a scrum player is from 28 to 35, if so, then Đorđe has just entered his “prime” and already has several excellent seasons behind him. A player who grew up in Partizan and who has been playing for the current Serbian Champion for many years. He is a standard member of the Serbian national team, where he has an enviable seniority. Even more, we can say that he is one of the leaders of the game both in the club and in the national team.
During his entire career, he performed in the second line, while this half-season he also tried out in the first, which shocked us. However, he performed quite well in that role as well. As a second-line player, he is characterized by an extremely solid game in contact, both in defense and in attack. An extremely confident ball carrier in contact and an even better player in accompaniment. An exceptional ruck clearing technique that allows for fast play. That technique also gives results in defensive ruck, when he very often wins a penalty for his team or wins the ball.
However, the biggest impression for us is the positioning and the play after good positioning. A second line player who has excellent lateral positioning in relation to the ball position of the opposing attack. Great game in the air, where he is confident on the ball. From that positioning, he creates an excellent position for himself to create a counterattack, where he is very convincing in line break, because he attacks the space between the players in contact.
What really impressed us was the static game. In the match against Rad, he played on the post, where he performed quite well, although it is not his primary position. However, good body posture, excellent footwork allowed him to be not only competitive, but also to win a few balls for Partizan. Of course, he still needs to work a lot on his strength and technique, if he were to change positions, because playing on the post is perhaps the most demanding in rugby.
Now you already think that this is where Preradojević’s breadth in the game ends. But you are wrong. Believe it or not, he has a great foot and a pretty good kick. So you can often see him kicking penalties and conversions for Partizan. The fact that he is left-footed gives Partizan the opportunity to score more often from penalties that are kicked from the right side.
Aleksandar Mađanović
YOB: 1993.
Position: flanker
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 94 kg
Aleksandar entered his best rugby years when he has the perfect balance of strength, fitness and experience. A player who has a very interesting foreign career, where he played in Hong Kong, Holland and Hungary. He generated all the accumulated experience into very potent and notable performances this spring. Every player who wants to progress and be long-lived has to work on himself individually and be ready. That’s exactly what Aleksandar does, and that’s why he delivers excellent games in the club and national team jersey.
In defense, he moves at a high level, special emphasis is on skilfully combining aggressiveness and positioning for entering contact. It is precisely from such contacts that he emerges as a winner and creates a half-position for himself to win the ball after a knockdown or to win a penalty due to the opponent’s retention of the ball. The outstanding shooting technique, which is combined with physical fitness, definitely creates an advantage in putting pressure on the opponent’s defensive line.
A player who does not fall out of the game system in the attack, who is very mobile and who can follow through with more complex ideas. It is very important to note that he is capable of creating and using the opportunities offered to him within the system without falling out of the imagined plan, that is, he does not play spontaneously. This was best seen in the game against Turkey when he turned one such action into an try. Unfortunately, the video does not show the achievement of the try itself, but it does show a moment of fantastic accompaniment and reception of the ball in a full run, which is what we are most interested in.
He definitely needs to work on his discipline and getting back quickly when a penalty is awarded against his team. And the discipline itself, talking to the referee is a waste of time if you are not the captain, and you don’t want to waste time at the game. A disciplined team wins games. Deadly in the back where on several occasions when he gets the ball offside he scores an try or wins significant space. The contact technique is a special thing, where as a third line player he uses sidestep and buffer and always shoots the protor between the players, which makes him a harder target to bring down. It is precisely from such penetrations that the possibility of adding offloads or the formation of fast rucks is provided.
Stefan Đorđević
YOB: 1995.
Position: Number 8, flanker
Height: 184 cm
Weight: 118 kg
Stefan entered the best years of rugby, which with the international experience of playing abroad can be a player who makes a difference in any team. He went through the youth school of RK Partizan, played for several seasons in the highest rank of the Romanian Championship, where he played for Cluj. He is also a standard representative of Serbia. In recent seasons, he has been playing for RK Partizan and is one of the main links in the club, which has been winning the national championship titles consecutively for the past few seasons.
Positions in the third line of the scrum are his natural positions, but he knows how to manage very well in the line when he stands at center. However, we think he is at his best when playing as a winger in the third line on the open side. Then, in defense, he closes the space between the opponent’s opener and the scrum very well, he is confident in tackling and extremely dangerous in winning the ball in the ruck. In fact, it is one of his trademarks, that’s when his footwork and excellent positioning in the goal of the ruck, which results in either a ball being won or a holding penalty. Perhaps the most dangerous tackle support player in Serbia. One of the better shooters on the team, which only completes the picture of a modern third line player who has few weak points.
In attack, he is a very confident ball carrier and a very penetrating player. Considering the experience and culture of playing rugby, he exclusively chooses the space between two players for attacking, where with his explosiveness and the previously mentioned fast feet, he can be extremely difficult for the opposing defense. In contact, he always offers the option to add an offload pass, and he is quite selective there and rarely loses balls. If there is no possibility for an offload, the best possible presentation of the ball in the ruck is always fought, so that the ball comes out as soon as possible and the game is accelerated. In statics, it is up to the task, both in the scrum and in the lineout. A player who reads the opponent’s lineout well and who, in our opinion, is little used in actions around the lineout, we believe that in situations where he would receive the ball from a jumper in a full run, he would be extremely dangerous.
A player who has excellent physical predispositions for the position in which he plays, when combined with a set of skills, experience and rugby knowledge, a very high quality product is obtained. If he wants to be long-term and continue to play at the same level, he has to work individually. Rugby is the most demanding sport, the third line players are expected to grind and work the most during the game. Special attention must be paid to physical strength and explosiveness in order to maximize the effect of Stefan’s game.
Ivan Voštić
2003.
Position: fullback, wing
Height: 188 cm
Weight: 83 kg
The most dominant player of last year’s Serbian Championship for U18 juniors. In the last year, he established himself in the Serbian National Team, he also played for the Serbian Rugby 7 National Team. Ivan has progressed astronomically in the past two years and has become one of the main players of Dinamo’s senior team. Incredible physical predispositions, great explosiveness and even greater speed. When he gets the ball into space at full speed, hardly anyone can stop him. We think that Dinamo should play actions more often where they leave Ivan in the space while he is in a full run.
A well-educated player who can play in several positions in the line, although he likes the position of defender or wing the most. As we have already mentioned, his main characteristic is his speed and explosiveness, but we were delighted by Ivan’s technique and skill. Fast hands, as well as the use of tampons in contact is perhaps his specialty. When you add to all that a sidestep that works at incredible speed, you might just get an essay machine.
In defense, he is exceptional, given his speed, he can easily cover the field, both after a shot and when someone breaks through the defense line. He needs to work a little more on the technique around the ruck, so that the knockdown is more effective when the ball is won or a penalty awarded against the opponent. He is decorated with a very good setup in defense, where he has excellent timing to intercept an opponent’s shot or a player. Very good in lateral defense and has a solid shot, which he still needs to work on.
Given that he is only at the beginning of his senior career, we think there is so much room for improvement that it is scary. We are of the opinion that he is perhaps the fastest player in Serbian rugby right now, and that he should have much more confidence in one-on-one play. Ivan is quite tall and we think that we should force shots into the opponent’s field that he could catch in the air. That would be an extremely deadly weapon for both Dinamo and the Serbian national team. Imagine the action of the line in the national team, where a high shot is aimed at the corner of the field in the opponent’s 22 meters, and Stanković and Voštić go for that shot.
