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BigMart wrote:What about as a 20 yo in 2010 when he played CHF when Nick was injured
Yes I rememeber that - Definitely showed some promise in a few games....
There might be another factor at play as well that we are all ignoring - the game itself is changing rapidly and the current trend is numbers of defenders crowding out the fwd line.
This trend is not helping Rhys at all - the small areas to work in are killing his main strength (pace) and exposing his weakness - which is timing runs and making leads into space. These spaces are becoming tighter and tighter. If you look at last years top 10 goalkickers - all of them are very good in confined spaces.
Even Roo who runs a heck of a lot and covers plenty of space - when it comes to the crunch - after he has burnt off his opponent - he is still very clever at leading and marking in very tight spaces.
Rhys works best when he has plenty of space - and you dont get that much these days. Thats why I believe Ruck is only chance to prosper.
FQF wrote:
What player do you suggest he should model his game off? Or, what player can he realistically emulate?
I'd say Roo if he has the endurance. The boy can run fast, so if he's got the tank he should be running as much as he can you would think.
The boy can run fast yet I always see him getting beaten to the ball.
Could that be more to do with desire for the contest and the body on body stuff...digressing slightly but I've wondered if that is something that Siposs has to work on...he occasionally appears to hold back from attacking the ball preferring to let teammates get to the ball first...is that what you were getting at fingers?
I dont want to speak for fingers - but I dont think the issue is 'desire' or lack of trying for Rhys (this would be simplifying what makes a good footy player in the extreme).
Rhys just doesnt the read the play that well - same way Sam Mitchell reads it better than anyone else.
Mitchell doesnt win so much ball call he has 'superior desire' than everyone else - plenty of guys 'want' the ball just as much as Mitchell - - but he has a superior ability to read the play and anticipate where the ball is going and where his opponents are going to be- this kind of thing has been scientifically tested - it is called spatial awareness - Mitchell has it in spades - and Rhys has none at all.
BigMart wrote:What about as a 20 yo in 2010 when he played CHF when Nick was injured
I personally don't remember those games at all, but a look at the stats isn't massively convincing. Across 6 games he averaged about 3 marks, half a goal a game and he didn't have more than 9 disposals in any of them. He was young and that was probably solid at the time but looking back it doesn't impress much.
BigMart wrote:What about as a 20 yo in 2010 when he played CHF when Nick was injured
I personally don't remember those games at all, but a look at the stats isn't massively convincing. Across 6 games he averaged about 3 marks, half a goal a game and he didn't have more than 9 disposals in any of them. He was young and that was probably solid at the time but looking back it doesn't impress much.
Yep - I think we were all romanticising back/delusional back then and not much has changed since...
And as I mentioned - Fwd lines have become even more crowded since then... Making him even less effective.
