Stanley = Positive

[bigcarl]

Yeah Stanley is looking good and can be better if he realises how good he can be.

Needs to make those marks stick (particularly the contested ones) and keep on presenting.

[Dr Spaceman]

Great game by the big fella

[Con Gorozidis]

there was a couple of times he thought about running off and then hesitated and went back and kicked....

no way hell get caught if he goes to space.

but sheesh if we remember 12 months ago he was awful. so MASSIVE plus for us.

[Milne]

My seat this season is very close to the action, and for the two quarters the boys were at my end he looked impressive! Big lad too

[Winmar]

He looked pretty good tonight, which was pleasing. He didn't really show anything at all last year, so it's a definite improvement. Here's hoping it continues.

[busso mick]

It's a big call but he is probably shaping up as a big key to our season. He releases some of the pressure on Riewoldt and makes our forward line more complicated for the opposition. Full credit to Watters for showing faith in him and also credit to Stanley for his performances so far.

[SainterK]

I was so happy when that ball fell into his hands and he kicked the goal from the square, had his fair share of dodgy comical fumblers, and had earned a nice easy one

[gringo]

He reminds me of those Taylor Walker, Jackson Trengove type talls that you can tell will be good but just need to find a bit more consistency and will be scary good. Fast, athletic, Good mark and tall with a good kick. Hard not to get excited.

[saintspremiers]

Stanley was my preseason tip/guess as the big improver.

He has the ability to be a modern day gun ruckman/forward come 2013.

[Hurricane]

I was very impressed with him. He is big and strong, can lead, can mark, can kick and can RUCK when needed.

If he is managed the right way he can become a very very good player.

BANG BANG

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Clearly his best game for us tonight. That first quarter was just excellent with 5 marks, 7 possies and a goal. We had a very poor second quarter and he had much less opportunities in it, but then came back into it again in the second half, taking some more good marks and doing some good things in the ruck.

Could have had an even better game if they'd honoured a few more of his excellent leads, or hit him with some other passes when he was well clear (but their kicks missed him). Could have easily had a 3 or 4 or even 5 goal game. On one occasion he was leading up to the ball in the 50 and he basically left it for Roo (who was running across his path) to mark it and on another occasion he marked it about 53m out and looked like he was going to have a shot, but elected to pass it to Cripps, who marked it about 40m out, but on a significantly worse angle (Cripps then hit the post with the kick). Rhys is someone who can kick it 60m without much trouble and generally kicks it very straight, so hopefully with time he'll end up with enough confidence to just take the shot himself, from anywhere within about 60m (on a good angle).

On a few other occasions I basically got the feeling that he looked around to see who else was in the area, before trying to mark the high balls inside the 50. Again, with more confidence, he will hopefully just go for them himself, without hesitation, when they're landing that close to him. It was almost like he was asking for Roo or Kosi's permission before going for those balls.

His one on one contested marking is pretty deplorable, though, or at least it was tonight. On the lead, or with a clear leap at a pack and he's in his element, though.

He could be our "X-factor" this year, if they can get him to improve quickly. His potential is ENORMOUS, but he still has a hell of a lot to work on.

[bigcarl]

Rhys is someone who can kick it 60m without much trouble and generally kicks it very straight, so hopefully with time he'll end up with enough confidence to just take the shot himself from anywhere within about 60m (on a good angle)..

His one on one contested marking is pretty deplorable, though, or at least it was tonight. His potential is ENORMOUS, but he still has a hell of a lot to work on

I see it much the same way

[defacto]

Rhys is someone who can kick it 60m without much trouble and generally kicks it very straight, so hopefully with time he'll end up with enough confidence to just take the shot himself from anywhere within about 60m (on a good angle)..

His one on one contested marking is pretty deplorable, though, or at least it was tonight. His potential is ENORMOUS, but he still has a hell of a lot to work on

I see it much the same way

he needs to start to take the game on and make his pressence felt. no ones going to crucify him for having a shot 60m out. let him have a crack and see how it turns out. he needs kozi's confidence.

[Rosco]

I didn't see any of last week, but from what I saw today I thought he looked great. Milera also.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

I reckon I'd get into just about everyone else's ear privately and tell them to kick it to him at almost every opportunity that he's in a good position. For one, he's as good or a better kick than any of the other tall targets (and most of the smaller ones as well) and secondly I think it would do wonders for his confidence, which is the main thing he's lacking at the moment. Sam Fisher just about did that, very early in the game, by doing a little 15m kick to him near the boundary (which he marked and slotted for a good goal) and he seemed to get good confidence from that and went on to have a cracker of a quarter.

If we want to contend this year, which I believe we still can, it's imperative that we fast-track his development and one way would be to, as I said, get everyone to use him at every opportunity, to help boost his confidence and self esteem. Then I'd be showing him highlights of all the good things he does each game to get him to realise that it's actually him doing those really impressive things, until it clicks in his head how good he can be and that he actually belongs/deserves to be out there. The sooner we get him to realise these things, the sooner we'll hopefully have a big-assed weapon in our forward line and in the ruck.

[saintbob]

Definitely liked what I saw today, I hope he and Kosi can continue to create options in the forward line

[mr six o'clock]

Has been good this year , lets hope he only gets better .
Did lyon give him much of chance last year ?

[clarky449]

Has been good this year , lets hope he only gets better .
Did lyon give him much of chance last year ?

Stanley didnt take his chance.

[Richter]

Quite a few more things clicking for Rhys now. Hopefully as time goes by he'll learn to read the ball in the air better. If he gets better at that then he'll stick more grabs and will be scary good. Time will tell.

[Dave McNamara]

I reckon I'd get into just about everyone else's ear privately and tell them to kick it to him at almost every opportunity that he's in a good position. For one, he's as good or a better kick than any of the other tall targets (and most of the smaller ones as well) and secondly I think it would do wonders for his confidence, which is the main thing he's lacking at the moment. Sam Fisher just about did that, very early in the game, by doing a little 15m kick to him near the boundary (which he marked and slotted for a good goal) and he seemed to get good confidence from that and went on to have a cracker of a quarter.

If we want to contend this year, which I believe we still can, it's imperative that we fast-track his development and one way would be to, as I said, get everyone to use him at every opportunity, to help boost his confidence and self esteem. Then I'd be showing him highlights of all the good things he does each game to get him to realise that it's actually him doing those really impressive things, until it clicks in his head how good he can be and that he actually belongs/deserves to be out there. The sooner we get him to realise these things, the sooner we'll hopefully have a big-assed weapon in our forward line and in the ruck.

Spot on post APS. Thanks for writing that, and saving me from having to try and put those ideas into words.

Rhys reminds me ability-wise of a young Spider. Soooo much potential, but took a while to realise what he was capable of. Once Rhys also comes to that realisation, I see no reason why he can't be as good as Spider was. (I just hope he doesn't then lead Milney astray as I heard Spider used to. )

His potential is ENORMOUS, but he still has a hell of a lot to work on.

Rhys also has a hellova' lot to work with.

[Spinner]

Stanley for rising star this week. Get around it!

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Rhys also has a hellova' lot to work with.

That is something else I was going to write. Very very true. If you were in the lab and wanting to build the "perfect footballer" to play the role he's playing at the moment, you would be extremely happy with his physique, height, SPEED , kicking ability and leap. Prolly the only physical attribute that Nic Nat has on him is that Nic is stronger. Other than that, it all seems to be above the shoulders and maybe in the heart and guts. On the plus side, Rhys is a significantly better and longer kick of the footy.

[skeptic]

Clearly Rhys is still working with his body...
For a big man, he just doesn't quite have the presence... pushed off the ball reasonably easily and not a strong contested mark... doesn't get the dukes on it that well. Reminds me a bit of Barry Brooks actually. Clearly prefers a Riewoldt style approach on the lead.
Seems to be that his coordination with his hands is something that he's working on... fumbles a bit.

I'm glad we're getting games into him as you can clearly see he's still woring out where to run, where to present etc

Used the body a few times today which was really good

very pleasing to watch him come on

[avid]

He stuck one terrific, clean pack mark in the last quarter.
It showed me he can do it. Hopefully showed him he can do it.

[Thinline]

Positioning around the field was good I thought.