Rhyan Mansell welcome to Tigerland

[mrposhman]

He's ok, but he's a very poor kick, not just at goal but field kick too. There was a passage of play where we were moving the ball down the Shane Warne wing, had a 15-20 easy kick over the top, kicked it short, it bounced before whoever it was to (can't remember who it was but we were kicking to the PRE) and with the wet ball, was fumbled and then turned over I think. At best we got a ball up, but should have been an easy kick just inside 50 and I think from memory we had a free player too. Just another burnt entry.

I know we want pressure but we can't be burning opportunities like that, and that dribble goal was horrible. He had time to run to the goal line and stick it into Level 4.

In close games, these are the easy things we need to get right in order to win them, and these 2 in particular stick in my mind as poor from Mansell.

He was ok, but we need better.

Wondering if we through Steely in at the deep end, he loves the tough stuff and much better with ball in hand. Would suggest Seth Campbell if he was fit.

 

[tigersnake]

I made another post about it the other day, but is that what we have come to? A 3-time premiership club that used a trio of fast, pressure-focused SFs to get ahead of the comp, now reduced to battlers?

We once had a surfeit, now we have battlers. [I rate MRJ but he's a work in progress; but too small for any aerial presence and barely kicks 40m. Tries to do too much with rare possessions, burnt out by solo chases].

I'm willing to give Mansell more chances, but it's typical of Dimma to think he can turn 'a sow's ear into a silk purse'. Just don't think you can turn a scrubby backman into a classy SF. It worked with Castagna only when he was in a trio, but eventually his poor kicking skills told against him.

every side has battlers, always has always will. A critical mass of guns will get them looking good and playing well, but they're still battlers. Ideally, your battlers have to be 1. good at something, 2 be tough and brave, 3. be fast., or depending on how good, tough, and fast, at least 2 out of 3.

 

[bigwow]

every side has battlers, always has always will. A critical mass of guns will get them looking good and playing well, but they're still battlers. Ideally, your battlers have to be 1. good at something, 2 be tough and brave, 3. be fast., or depending on how good, tough, and fast, at least 2 out of 3.

He hit Cumberland lace out for his goal in the second quarter, and was involved between half forward & wing in about 3 other goals during the surge late in the 2nd.
Works his ring off, getting his opportunities until Banks, Campbell or someone else is ready.

 

[Jason King]

He hit Cumberland lace out for his goal in the second quarter, and was involved between half forward & wing in about 3 other goals during the surge late in the 2nd.
Works his ring off, getting his opportunities until Banks, Campbell or someone else is ready.

I'm a fan and always have been. He is kicking so much better than people give him credit for.

 

[BillyJean17]

Started forward offered nothing in the first Was finally played in his true position which was in the backline in the last qtr
What was he thinking could’ve run into open goal but decided to try to dribble it through missed went through for behind

I see only role as small defender , mrj should be ahead of him, that dribble never looked like it , can’t fault his endeavor

 

[Dyer'ere]

How often was he minding Dale? It was some of the time. Seemed to be following a mid at times too.

 

[Dyer'ere]

Dale was getting off Lynch, Samson, Martin and Shai to the extent I could read from the replay and I didn't notice at the game.

One thing we've never noted (IIRC) on PRE is that Mansell kicks low, hard and accurately at his best. Showed us some of that in R4. Got hurt in his feet. Vision. Depth.

Towner was a good kick. Different type of defensive forward but could kick. Hmmm.

 

[JimJessTorp]

One thing we've never noted (IIRC) on PRE is that Mansell kicks low, hard and accurately at his best. Showed us some of that in R4. Got hurt in his feet. Vision. Depth.

Learned to do that in junior footy playing along the banks of the Tamar river in Launceston during the winter. Hard-nosed workman. Doesn't take any *smile* from anyone, Just like his uncle who I went to school with. Hard bunch, the Mansells.

 

[Dyer'ere]

Learned to do that in junior footy playing along the banks of the Tamar river in Launceston during the winter. Hard-nosed workman. Doesn't take any *smile* from anyone, Just like his uncle who I went to school with. Hard bunch, the Mansells.

I totally take that he's up and about, JJ. Hardwick loves this.

The narrative atm does not take into account that he might be classy by foot. I'm no rusted on fan but I do think my eyes are opening as Nigel develops and improves. That hit in the second quarter for the second (?) Tiger goal was elite. His hits are low. And over 50m. Class. We'd like more of that.

 

[Leysy Days]

Learned to do that in junior footy playing along the banks of the Tamar river in Launceston during the winter. Hard-nosed workman. Doesn't take any *smile* from anyone, Just like his uncle who I went to school with. Hard bunch, the Mansells.

They certainly are JJT.

 

[Scoop]

I totally take that he's up and about, JJ. Hardwick loves this.

The narrative atm does not take into account that he might be classy by foot. I'm no rusted on fan but I do think my eyes are opening as Nigel develops and improves. That hit in the second quarter for the second (?) Tiger goal was elite. His hits are low. And over 50m. Class. We'd like more of that.

Interesting Jack, he hit one to Dusty in the North Melbourne picnic races in the preseason.

But it’s not enough right now, not involved enough and I’m not seeing a defensive menace. The villains aren’t thinking of him.

Ever.

 

[Dyer'ere]

Interesting Jack, he hit one to Dusty in the North Melbourne picnic races in the preseason.

But it’s not enough right now, not involved enough and I’m not seeing a defensive menace. The villains aren’t thinking of him.

Ever.

He brained Juddy? in the second, scooper. Goal. And another in the corridor later. Very surprising, well-coached use.

If the coaches love him it's because he learns.

On his defence, I saw him winning live and on replay.

Unfashionable player improving. Not much else around. Good kicking is rare at RFC. Mansell has been from the get go a penetrating (long) low kick. We saw two incisions on Satdee night.

He gets more ball than MRJ.

 

[DavidSSS]

Interesting observation Jack, if he can kick low direct passes to forwards then that changes a lot because we don't have enough players who do that (way too many of our passes get intercepted, it is an awareness thing I reckon but it has to stop). Now, he also has to teach the forwards to come towards him when he is doing this and we may well have at least some of the solution to forward 50 entries. Plus, if he can do this a lot then the opposition will have to use a player to prevent it.

I'll have to watch this on Friday, does he get the ball enough and is he pin pointing passes to forwards?

If so, he'll certainly go up in my estimation.

DS

 

[HKTigerB]

Go the AFL site, click Video's, click match replay's, get the Tiges v Bulldogs, fast forward to the 30 min mark. Watch the next 30 mins and count how often on the fat side Mansell, presents, works and gets involved in a scoring chain. Might surprise a few.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Sure Mansell's a role player but 2 goals from 4 games isn't a great return from a small fwd.
My biggest concern with Rhyan is that whilst he does have some good traits that he's just not a natural forward whatsoever.

I understand why he's being picked though. To counterbalance the lack of defensive work from more attacking players.
He had 7 tackles last weekend so on that front he probably gets a tick with what he is being asked to do. His field kicking has also surprised.

It's a very defensive mindset from Dimma though & I honestly feel that we are a bit stuck in the thinking of a few years ago pre the stand rule on that front.
He wouldn't be in my 22 but who am I to argue with a coach who turned George into a triple Premiership player?

I hope he's a raging success. Time will tell.

 

[Billy24]

At a function last week (a few on here in attendance too) he was being interviewed.
I am not quoting word for word but the gist of the interview was:
He prefers playing in defence, where he can get under an opponents skin, knows exactly what his role is and loves the fact he can beat an opponent and take him out of the game.
As a forward, his role is to apply defensive pressure when the opposition have the ball. Interestingly, he said that when we have the ball and moving into forward 50, his role is to “create space” for the other forwards and not run at the ball.

With a role/ instructions like that I’m not at all surprised he’s not kicking bags of goals every week. Any goals he gets are a bonus.
I really like his hardness and endeavour and prefer him in defence. He doesn’t get much love on here though.

 

[Coburgtiger]

I will say Mansell has performed better than I expected. He's playing Castagna's role better than Castagna was.

I'm not sure I like the role itself though.

We are struggling to score. To make an opportunity. Partly, this is a reality of playing a forward who's not a forward.

He's on a hiding to nothing given his instructions.

The crucial issue, though, is that we're not winning. The pure defensive forward functions within a game style that it supports.

What is our game style now? The manic pressure and surge is not our go now. As evidenced by our inability to play in the wet. So what's the brand? We utilise the switch more than we have previously. We've flirted with three tall forwards. We play mostly up along the boundary, and we do our attacking from the back half.

It seems we've become a possession side, in part. We still want the turnover, but we're engineering it through intercept in the back half.

So, do we need a defensive forward?

I think, more likely, we need someone who can complete our transition from back half to Mark inside fifty. Either by delivering, or taking it.

 

[TigerForce]

I will say Mansell has performed better than I expected. He's playing Castagna's role better than Castagna was.

I'm not sure I like the role itself though.

We are struggling to score. To make an opportunity. Partly, this is a reality of playing a forward who's not a forward.

He's on a hiding to nothing given his instructions.

The crucial issue, though, is that we're not winning. The pure defensive forward functions within a game style that it supports.

What is our game style now? The manic pressure and surge is not our go now. As evidenced by our inability to play in the wet. So what's the brand? We utilise the switch more than we have previously. We've flirted with three tall forwards. We play mostly up along the boundary, and we do our attacking from the back half.

It seems we've become a possession side, in part. We still want the turnover, but we're engineering it through intercept in the back half.

So, do we need a defensive forward?

I think, more likely, we need someone who can complete our transition from back half to Mark inside fifty. Either by delivering, or taking it.

I reckon it's a dated position. Waste of a forward in fact. I really hope Dimma doesn't live in the past too much.

 

[TigerMasochist]

Lynch, Jaaack, Dusty, Shai, the Cummerbund, Samsung all been playing forward n we struggle to kick a winning score and keep the opposition from going coast to coast from our forward fifty. Got two options to try n help keep the ball locked into our forward half as the other blokes aren't very defensive n that's Nigel n Moju. Moju's form has seen him sent back to the magoos so there really isn't another option.

 

[leon]

I reckon it's a dated position. Waste of a forward in fact. I really hope Dimma doesn't live in the past too much.

I SO agree. That's old football now. Every forward should seek to find space so the ball-carrier can see options and hit up the best one. That's certainly how McCrae has the skunks play. SFs, like Elliot and even tiny Hill, are often the targets because of their speed which enables them to run into space in an open FL. It's why Crows are such a rapid improver; because Rachele and Rankine are targets too, not just the talls.

Instead we are awfully predictable - nearly always bombing it to Lynch who is 2/3 out ... or Jack or Ryan if TL is not about. The opposition defence knows exactly what we are going to do 9 times out of 10. And with not 3 amigos any more, ball rebounds out like pinball.

The ball spent about 75% of time in Dogs front half last match.