Riewoldt underestimated!!!

[luke ball14]

I think there are still so many people in the footy world who don't understand how good this guy is, and there are a few on this board. Look I know it is exiting Montagna and Hayes and Dal are playing well, but does anyone actually think our best player is not Nick Riewoldt, his last 12 months have been absolutely unbelievable, he is averaging 4 goals and 10 marks a game since round 12 last year.

Discuss.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

I thought he would single handedly win the Brownlow off the back of his last 11 games in 2008...umps thought differently.

I think everyone knows Roo is a great player. ie top 10, but I dont think many people rate him up their with Judd and Ablett. And I rekcon he's just behind them. Compaing him to other forwards, he's just about the best in the league atm. Only genuine CHF in the top 5 goal kicking. And the only one you know will have an impact even if he doesn't get on the scoreboard.

 

[sainter]

Look I think it's pointless trying to compare him to midfielders like Judd and Ablett but I'm constantly amazed at where the so-called experts place him compared to other key forwards.

Maybe it won't be until after he's retired that people look back and realise that very few forwards were able to play at such a consistency high level for so much of their careers.

He's a certainty for another All-Australian guernsey this year, and to be totally honest I don't see any others that would deserve the captaincy ahead of him either.

 

[AFLOnline]

His easily the best forward in the AFL this year, without a doubt. Doesn't need a bag or goals to have played well either, unlike Fev and Franklin.

 

[roosaints]

I don't think he's underestimated.

Everyone knows he's a superstar (unless you're counting nuffies trying to get a rise out of you on Bigfooty).

 

[dg102]

We could have 3 or 4 in AA this year.
Roo and Joey are certanties and I really hope Hayes gets in AA again this year he really deserves it.

 

[Gaz_Brownlow]

Sorry, saw the thread title and thought i would have a look.

Completely agreed. Riewoldt is a fantastic player who deserves to be held in the same regard as Ablett and Judd. For mine, he is every bit as mercurial as Franklin has ever been made out to be and is infact a far better contested player.

Only slight criticism of his past seems to be some Richardson like kicking and a penchanct for taking too many possessions up the ground.

He is your key, absolutely. Geelong will play Harry Taylor on him which should be a good match up, but i would expect Roo to win the majority of 1:1's...it is just a question of whether or not we can push his influence up the ground more, fortunately we do have that ability.

From what i've seen, deserves brownlow favoritism and would be my first picked this year for AA.

 

[ChrisFooty]

I think Riewoldt needs to kick more accurate, and be able to nail the key goals needed under pressure. I think a lot of non St.kilda football fans feel one day Riewoldt's non ability to convert key goals will come to haunt the Saints in a big finals match. Just a thought.

I do not think he is underrated as a forward though.

 

[saintly74]

IMO Riewoldt is without doubt the most important player to our structure. Guys like Dal, Joey, Hayes and BJ are all having great seasons and stars in their own right, but it's a hell of alot easier to replace a midfielder than it is to replace a key position gun the calibre of Riewoldt. If he can get a bit more consistency with his goalkicking he will be the complete package.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

I think Riewoldt needs to kick more accurate, and be able to nail the key goals needed under pressure.

He does though Chriso. Everytime a goal has needed to be kicked in crunch time, ie last qtr, he has delivered.

 

[Tom12]

I thought he would single handedly win the Brownlow off the back of his last 11 games in 2008...umps thought differently.

I think everyone knows Roo is a great player. ie top 10, but I dont think many people rate him up their with Judd and Ablett. And I rekcon he's just behind them. Compaing him to other forwards, he's just about the best in the league atm. Only genuine CHF in the top 5 goal kicking. And the only one you know will have an impact even if he doesn't get on the scoreboard.

Great post, completely true-as for the brownlow, he was ripped off, to an extent.

 

[Darkhour]

I believe that Riewoldt is underestimated purely because of his kicking accuracy. Funnily enough though, I dont believe his kicking accuracy is that bad and he kicks crucial goals under pressure. What I believe ruins his rep, is that when he misses a shot, it's more than often a shank.

I mean, take a look at the goal he kicked vs Carlton where he kicked it from that free kick outside 50m.. that was a great goal. He's simply a confidence player with his kicking and if all the media got off his back from time to time about his kicking, then maybe it wouldn't be a factor at all..

 

[Plugger35]

I agree that it's probably only Riewoldt's kicking accuracy that prevents him being ranked in the absolute elite and why he might be underestimated. He ticks almost every other box for being an elite champion forward though - marking, workrate, courage, leadership etc.

I know as a Saints supporter it's hard not to be biased but I think Riewoldt is every bit as good and valuable as players like Ablett or Judd, and he deserves to be ranked alongside them as an elite player.

As for his kicking, I agree that it's not as bad as some people like to make out. In general it's pretty good but every now and then he lets himself down with an ugly shank, which then gets everyone talking about his goalkicking problems. I think it's improved in the last 12 mths or so, with those ugly shanks becoming less & less frequent.

 

[Voldt]

I think he is starting to recieve the recognition he deserves. Journalists are saying he is the best forward in the competition and the best leader as well, which is true. He has been in the top 15 players in the league each season for the last 6 of the last 7 seasons, he is a model of consistency and i wouldn't trade him for anyone in the league.

 

[Persevering Saint]

I think also people have forgotten that at the beginning of the year he had minor surgery on his knee. He would not have been able to kick that +50m goal in the first 3 weeks. Also, I think he was leading an awful lot into the left-pocket, which given the natural left-to-right drift of his action, made kicking goals from those areas rather difficult. He has significantly improved his leading over the last month, to have less set-shots from that area of the ground.

 

[Voldt]

Once he kicks a goal he is fine. His kicking relies on confidence. Very much like Jonathan Brown.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Overall perhaps. But definitely not for his performances this year. He is seen as the best forward in the comp right now (which I certainly agree with). Can't complain with that estimation surely?

 

[Darkhour]

just to add to the comments here with some stats taken from the Bowden article on the Herald Sun..

MYTH 2: Final siren sounds. The ball is on 50m. Nick Riewoldt is one of the last players you would want taking the money shot.
Wrong. Riewoldt is actually better from long range than close in. The St Kilda skipper has kicked 9.2 from outside the 50m arc so far this season - an accuracy rate of 82 per cent.

Only Adelaide's Chris Knights (9.1) has a better accuracy of the players to have 10 or more shots from beyond the paint.
Riewoldt's accuracy from within 50m is 60 per cent. He has slotted 31 goals from 52 shots.

 

[TheStinger]

just to add to the comments here with some stats taken from the Bowden article on the Herald Sun..

Nick Reiwoldt is cash money for our team. We don't have Rooey, we don't have 12-0. He takes so much focus of defences away from other players like Kosi and Milney that he doesn't need massive stats to be effective.

But his stats are amazing. He takes more marks than anyone and this is normally with someone draped all over him and has to contend with his arms being pulled and knocked all the time with the umps only giving him a free for it about 1/3 of the time.

His kicking has become the "it" topic for commentators. All he needs to do is take a mark about 40 out on a 45 degree angle and miss and the commentators start up with their "Oh no I hope Reiwoldt doesn't have the yips tonight."

Only one other player, Richo, gets this as consistently as Rooey. And all it does is perpetuate the myth that The Voldt is a bad kick for goals. Show me someone who kicks goals for a living and I will show you that they have shanked a few. Everyone has.

Now take into account the fact that some of these shots come directly after he has chased somebody, run back, made 3 30 metre leads and then had someone fall on him as he marked it and you can see why sometimes he shanks one, because his legs are shot. And they only give you 30 seconds to recover.

He has a heart as big as a whale and for all those people who continue to bag him for his tears up in Brisvegas after the Beagle Boys crunched what was already an obviously dislocated shoulder, I think he proves every single game just how tough he is.

Toughness isn't whacking a bloke when he is already hurt, it's going for a ball when you know you might get hurt and doing it anyway. When it's his turn to go, you know he will be there 100%.

Reiwoldt = Legend.

 

[Darkhour]

Now take into account the fact that some of these shots come directly after he has chased somebody, run back, made 3 30 metre leads and then had someone fall on him as he marked it and you can see why sometimes he shanks one, because his legs are shot. And they only give you 30 seconds to recover.

nice observation there Stinger well said..