Author Topic: Richmond are just better than everyone else: Rohan Connolly (SportingNews)  (Read 327 times)

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Richmond Tigers are just better than everyone else in the AFL

Angus Reid
Sporting News
26 April 2018


Sporting News' resident AFL guru Rohan 'RoCo' Connolly is here to discuss whether the reigning premiers have begun to distance themselves from the rest of the competition.

Apart from a round two hiccup in the grand final replay against the Crows, Richmond have dominated any side that has come up against them in 2018.

Their latest victory over the Demons showcased all the skills they possess across the board, and Richmond now find themselves on top of the AFL ladder.

Dustin Martin appears to be back to his best after a relatively slow start to the season (for his lofty standards), and now the Tigers have a group of small forwards that pop up everywhere and pressure, pressure, pressure.

Good luck stopping the Tiger army.

"It's pretty hard to say otherwise (that Richmond have built a gap) at the moment, that was a really commanding win over Melbourne on Anzac Day Eve," RoCo told Sporting News.

"46 points the final margin, and a demolition in that last quarter with seven goals.

"They are an efficient side, they are a tough side. What's been undersold about the Tigers is their level of skill. Yes, they surge the ball forward, but it was really noticeable in that win over the Demons how superior their ball-handling was and how much better their ball use was.

"That's a real credit to the coaching and the development of the skills in the younger guys on the list. There's an incredible evenness about the Tigers which is really serving them well, not to mention durability, their best players play every week. Last year, Rance, Riewoldt, Cotchin and Martin played 98 of a possible 100 games between them.

"The missing link in the back half of last year was scoring capacity and they've nailed that. They passed 100 points four times in the last five games in 2017, and they've done it four times in the first five games 2018.

"There's really no chinks in their armour at the moment. Depth? They've got so much depth at the moment. The likes of Jack Graham and Josh Caddy out injured, Daniel Rioli we haven't even seen him this season, Nick Vlastuin missed the win over Melbourne. A couple of players who have really stood up for them Reece Conca - it's been a long time coming with him - he's really added something to that midfield mix, and Jack Higgins, yet another small forward who applies plenty of pressure and hits the scoreboard hard.

"The list of players who can't get into that side at the moment - you've got Shai Bolton, Anthony Miles, Connor Menadue, Corey Ellis, they've got depth to spare.

"I think what we overlook in the constant focus on the pressure game is how quick and clean they are with their hands. A lot of their goals against the Demons were the result of really adept ball-handling skills, little knocks and tap-ons always to an advantage. That helps them force the ball forward, and win they get the ball inside 50, they trap it in there with incredible pressure.

"They got some really easy goals out the back as the result of smart positioning, which the Demons weren't able to match. They are on a massive role.

"I can't remember too many reigning premiers who've hit the next season as full of a head of steam as the Tigers have. Even in the pre-season, it was pretty noticeable how red-hot they were.

"They're going to be very hard to beat. There's talent right across that 22 that other sides can't match, there's a reliability about them which the other contenders can't match. We've seen GWS scrape out of the game against St Kilda with a draw, Sydney's had a couple of reversals.

"Who else is in a position to challenge? Geelong's been going well but have had their fair share of downs in the last season and a half at the moment.

"If they were playing the grand final next week, you'd be backing the Tigers against anyone. Whether that's the case in a few months time we'll wait and see, but their injury list, their durability, their form, their confidence is so sky high. Right at the moment, it's really hard to see anyone challenging them.

"They've certainly got a very healthy break on the rest of the competition."

http://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl/news/richmond-tigers-afl-ladder-dustin-martin/10yqa3uy3qpkv19k2bj18sjl1d