2019 Team

[BOZO]

I see a lot of good team selections from the feathered friends on here . I see a good blend of elite , experienced and up and coming young players . I see lots of great options .I cant wait for the trials as picking a team is any ones guess at the moment .

I see complacency gone now that Trent is gone and every player will want to impress and meet the high standards from our Grand final winning coaches bench mark .

Happy days feathered friends . Bring on 2019 !!!

 

[brad]

I see a lot of good team selections from the feathered friends on here . I see a good bled of elite , experienced and up and coming young players . I see lots of great options .I cant wait for the trials as picking a team is any ones guess at the moment .

I see complacency gone now that Trent is gone and every player will want to impress and meet the high standards from our Grand final winning coaches bench mark .

Happy days feathered friends . Bring on 2019 !!!

View attachment 10075

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey

 

[Holmsey]

1 T Trbojevic
2 Taufua
3 Walker
4 Kelly
5 Garrick/Elliot/Hopoate
6 Elgey
7 Cherry-Evans
8 Fonua-Blake
9 Koroisau
10 Taupau
11 Thompson
12 Sironen
13 J Trbojevic

14 Fainu
15 Tanginoa
16 Waddell/Gosiewski
17 Paseka

I really hope one of our new backs or up and coming backs can cement a wing spot. Someone with some speed and strong defence. I'm not sure if we can afford both Taufua and Suli on the wings together so I'd give the big strong early carry spot to Jorge purely because I think he is the best back in the game at bringing it out of the red zone. Kelly isnt leaving either, I'm pretty sure he just re signed this week so why would he sign it if he intended to leave? Overall what excites me about our team is our strong forward back and bench, full of youth and experience.

 

[The better Robbo]

I really must watch a different game to everyone that says kelly would make a good 5/8???? Sure he'd be a good running 5/8 but walker was exactly that and everyone hated him in there
Can kelly organise attack??? Can he kick long? Can he get repeat sets when the pressure is on? Can he create an overlap for his wingers? Yeah he's a gun and hands on the ball could create but i just dont see him as a 5/8

 

[Holmsey]

I really must watch a different game to everyone that says kelly would make a good 5/8???? Sure he'd be a good running 5/8 but walker was exactly that and everyone hated him in there
Can kelly organise attack??? Can he kick long? Can he get repeat sets when the pressure is on? Can he create an overlap for his wingers? Yeah he's a gun and hands on the ball could create but i just dont see him as a 5/8

Agree it's a dumb idea that will just lead to more seasons like 2016. Why can't we just be normal and play a five-eight at five-eight. It's too much pressure for one half to run a side. Luckily Des isn't stupid enough hopefully and will play Elgey.

 

[manlyfan76]

I really must watch a different game to everyone that says kelly would make a good 5/8???? Sure he'd be a good running 5/8 but walker was exactly that and everyone hated him in there
Can kelly organise attack??? Can he kick long? Can he get repeat sets when the pressure is on? Can he create an overlap for his wingers? Yeah he's a gun and hands on the ball could create but i just dont see him as a 5/8

Kelly has potential and I rate him, but he will need to show some halves skills before I say he is ready.

 

[grassy]

One thing Des is good at and that’s getting a side to Gel together regardless of game plan.I hope for 2019 that Walker pulls his head in and a few of the others start to fire so Tom and cherry have some talent around them. I hope cherry’s Kicking game improves. Man they have a lot to do and I just hope they are up for it. 2019 is the year that we will all know where Manly as a club stand.

 

[Bearfax]

I really must watch a different game to everyone that says kelly would make a good 5/8???? Sure he'd be a good running 5/8 but walker was exactly that and everyone hated him in there
Can kelly organise attack??? Can he kick long? Can he get repeat sets when the pressure is on? Can he create an overlap for his wingers? Yeah he's a gun and hands on the ball could create but i just dont see him as a 5/8

You aren't watching Kelly closely enough I would suggest. Its his timing, his passing game, his ability to set players up, that would make him a good 5/8. No other player I've watched in this team has such sublime skills. Its all to do with timing and that's what makes a good 5/8. Mark Ella, Cliff Lyons, Alan Thompson etc. It wasn't their kicking game, it was their ability to create space for the outside men. And Kelly in my opinion does that better than any other player in Manly's present team...except maybe Elgey, who also has a marvellous passing game and reads the outside play, when his confidence is up.

 

[brad]

You aren't watching Kelly closely enough I would suggest. Its his timing, his passing game, his ability to set players up, that would make him a good 5/8. No other player I've watched in this team has such sublime skills. Its all to do with timing and that's what makes a good 5/8. Mark Ella, Cliff Lyons, Alan Thompson etc. It wasn't their kicking game, it was their ability to create space for the outside men. And Kelly in my opinion does that better than any other player in Manly's present team...except maybe Elgey, who also has a marvellous passing game and reads the outside play, when his confidence is up.

Only disagree with you mate with the Kelly 5/8 thing . I've seen nothing from him to suggest he'd make a pivot, and I watch him and manly as much as any of us . He's a centre at best , not a 6 , 1 , 2 or 5 . Only my opinion ole friend.

 

[Ranga]

You aren't watching Kelly closely enough I would suggest. Its his timing, his passing game, his ability to set players up, that would make him a good 5/8. No other player I've watched in this team has such sublime skills. Its all to do with timing and that's what makes a good 5/8. Mark Ella, Cliff Lyons, Alan Thompson etc. It wasn't their kicking game, it was their ability to create space for the outside men. And Kelly in my opinion does that better than any other player in Manly's present team...except maybe Elgey, who also has a marvellous passing game and reads the outside play, when his confidence is up.

I don’t know if Kelly would make a good 5/8, but I think he would not go badly. Remember the game against the Roosters in 2017 when he drifted across field on half way and linked with Walker who burst through a gap to score? That was skilful no matter what way you look at it!
As for 2019, I think we are top 8 if things go our way in terms of injuries (like most teams, most years really). I think our forward stocks are thin outside of our starters as we are relying on mostly young and unproven players to add something off the bench. They may well add something, but my expectations for 2019 are not in any way ‘wild’.

 

[Bearfax]

Only disagree with you mate with the Kelly 5/8 thing . I've seen nothing from him to suggest he'd make a pivot, and I watch him and manly as much as any of us . He's a centre at best , not a 6 , 1 , 2 or 5 . Only my opinion ole friend.

Well maybe like you Brad I tend to watch players specifically for their natural skills. Right from the start I could see Kelly is one of those players who isn't overly quick, but has clever evasive and positioning skills. I watch Walker for instance and he is an out and out speedster and in full flight can set up his winger well. But he doesn't have that timing in close. With TT he Is also imbued for pace, strength and knows how to get through a gap. But his passing often lets him down. Maybe at centre this would improve, but at this point he has difficulty setting a player up. DCE is an explosive 25 metre player, and backs up well. Passing game is good but timing is just good. Suli, Parker, Taufua forget it setting players up at this stage. Kelly though has superb timing and positioning. May struggle a little with defence, but I get the sense he always knows whats around him and what are the best options of play. That's a 5/8 quality. Of course we wont know unless he is given the chance, but to me he shares certain characteristics I saw in Lyons and Lyon..and it all to do with timing and positioning. Actually Tom Wright had some of the same qualities, but didn't seem to have the confidence to take a game apart. Albert Hopoate I've heard does have those sublime qualities so we'll have to wait and see.

 

[rifraff]

How old is Albert or to be more specific when is his birthday? Isn't there a rule where you need to be a certain age to play NRL? Will he have reached that by the start of next season or will part of the season have gone by before he can.

 

[BOZO]

How old is Albert or to be more specific when is his birthday? Isn't there a rule where you need to be a certain age to play NRL? Will he have reached that by the start of next season or will part of the season have gone by before he can.

He is old enough to be selected in our playing group

 

[rifraff]

He is old enough to be selected in our playing group

Thanks Sherlock, that wasn't the question though.

 

[BOZO]

Thanks Sherlock, that wasn't the question though.

I tried searching for his DOB to no avail . Albert played in the NSW team under 16s in the year 2017 .

 

[HoldenV8]

It depends on who is and isn't here. As it currently stands, I would say:

FB - Tom Trbojevic
LW - Jorge Taufua
RC - Dylan Walker
LC - Brian Kelly
LW - Moses Suli
FE - Kane Elgey
HB - Daly Cherry-Evans (c)
PR - Addin Fonua-Blake
HK - Api Koroisau
PR - Martin Taupau
SR - Joel Thompson
SR - Curtis Sironen
LK - Jake Trbojevic (vc)

Bench - Trent Hodkinson, Taniela Paseka, Kelepi Tanginoa, Corey Waddell

I think given his experience and that he is the squads best goal kicker, Hodko will get first crack over Fainu. That is of course if Des goes for a utility on the bench. Des as we know likes his big boppers so who knows, he may run with 4 forwards and if he needs a back he can either use Api or Thommo.

 

[rifraff]

I tried searching for his DOB to no avail . Albert played in the NSW team under 16s in the year 2017 .

Couldn't find any more than that. If you need to be 18 to play Nrl and his B'day is in May. He might not be able to play till then.

 

[BOZO]

“

Couldn't find any more than that. If you need to be 18 to play Nrl and his B'day is in May. He might not be able to play till then.

Found this article
Under current rules, NRL clubs can only sign players to a full-time top-30 or development contract at the age of 18, preventing them from playing NRL until they're adults. But train-and-trial deals can be formalised as long as a player is 17 on November 1.May 15, 2018

 

[Bearfax]

I think Albert is 17 but will be 18 by next season, but that's a guess based on his age back a few years ago. He was a Year 12 student this year so he would have to be 17 at youngest and 18 next year.

 

[mickqld]

Elgey obviously has potential. I see him like Keary a couple yrs ago. Des will improve his defense and I think he'll work well with DCE. Remember he spent all of 2016 on sideline with an acl injury. That was a big setback for him.
Kelly and Walker obvious centers. Hopefully we see Anderson, Funa and Hoppa at some stage. Forwards are as is but I'd so like to see a big hard head prop added.