Des deserves more respect and support

[tookey]

Although I don't agree with some team selections, I feel that Des is being judged harshly on one match this season. As Jake said "it wasn't Des out there playing poorly".

To start the season with Roosters, Souths, St George (at Wollongong), Penrith is an incredibly difficult start to the season.

I believe Des and the team will bounce back and start putting wins together once Turbo returns.

Des is being judged on the last 11 games for Manly where we have lost 10

The first two games this year has showed that nothing has changed and if it doesn't we are heading for the spoon

 

[Shnorky]

Makes sense. BTW Dessie only started Chez because Trent Hokinson signed with the dogs. He certainly does not always get it right.( Nobody does) If Trent didn’t sign with the dogs who knows when Chez would have played.

Trent signed with dogs because Des publicly stated he had a young DCE to play halfback

 

[Cioran]

Makes sense. BTW Dessie only started Chez because Trent Hokinson signed with the dogs. He certainly does not always get it right.( Nobody does) If Trent didn’t sign with the dogs who knows when Chez would have played.

My memory of that year - addled as it is by the passage of time and alcohol - is that it was obvious from the start that the Dogs were cashed up and needed a half back. Whoever we started the Dogs were going to grab. I actually thought (and said to friends at the time) that Des kept his better half in the reserves for another year to avid his being poached.

 

[Woodsie]

My memory of that year - addled as it is by the passage of time and alcohol - is that it was obvious from the start that the Dogs were cashed up and needed a half back. Whoever we started the Dogs were going to grab. I actually thought (and said to friends at the time) that Des kept his better half in the reserves for another year to avid his being poached.

Remember at the time, Trent Hodkinson was the SOO halfback in 2010 .. would have been hard to drop him to reggies to play a young rookie DCE ...

 

[Tragic Eagle]

Messing up peoples careers trying to retain them.

 

[Cioran]

Remember at the time, Trent Hodkinson was the SOO halfback in 2010 .. would have been hard to drop him to reggies to play a young rookie DCE ...

Didn't he earn his SSO spot while playing with the Sea Eagles? He wasn't the SSO half back at the time Des took the decision to promote him ahead of DCE. Again, my memory may be failing me.

 

[Woodsie]

Didn't he earn his SSO spot while playing with the Sea Eagles? He wasn't the SSO half back at the time Des took the decision to promote him ahead of DCE. Again, my memory may be failing me.

Yeah, that's my point .. Hodko was playing for Manly in 2010 and was the SOO halfback ... DCE was in reserves .. Hodko got the juicy offer to go to the Dogs for 2011 .. and DCE then debuted in 2011 ..

I think the situation was that Dessie didn't fight too hard to match the Dog's offer because he knew he had Cherry coming through ...

 

[stoodamire]

Nah. Trent didn’t make his SOO debut until 2014.
He played for City in 2010

 

[Cioran]

Yeah, that's my point .. Hodko was playing for Manly in 2010 and was the SOO halfback ... DCE was in reserves .. Hodko got the juicy offer to go to the Dogs for 2011 .. and DCE then debuted in 2011 ..

I think the situation was that Dessie didn't fight too hard to match the Dog's offer because he knew he had Cherry coming through ...

Pretty much my take on it as well but my perception was that Hodko and DCE were both coming up through the juniors at the same time and Des could have brought either into first grade to fill Matty's spot in 2010. I always though he brought Hodko in rather than Cherry because he know the Dogs would take whoever we brought in. Maybe he actually thought Hodko was the better half, but I suspected at the time - and still suspect - Hodko was a dummy pass that the Bulldogs fell for (for which the Bulldogs fell?)

 

[Woodsie]

Nah. Trent didn’t make his SOO debut until 2014.
He played for City in 2010

You are correct ... I remembered he played a rep fixture and then a seniors moment took over .. but my point stands that he was a rep player whilst DCE hadn't debuted yet ...

 

[Ryan]

Why does Des deserve our support? He's failing miserably. Lost 10 from 11, with the 2nd worst scored against in the history of the game? Any other coach would be looking at the firing squad.

Also about to lose our 11th game from 12 starts. Maybe Marty Taupau DOES know the results after this weeks focus !

 

[Cioran]

You are correct ... I remembered he played a rep fixture and then a seniors moment took over .. but my point stands that he was a rep player whilst DCE hadn't debuted yet ...

Whilst DCE had yet to debut ;-)

 

[Cioran]

Des has earned and deserves respect from all Manly fans. As a player, and as a coach, and as the man who - along with Max - went above and beyond what could reasonable be expected of him in dragging our club back from the brink of oblivion.

If it wasn't for Des and Max we probably wouldn't have a club to support.

That doesn't, however, mean that he is still the best coach for the Sea Eagles or that we should blindly follow him and support him. People change, times change, and games change. Some of Des' decisions over the past couple of years have been baffling and, seemingly, counterproductive. I hope he can prove himself - once again - a master of team management and tactics but the current squad seem to be going backward.

 

[Snake]

I understand everyone has a right to their opinion and rugby league supporters are generally a very fickle bunch. In expressing my opinion I am a little deflated by the plethora of negative comments and judgments directed at Des, DCE and the Turbo bros of late. If by some chance there is more to the game these days than it being purely a business we have in this group of individuals a genuine spirit/passion for the club. ( yeah I suspect Dessie is a little bit more sentimental than he lets on) he has spent most of his long career in rugby league associated with the club. Both as a player and a coach winning! with the club.
If you look at his history as both a player and coach one of his key attributes has been his relentless tenacity. I believe this rare tenacity to succeed will again pay dividends, it’s just a matter of time. I think those who believe he has become a dinosaur should look more closely at the game, it is still about running hard, tackling hard and yeah holding on to the ball and of course a sustainable team/club spirit. I think the club learned this lesson from the Barrett experience. ( confusing slick contemporary presentation for substance)
I hope the latest news is true regarding the 2 year extension. GO Manly!

I love this post.
You are spot on.
It is short sighted to crucify a person because you are not getting what you want from them. He coached us to two premierships and shed blood for the club. Things haven’t been going our way but geez id rather jump on board and show support than spit the dummy and go home with my ball.

a bit of resilience and a cup of concrete, I say!!!

 

[EOL now nesting on the GC]

What it must be like for a coach to just coach and not have to be a babysitter to man boys......

Sure we are struggling. Sure Des is under the pump but I agree the guy deserves some more respect.

Let's look at facts. He left here in 2011 because the club was a basket case in the boardroom and even though he had led the rise of the seaeagles on the field they were screwing him off it.

He returns to another basket case in 2019 where we almost had the spoon.
He picks up DW from the cop shop in the early hours after DV charges before season even kicks off.... welcome back des....
He Gets the side to within 100min of a GF from nowhere.
He has to deal with Stabby mcstabby and the church dance fallout.
Tommy T continually breaks down throwing our season into chaos.
We have Covid and the NRL change the game and its rules overnight which negates our style of play instantly.
Injury across the field and some bad eggs in the side (AFB) derail our season.
A first team player dies at training and which effects entire playing group.
We get shafted by top 3 side in round 1
And now 90% on here are calling for his head.
Nice Lads..... Nice.....

 

[frank stokes]

Things haven’t been going our way...

I suggest you check out the stats that @Ryan posted regarding our last 12 games...

Its got nothing to do with getting the rub of rhe green and everything to do with lack of ability and lack of effort...

The bus needs to be heading somewhere for us to all 'jump on board' but it seems to be up on blocks because Des continually resists change and players seem to either give up, gas out or worse BOTH...

Round 1 wasn't disappointing, it was embarrassing... and the sad thing is that it was just a continuation of last season...

I will continue to support Manly but last week, and the last 9 months, do not inspire any hope nor expectation that this is gonna improve anytime soon...

 

[Pepi]

Trent Robinson lost 17 of the first 20 games in 2016. Different circumstances yes, but a down period doesn't mean the coach is useless.

 

[joeboy]

I don’t want anything more than for des and manly to get their mojo back, it’s in there somewhere, but it’s hard not lose some faith with our finish of last season and start of this one showing no improvement or even recognition of our issues.

Sure, there are plenty of excuses and reasons why, but you look at every club and they would have similar issues. There are no excuses for a performance like round one, it’s not as though the roosters were red hot or we got a ref stitch up. we were just deplorable in every facet of rugby league. Examples need to be made to inject standards into the squad and standards breed accountability.

I have not given up yet, but I’m not harbouring a lot of hope given how listless and bereft we were in round 1 of a new season.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

n the early part of Des's coaching career he was never frightened to bring in rookie players like he did with DCE and Foran a decade ago

Yes he wasn't frightened to hand DCE his first grade debut but he was 22 years old
He gave Foran his debut 3 weeks shy of his 19th birthday.
Which suggests that all those years ago he judged a player's readiness on a case by case basis.
Next!

 

[joeboy]

Trent Robinson lost 17 of the first 20 games in 2016. Different circumstances yes, but a down period doesn't mean the coach is useless.

The big difference here is des’ methods are spread over two seasons, the evidence from round 1 suggests nothing was learnt nor addressed in the off season.

That is a huge issue.

We look unprepared which was something you never used to be able to say about a des team.