Gift is in

[sean1976]

2 Stewarts on the field = good news for Manly. Rather a Stewie than a Burgess any day. Go Manly!

Tom Symonds has proven a much more influential player tonight, I dare to say that Glen was very ordinary in attack tonight...

I say Tom to run on...

To the average observer in most games Glens ball playing is a positive and beautiful to watch----it will look great against average and sub standard defensive lines but against the top 3 or 4 defensive outfits it lacks sharpness it lacks hard tough running lines and does not commit the defensive line enough----it is so 2007 2008.

He plays too deep he lacks speed too much prodding dancing dummying and it increases our sideways movement allowing for easy defensive reads----this is why we kick in field a lot on that side of the field as a result of technical attacking flaws.

Great effort though to play 80mins but for years he has been playing overweight and should not have started.

You can talk all about needing and getting "match fitness" etc etc but that is crap, pre season is when you build your fitness levels and you don't need game time then. Match fitness is mental and physical toughness absorbing the week to week battle not weight issues.

Have to agree with this. He's floating side ways on the edge and not providing any penetration. Manly's attack is too sideways for my liking -

 

[susan]

Smarter for sure.The game tonight reminded me of the bulldogs game last year when we got so caught up in the hype we forgot about the football.the good news is we did create plenty of chances when we did forget about the physical stuff for a moment.This is a real danger period for us now and we will do well to stay on the pace over the next month.

With Faoso,King,probably Matai and maybe Brett out as well the Dragons will probably start favourites in what is a total hoodoo game for us.Storm and Roosters will have us covered pretty easily after that if we are badly shorthanded.

 

[Ceagle]

Smarter for sure.The game tonight reminded me of the bulldogs game last year when we got so caught up in the hype we forgot about the football.the good news is we did create plenty of chances when we did forget about the physical stuff for a moment.This is a real danger period for us now and we will do well to stay on the pace over the next month.

With Faoso,King,probably Matai and maybe Brett out as well the Dragons will probably start favourites in what is a total hoodoo game for us.Storm and Roosters will have us covered pretty easily after that if we are badly shorthanded.

Whats wrong with King?

 

[susan]

Hurt himself late in first half.

 

[wedgetail eagle]

As good as it is to have Glenn Stewart back, he was understandably rusty.
Getting in sync again with with Lyon & Co will take a little time. As we all witnessed, Manly had ample opportunity in the 1st half but couldn't finish it off. Souths really worked at shutting Lyon & Wolfie down.
Klein "over reffed" the game, I thought.

 

[swoop]

We had plenty of opportunities in the 1st half but the timing was out.

 

[Budgie]

Seemed to me that they went to Glenn's side way more often than they have been all year just because he was back. Wrong?

 

[Technical Coach]

Glen is far too good a player not to learn from tonight.Even though he has been too sideways for a while it was so obvious tonight against a crackerjack defence that i''m sure it will change.

The fact it was so blatantly obvious may be a blessing for later in the season.Plenty of time to work on it.Players with his natural skill will adjust,he is not headless robot like many who can only play one way.

He won't adjust Susan while he is playing overweight and lacking sharp mobility, his ballplaying is his only offering in attack, he is not providing any go forward or mobile sharpness.

This is where Toovey has to either redefine his duties and tweak them or make some tough decisions for the greater good of our playing style--- playing lighter with straighter simple hard running, ball playing should be a bonus not the basis of his inclusion.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

Gift. Our new whipping boy.

 

[dowdz]

Seemed to me that they went to Glenn's side way more often than they have been all year just because he was back. Wrong?

I agree. Was worried that may happen. Thought of left edge has been better this year.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Could we put him on the left ?? He might be a better foil for Foz who tends to go to the line more than DCE does. That way we could leave Symonds on the RHS and he can run the lines and straighten things up a bit better for Killer.

 

[Technical Coach]

Gift. Our new whipping boy.

Not for me but others are jumping on the bandwagon lol 4yrs after the initial signs of this right side attack showing it's technical flaws and limitations.

Gift was not the reason why we were defeated but his style of play does not help our attack when it counts.

Gift was my favourite player in his earlier sharper years but now i'm bored seeing what he is offering and the lack of sharpness.

Like Susan stated this game reminded me of the Bulldogs game last year the good thing is we have time this year to rectify.

We improve our attack we will not get into the grind as much and not place ourselves in a position where one or two tries in the second half kills us off.

The good thing is in the past if Brett was one try from seven matches we would be 3 wins from 7 so it is obvious the attack has been worked on but Bretts output from the back is not enough--(he is not 100% and the days of 15-18 try seasons are going to be a struggle)

Is this output in attack from the back enough to win us another premiership that is the big question.

 

[Darren]

Far out!! He played his 1st game back after off season surgery and a red hot team. Yes, he does slide but it's been hugely effective the past few years. Give him a few games to adjust. He will see what he is doing and work on it. He looked buggered so probably that didn't help.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Playing the same style that put a Churchill medal on his pocket ?

I do tend to agree that he goes across field as touch much, but also remember who many time the commentators said Lyon got the ball on the outside of his man ? There were still plenty of opportunities for Lyon and Wolfman our there, we just didn't finish them off

The main reason for that was Bryson Goodwin, he did an amazing job and should have been man of the match. Against a weaker centre we wouldn't even be having this chat because we would have scored multiple tries through that area

 

[Sheikheagle]

I thought we would have an edge in centres but Goodwin was outstanding

 

[susan]

Getting the ball on the outside is not all there is too it. It is how you get there that matters. killer s getting to the outside pretty easily due to his speed but is travelling on an angled run due to the ball player crabbing and as a result the winger simply slides to the wolf.

If killer runs a straight line off Goodwins outside shoulder as a result of the ballplayer straightening(like Foz) the winger needs to make a decision to help his centre or not-that's when overlaps occur.

The fact that the souths wingers were getting their hands to the ball on the last pass on numerous occasions or wolf was kicking infield are simply the result of a defence that has not had to commit early.

Toovey is a good coach,the above is obvious and I have no doubt they will address it and more importantly using the left side more as we did in the first few weeks(which is where our main tryscorer plays).

 

[Technical Coach]

Far out!! He played his 1st game back after off season surgery and a red hot team. Yes, he does slide but it's been hugely effective the past few years. Give him a few games to adjust. He will see what he is doing and work on it. He looked buggered so probably that didn't help.

Darren we are not judging him, my viewpoint is and always has been our right side attack is poor and ineffective against the top 4 defensive outfits many times over the past 4yrs.

Stats can make things sometimes look better than they are, don't allow the beautiful ballplaying on that side against the remaining 75% of teams and it's "overall season output" lull you into a sense that when in form and fit this side in attack will no longer be an issue.

Too much finesse and not enough straight hole running backrower options on top of going through too many hands and the overall slow delivery and sharpness of plays, not straightening up or committing the defensive line to make a decision also.

 

[IQofalimabean]

Far out!! He played his 1st game back after off season surgery and a red hot team. Yes, he does slide but it's been hugely effective the past few years. Give him a few games to adjust. He will see what he is doing and work on it. He looked buggered so probably that didn't help.

Exactly, i thought his defense was good for his first game this season. The main issue i found with the game is that we were missing try scoring opportunities there was more than 7 times where Manly could have scored but missed out. We were good in defense but the attack was off.

 

[Technical Coach]

Getting the ball on the outside is not all there is too it. It is how you get there that matters. killer s getting to the outside pretty easily due to his speed but is travelling on an angled run due to the ball player crabbing and as a result the winger simply slides to the wolf.

If killer runs a straight line off Goodwins outside shoulder as a result of the ballplayer straightening(like Foz) the winger needs to make a decision to help his centre or not-that's when overlaps occur.

The fact that the souths wingers were getting their hands to the ball on the last pass on numerous occasions or wolf was kicking infield are simply the result of a defence that has not had to commit early.

Toovey is a good coach,the above is obvious and I have no doubt they will address it and more importantly using the left side more as we did in the first few weeks(which is where our main tryscorer plays).

I don't want us to use the left side more i want to use both sides more effectively. It is boring seeing the majority of teams attack on the left due to it being the natural and stronger ballplaying side, feels like i'm watching only half the players and annoys me like crazy.

I want less autopilot wide shifts and edge plays and more thought prior to setting up the play to create a conducive hole running environment on either side. More sharpness and creativity through the middle third width wise drawing in more defenders before going wide and in turn helps us play more straight. More straight hard running hole line options from a few back rowers on that side will help we try to finesse the ball too often sideways hoping to get on the outside without any inside shoulder genuine options to drag defenders in.

DCE in the last few games has been doing this to some degree and Foran is also trying to play more central at times to offer variation.

We have worked on our attack in this area which is good to see but yesterday against a good defensive outfit we struggled once again on top of seeing the old issue with Gift on the right it was painful to watch such a talented side full of internationals attack in such a way.

 

[COMMANDER]

Looked like an overstuffed sausage; they should have brought him back next week and not made him go around for 80 minutes.

They've asked too much of him after a six month lay off.