How has this year affected you as a fan?

[ALinda]

I assure you @Mitch its not just you who's feeling low after yet another dismal loss. It takes me several days to get over my subdued mood (and my partner can attest to that), then I pick myself up and think positively till the next game, but get disappointed again.
My tipping's going as well as my team, pathetically, which doesn't help!
Have to say, though, my saving grace is being able to come on here. I can read similarly minded Silvertailers' views, have a rant and even get an occasional laugh. Thanks to Dan and everyone involved!

 

[HoldenV8]

TBH, this year has really pissed me off knowing that even with the injuries we've had.....we are better than this.

DCE is better than the headless chook we keep on seeing.
Jake is the best lock in the game.....and that includes Taumalolo.
Tom will be the next Kangaroos fullback.
Api is rated among the best hooker / dummy halves in the game.
Marty is rated as one of the best props in the game.
Walker when fully fit is the best centre in the NRL.

But we're playing like a bunch of reserve graders who have been thrown together and told to go out and play.

I hate it, I really do hate it. I love supporting Manly and that won't ever change. But I hate the way this season is going.

 

[mave]

TBH, this year has really pissed me off knowing that even with the injuries we've had.....we are better than this.

DCE is better than the headless chook we keep on seeing.
Jake is the best lock in the game.....and that includes Taumalolo.
Tom will be the next Kangaroos fullback.
Api is rated among the best hooker / dummy halves in the game.
Marty is rated as one of the best props in the game.
Walker when fully fit is the best centre in the NRL.

But we're playing like a bunch of reserve graders who have been thrown together and told to go out and play.

I hate it, I really do hate it. I love supporting Manly and that won't ever change. But I hate the way this season is going.

I agree re the player assessments.
I wonder what (or who) the common denominator is, as to why they are not playing even close to potential ?

I think deep down we all know the problem.

 

[ManlyTragic]

Gees some of you guy are soft. I remember the days we were the, dare I say it, northern eagles! Now that was a time to be depressed! We had some crappy players back then and a not so sharp coach. At least now we have a very young team that will develop!

 

[mave]

Gees some of you guy are soft. I remember the days we were the, dare I say it, northern eagles! Now that was a time to be depressed! We had some crappy players back then and a not so sharp coach. At least now we have a very young team that will develop!

Who is going to develop our young team ?
Themselves ?

 

[ManlyTragic]

Who is going to develop our young team ?
Themselves ?

These young players have a flock of coaches around them ...... not just one!

 

[mave]

Yeah, blokes like Cartwright seem like they would be a real help in a player's development.

 

[Mascot Eagle]

If you’re a fan, you ride the highs and lows of the team you support. I have to be honest and as much as logic doesn’t agree with me I’m like Mitch and some others and have a dark cloud hovering over my mood as long as the team is in this predicament. The sport of rugby league wouldn’t be the the billion dollor entertainment that it is if people could easily distance themselves emotionally from the results. Books, movies and other mediums have this effect also. We get engaged and absorbed by the story and it doesn’t always have a happy ending. The benefit of supporting the eagles is that we have become accustomed to quality football teams that achieve success.

It is particularly difficult when a long off season creates feelings of hope and expectation albeit sometimes unfounded or unsubstantiated. We can blame Barrett, blame Bozo, blame the Penns, blame DCE, blame the NRL, the fact remains our team was middle of the road in the eyes of the most die hard. Sprinkle some injuries and unplanned drama and we’re now fighting for our dignity.

Consider that the winger that replaced the winger that replaced the winger is now injured and you start to appreciate the rare territory facing Barrett and the boys. Other teams in recent seasons have had their season end within the first month for different reasons. Roosters of 2016, Parra of what seams like every year. Imagine following the Titans, Tigers, Panthers, Raiders, Warriors, Knights and the forum whipping team, the Eels, when was the last time these teams had an absolute genuine chance at the title. Even the raiders of a few years back had to contend with the Storm and others. I’m talking serious and not surprising favouritism. Take your time... it took the rabbits Russell Crowe, Greg Inglis and Sam Burgess after 43 years of heartache. Thurston with all his might took ten years between grand finals.

We don’t suffer these problems but by Cliff Lyons it still hurts.

 

[Harvies elbow]

How has it affected me??
I'm drinking lots more cheapass bourbon and goon.
And I find I shake a little just before game time.
And a lot after game time.
Can't differentiate if it's the bourbs, goon or game that's the cause of it.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I grew up watching a stable club with minimal distractions

Whoa, hang on a tick.
I thought you are only about 16-17 years old?
So - which are these years you speak of, pray tell? (!!)

Did you never hear of Delmege v Penn? The Football Club? The Many Wharf Bar/Brett Stewart? Penn v Delmege vs Football Club? Des & Greenberg & Bulldogs? Stewarts/Watmough/Foran/Matai? Foran & DCE? DCE backflip? Toovey's exit? Procession of CEOs...???

And I haven't even got up to Match Fixing allegations and Salary cap cheating yet!

Hey I love Manly, but I would have to go back a few decades to think of it as a stable club with minimal distractions!

 

[Spartan Eagle]

This year has been pretty rough and it's just the beginning. I'm more pissed with the lack of leadership, culture and management of our club. We are struggling financially and are under resourced. We need the second coming. However I don't get down as much as I used to after a loss. As long as they keep fielding a team and I'm breathing I'll still be supporting them.

 

[Eric Galt]

Not much. Anyone know what number bus I catch to get to the Gap?

 

[The mule]

Not much. Anyone know what number bus I catch to get to the Gap?

13takebarrettwithyou

 

[EagleFlys]

Manly will always be Manly to me - win lose or draw.
I feel good when they win, and bad when they don't.

In days gone by we would have not known about the **** storms Manly had to deal with, and they were better days.
This year only reinforces how the game (W,L,D) and the team (how players played) are no longer relevant.

Greenturds NRL today is just a 24hr news cycle (like politics) where #clickbait = revenue.

But as long as Manly play a game each week in a season, for points, I will be happy and hopeful.

No scrub blogging twittering "journo" or pathetic slime NRL CEO will ever be clever enough to take that joy away from me or any of us.

 

[qldeagle]

Who is going to develop our young team ?
Themselves ?

Yeah how much of our young team will we have left after all the good ones are poached due to our failure to put up the bucks

 

[grassy]

The way we are playing now we will be fighting to stay away from the dreaded wooden spoon.We probably won’t get it but it will be a fight to stay away from it more so than a fight for the top 8. I just don’t think we are mentally capable of getting in the top 8. As a fan and total supporter I am finding it hard to come to grips on our mental state on and off the field.I hope I am wrong.

 

[winnyason]

Yeah, blokes like Cartwright seem like they would be a real help in a player's development.

Bingo. In times like this ex legends lend a hand. We need to get blokes like ballin, kitey, beaver involved.
Cartwright not an eagle **** him off

 

[double hoops]

I'm not going anywhere.

But I'm pretty pissed off at those apparently managing our club. I honestly thought we were finally on the up.

But with the departure of Bozo. I'm not sure anyone is running the footy side of the asylum. I'm over the off field issues from poor management that just destroy our team being the best they can be each year.

Bozo righted the sinking ship we were told by signing Kapow, Walker, Hastings and Green.

Bozoz gone. Greens already left. Rumours won't go away Walker will soon be off. The clubs doing everything to free themselves of Hastings.

Given Bozo pissed off, Gutho, Hiku, Buhrer and Parcel for this lot, who are leaving.

Where are we going to be next year?

Its hard to follow a team, when there just seems to be no direction.

Management Is bloody disappointing. And it's doing my head in.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

**** me dead it’s depressing reading your stories.

We are at a low point for the club, unless you are the Donkeys , the Rorters or the Storm it’s going to happen to most clubs.

Parra in 2016
Tigers in 2017
Manly in 2018

Yes it’s tough, am I heading for the Gap, nope!

Will I be heading there by round 26 if we don’t win another game, probably!

Do I think that’ll happen, nope!

Do I think we’ll win the spoon, probably but maybe not!

 

[grassy]

**** me dead it’s depressing reading your stories.

We are at a low point for the club, unless you are the Donkeys , the Rorters or the Storm it’s going to happen to most clubs.

Parra in 2016
Tigers in 2017
Manly in 2018

Yes it’s tough, am I heading for the Gap, nope!

Will I be heading there by round 26 if we don’t win another game, probably!

Do I think that’ll happen, nope!

Do I think we’ll win the spoon, probably but maybe not!

Yea I don't think we will win the spoon. But I cant help but think its a matter of time before we get a real flogging. We are managing to find a way to get some points every game which is a good sign but I cant see any other sign that says we are a top 8 team. Too many errors. The dropped balls from us are totally killing us. What I have noticed EVERY GAME and I stress "every game" is 2 things and the first is that when we have the other side on the ropes we let them off the hook by dropping simple balls, now that's every game this year. The second thing that I can see is when the opposition is on the attack our defence, is to slow the game down by giving away off side penalties instead of good defence. We just make things worse for ourselves. What I am saying now is from a standpoint of being and closely watching every game at the game bar one this year. Double hoops is quite right even though its depressing but that's the way it is and that's the way I see it too. If the team can prove me wrong well all good then I will stand corrected but that's the way I see it Mark. Sorry for the rant mate but I hate seeing us like this.