My two bobs worth

[Top End Eagle]

Hey haven't posted for a while but check in every now and then to see what's happening. A few things I would like to put up for discussion.

Firstly manly look tired. They played busted and without stars for long periods this year and despite the lack of origin reps we still played games without our star halfback and had a very good forward missing through representation and suspension. Even rothfool commented on the crappy draw we got from nine after they picked and chose the last six weeks.

Secondly our front rowers need some rest/help it doesn't mean they are soft just buggered. A big game will get them up again but they can't be expected to continue unphased when Lui Horo Gift have been missing for long periods and we stack back/front rowers on the bench (and sorry people as much as I love him Rose is not the answer).

Also our wingers have been disrupted. This hasn't helped getting out of trouble or finishing.

If watmough and snake want to go ( and I am not saying they do) then they should. You can't have two second rowers taking up twenty five percent of your cap unless they are burgess and SBW. Unfortunately gift and choc whilst still super players and club legends are it at that level.

I would be sad but happy if Steve Matai left for a big pay check at the warriors next year. He will be missed but hiku needs to be groomed and make way for Gutherson and the turbo Cessna so those two aren't swiped.

I wish Lussick had stuck around in our system and T Wrecks had left before he destroyed our 2013 campaign. Lama Tasi would be a rep player now too under us.

This is the most controversial and it hurts to write because if I weigh the both up I like Foz more. But if keeping DCE means we lose Foz then that's what has to happen. In a perfect world we keep them both because snake Matai gift choc and killer come into retirement and we support them with a good front rower and the youngsters coming through.

Roosters and cowboys are a worry. Rabbits showed they aren't up to it if not allowed to wrestle and those big boppers get tired.

We are in this up to our necks stop fighting and guessing at the motivations of the players. Stop wishing we could keep everyon who has played for us it just doesn't wod like that.

GO MANLY!!!!!!!!!

 

[The Who]

I regard myself as a Manly tragic, but I can't buy the excuse that we have been 'busted' by injuries and suspensions. I'd reckon we've had a better run than almost any other team.
We've lost two matches this season "in the dressing sheds at half-time" in round 1 against Storm, and against Parra on Friday. Something happens to the players' intensity. You could tell in the first few minutes of the second half that we were not switched on.
I wish I had an answer as to why.

 

[mickqld]

We all know that this team has the ability to switch it up & choke any opposition. The question is will they be able to do it in the finals? They have 1 chance next Sunday to show everyone what they have. I expect nothing less than a 80 minute torrent on the Panthers. If it's more of the same sub standard then I think it's all over.

 

[KaZa]

i think our experienced squad has taken some opposition lightly.

If you look at our losses.. they have mainly been against weak opposition. The few decent teams we lost to we had good leads and lost the game.

I think its a mental thing when they get to a winnable lead and just coast it out. Same thing you could say happened in the GF last year. Biggest lead to lose in a GF for some time was it not?

 

[Shoe1]

I could be just grumpy after Friday. but I'm not seeing manly managing a game for 80 minutes much this year.

We played well in the 1st half against parra, defended well, took our chances in attack. Parra didn't let the 1st half get to them and kept the intensity up after half time. We have lost our way for periods of games more than a few times this year. We're still winning most games, but I've noticed it.

 

[xavier]

This competition is too tight and intense to accommodate teams who are not fully unified. No matter how much talk there is that this team leaves all that behind when they take the field, I can't see how all the bitching and requests to leave by certain players is not going to hurt us. This is the time of the year when the contenders step up and the pretenders get found out. My feeling walking away from the Parra game was that we just don't have that X factor this year. In part its to do with the fact that the forwards lack punch and are not taking it up to the opposition, and in part I think its to do with the recent off field dramas. It feels like its unravelling. I hope I'm wrong. My honest feeling is that we'll go out of the semi's in straight sets.

(apologies to the faint hearted, fair weather, positivity junkies on this site who seem to get upset/offended by this kind of post).

 

[TWO DOGS]

I could be just grumpy after Friday. but I'm not seeing manly managing a game for 80 minutes much this year.

We played well in the 1st half against parra, defended well, took our chances in attack. Parra didn't let the 1st half get to them and kept the intensity up after half time. We have lost our way for periods of games more than a few times this year. We're still winning most games, but I've noticed it.

I agree Shoe1, in fact I think our best performance this year was in the first half of our first game against Melbourne.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

We all know that this team has the ability to switch it up & choke any opposition. The question is will they be able to do it in the finals? They have 1 chance next Sunday to show everyone what they have. I expect nothing less than a 80 minute torrent on the Panthers. If it's more of the same sub standard then I think it's all over.

I can't help but agree with this 110%.

Forget the off field drama's (remember we have these nearly every year) if they want it bad enough (Eels and Cowboys are perfect examples from last weekend) any top 10 side can beat any top 10 side.

I'm not sure we'll get an "80 minute torrent" but if we lose, or are very lack lustre on Sunday then I fear our season might be over.

I cannot see under just about any circumstance that we will beat the Cowboys in Townsville, not playing as they did last weekend BUT if we beat the Panthers well and put a decent showing on in Townsville then we are back!!

If we get dusted on Sunday, start getting your cricket pads boys because we won't proceed much further regardless of where we finish!!

 

[bob dylan]

I am one Bob.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

fiddy cent says he is worth fi fold.

 

[bones]

I am one Bob.

Aren't you playing in Brisbane tonight?

 

[Cliffy4PM]

Coming 1st and still under the radar, Des eat your heart out. Surely the guys have earned a bit of trust. They know when the big games are, unfortunately for us every game is a big game.

 

[bob dylan]

I am one Bob.

Aren't you playing in Brisbane tonight?

And the Tivoli Wednesday.