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THE player whose departure was thought by many to have crushed any prospects of grand final revenge for Manly believes the Sea Eagles will win the decider against Melbourne next Sunday - because they are a better side without him.
After watching the Sea Eagles tear apart the Warriors, Michael Monaghan - the hooker who was a crucial part of the side's run to last season's grand final - declared his former teammates ripe for revenge over the Storm. Having played out his first season with English Super League club Warrington, Monaghan returned to Sydney last week in time to watch his old side demolish the Warriors to set up a rematch against Melbourne, a match he will attend.
After the Sea Eagles lost three of their first five games this season - including their first two - many onlookers considered them no chance to repeat, let alone better, last year's feats. And many believed the absence of Monaghan was the reason.
Monaghan was the driving force behind much of what Manly did last season, and even though he could not lead them to success at ANZ Stadium, his loss had the potential to set back the side significantly.
But on Saturday night, when asked about the early perception that the Sea Eagles were not the same team without him, Monaghan said: "To be honest, I thought it was rubbish.
"The year earlier, we got told we weren't going to be able to do anything because Ben Kennedy was leaving. Two losses at the start of the year obviously set that off a little, but they were always going to find the groove. There's too many good players in the team for them not to be one of the better sides in the competition."
If not the best. Even though the Sea Eagles finished behind their grand final opponents in the minor premiership reckoning, Monaghan believes they have been the best side this season - and a better outfit than the one in which he played.
"I think they are [better] experience-wise, and I think Glenn Stewart's made a real big difference, the way he's playing this year," Monaghan said. "Last year he was more of a ball-runner. This year, he's playing more on that edge and it's helping Ox [Matt Orford] and Killer [Jamie Lyon]. I think that's the major difference this year - plus their defence has improved again.
"I think they've been by far the best team in the competition all year. I think they've been the most consistent team. They had the best attack and the best defence for most of the year, and they didn't have too many hiccups along the way.
"People were talking about them possibly being complacent against the Warriors, but they haven't shown that all year, even when they led the comp through most of it. They're a professional side, and I think they'll get the job done next week."
Still, there was some regret from Monaghan about the Sea Eagles' performance on Saturday night. Aiden Kirk's late try for the Warriors cost him a tidy sum in a bet he had with an opponent from last year's grand final, his Warrington teammate Matt King.
"I had a few bets with Matt that they weren't going to score a point against them," Monaghan said. "That try cost me 20 quid. But I got 10 to 1 on it"
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/sea-eagles-are-better-now-im-gone-monaghan/2008/09/28/1222540247126.html
After watching the Sea Eagles tear apart the Warriors, Michael Monaghan - the hooker who was a crucial part of the side's run to last season's grand final - declared his former teammates ripe for revenge over the Storm. Having played out his first season with English Super League club Warrington, Monaghan returned to Sydney last week in time to watch his old side demolish the Warriors to set up a rematch against Melbourne, a match he will attend.
After the Sea Eagles lost three of their first five games this season - including their first two - many onlookers considered them no chance to repeat, let alone better, last year's feats. And many believed the absence of Monaghan was the reason.
Monaghan was the driving force behind much of what Manly did last season, and even though he could not lead them to success at ANZ Stadium, his loss had the potential to set back the side significantly.
But on Saturday night, when asked about the early perception that the Sea Eagles were not the same team without him, Monaghan said: "To be honest, I thought it was rubbish.
"The year earlier, we got told we weren't going to be able to do anything because Ben Kennedy was leaving. Two losses at the start of the year obviously set that off a little, but they were always going to find the groove. There's too many good players in the team for them not to be one of the better sides in the competition."
If not the best. Even though the Sea Eagles finished behind their grand final opponents in the minor premiership reckoning, Monaghan believes they have been the best side this season - and a better outfit than the one in which he played.
"I think they are [better] experience-wise, and I think Glenn Stewart's made a real big difference, the way he's playing this year," Monaghan said. "Last year he was more of a ball-runner. This year, he's playing more on that edge and it's helping Ox [Matt Orford] and Killer [Jamie Lyon]. I think that's the major difference this year - plus their defence has improved again.
"I think they've been by far the best team in the competition all year. I think they've been the most consistent team. They had the best attack and the best defence for most of the year, and they didn't have too many hiccups along the way.
"People were talking about them possibly being complacent against the Warriors, but they haven't shown that all year, even when they led the comp through most of it. They're a professional side, and I think they'll get the job done next week."
Still, there was some regret from Monaghan about the Sea Eagles' performance on Saturday night. Aiden Kirk's late try for the Warriors cost him a tidy sum in a bet he had with an opponent from last year's grand final, his Warrington teammate Matt King.
"I had a few bets with Matt that they weren't going to score a point against them," Monaghan said. "That try cost me 20 quid. But I got 10 to 1 on it"
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/sea-eagles-are-better-now-im-gone-monaghan/2008/09/28/1222540247126.html
